| Record | OBS-0164 |
|---|---|
| Category | Extraterrestrial/Ancient Aliens |
| Status | PARTIALLY SUBSTANTIATED |
| Summary | Maria Reiche proposed that the Nazca Lines functioned as a giant astronomical calendar, allowing the Nazca people to track solstices, equinoxes, and eclipses. This theory is influential but has not been conclusively verified. Reiche used it to counter the alien theory. |
| Origin | Proposed by German-born researcher Maria Reiche, who studied the lines from the 1940s until her death in 1998. |
| Claimed |
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| Evidence / consensus | Some alignments with astronomical events exist, but the calendar theory is not universally accepted. Many lines have no clear astronomical correlation, and the primary purpose may have been ritualistic. The theory remains one of several plausible explanations. |
Sources are external and provided for verification. Listing does not imply the Observer endorses their claims.