In Peru, a new geoglyph discovered at the site of the Nazca lines

Driver Gerard De Rooy, of Netherlands, and co-drivers Darek Rodewald, of Poland, and Moises Torrallardona, of Spain, drive their Iveco truck on the Pan American highway along the Nazca Lines geoglyphs in Nazca, Peru, after finishing second in the second stage of the Dakar Rally between Pisco and San Juan de Marcona, Tuesday, Jan.

8, 2019. -

It was completely by chance, during maintenance and development work, that a new geoglyph was discovered at the archaeological site of Nazca, Peru, reports the

.

The giant motif represents a cat and is over 2,000 years old.

These lines, traced in the ground between 500 BC and 500 AD, raise one of the great enigmas of archeology because of their quantity, their nature, their size and their continuity. .

According to the BBC, the geoglyph is 37 meters long and was drawn using stones, revealing the sand below.

"The silhouette was barely visible and was on the verge of disappearing because it is located on a rather steep slope subject to the effects of natural erosion," said the Peruvian Minister of Culture.

Large 2,000-year-old cat discovered in Peru's Nazca lines https://t.co/fnTStcmmoo

- BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) October 18, 2020

Still other geoglyphs to discover

The lines are well defined and measure 30 to 40 cm in width.

"It's pretty amazing that we still find new patterns, but we also know that there is still more to be found," Johny Isla, Peruvian chief archaeologist of the lines, told Spain's Efe news agency.

In recent years, the use of drones has helped archaeologists.

Unlike planes, drones fly at very low altitudes and allow new discoveries.

According to the archaeologist, these new lines discovered date from the Paracas era, that is to say 500 before J. - C. to 200 after J. - C.

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