The Atacama Giant - Mysterious Geoglyph In The Atacama Desert, Chile

The Atacama Giant  is a large anthropomorphic geoglyph in the Atacama Desert, Chile. The Atacama Giant is one out of nearly 5,000 geoglyphs - ancient artwork that are drawn into the landscape - that have been discovered in the Atacama in the last three decades. It is the largest prehistoric representation of a human figure in the world with the height of 119 metres (390 ft).  Its location is about 497 miles (800 kilometers) south of the Peru's Nazca lines - the best known geoglyphs in the world.  

Image By Emilio

The Atacama Giant In Google Map (Coordinates: 19°56’56.88?S, 69°38’1.87?W)

The Atacama geoglyph is neither painted nor carved. Dark stones that pepper the desert floor outline the figure, which was created by removing top soil to reveal lighter soil below. Geoglyphs are different from petroglyphs, which are engraved rock carvings. The body of the Giant of the Atacama is long and narrow. Its eyes and mouth are square, and its feet appear to be wearing boots. Each arm is bent. The right hand holds a bowl; the left grasps a dagger-like tool.

The origin of the gigantic figure is shrouded in mystery. Archaeologists believe that the Cerro Unita geoglyph was built between 100 BC and AD 700 as an astronomical calendar for knowing where the moon would set; by knowing this the day, crop cycle, and season could be determined. The points on the top and side of the head would say what season it would be depending on their alignment with the moon, which was very important in determining when the rainy season would come in the barren Atacama.

Source : krolltravel.com, en.wikipedia.org