Peru drops plan to shrink protected area around Nazca Lines archaeological site
Source: The Guardian and agencies
Peru drops plan to shrink protected area around Nazca Lines archaeological site
Critics had claimed that plan announced in May exposed complex of desert etchings to impact of informal mining
Guardian staff and agencies in Lima
Mon 9 Jun 2025 20.23 BST
Last modified on Tue 10 Jun 2025 15.17 BST
Peru’s government has abandoned a plan that reduced the size of a protected area around the country’s ancient Nazca Lines, after criticism the change made them vulnerable to the impact of informal mining operations.
Peru’s culture ministry said on Sunday that it was reinstating with immediate effect the protected area covering 5,600 sq km (2,200 sq miles), that in late May had been cut back to 3,200 sq km. The government said at the time the decision was based on studies that had more precisely demarcated areas with “real patrimonial value”.
The remote Nazca region located roughly 400km (250 miles) south of Lima contains hundreds of pre-Hispanic artefacts and its plateau is famous for the Nazca Lines, where more than 800 giant desert etchings of animals, plants and geometric figures were created more than 1,500 years ago. Unesco declared them a World Heritage site in 1994.
A technical panel of government representatives, archaeologists, academics and members of international organisations, including Unesco, will work together to build consensus on a future proposal for zoning and land use in the area, the culture ministry’s statement said.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/09/peru-nazca-lines-protected-area
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By
Abdul Moeed
June 9, 2025
One of the Nazca lines geoglyphs visible as The Hummingbird. Credit: Diego Delso / CC BY-SA 4.0
Following intense public and professional backlash, Peru’s Ministry of Culture has reversed a controversial decision that had reduced the protected boundaries of the ancient Nazca Lines and surrounding geoglyphs. The government reinstated the original perimeter of 5,633.47 square kilometers (2175 square miles), restoring full coverage after experts, citizens, and heritage organizations raised concerns. The Ministry confirmed the reinstatement in a statement, stating the move upholds Peru’s responsibility to ensure long-term protection of the Nazca Lines.
The reversal also included the formal annulment of Viceministerial Resolution No. 128-2025, which had scaled back the protected area to just over 3,200 square kilometers (1235.527 square miles). The reduction, announced in late May, was based on studies that attempted to define which zones held the most archaeological value.
However, critics argued that the decision endangered lesser-known sites, exposed the area to illegal mining and farming, and weakened the country’s overall preservation framework.
Experts warn of broader risk to cultural heritage
Archaeologists, including the College of Archaeologists of Peru, warned that the move could set a damaging precedent for other heritage locations such as Caral and Machu Picchu.
“The original polygon not only protects the geoglyphs but also other archaeological sites that were within that limit. That delimitation allows, at least in theory, broader protection,” said Eyne Omar Bendezú De La Cruz, director of the School of Archaeology at the Saint Aloysius Gonzaga National University.
More:
https://greekreporter.com/2025/06/09/peru-full-protection-ancient-nazca-lines/