Published: June 10, 2025 | By: Minener Editorial Team
The Peruvian government reinstates the original 5,600 km² boundary of the protected Nasca Lines area, responding to criticism over informal gold mining threatening the ancient geoglyphs.
The government of Peru has reinstated the original 5,600 km² boundary of the protected area safeguarding the globally renowned Nasca Lines, reversing a controversial decision that had previously reduced the zone to 3,200 km². The rollback comes amid mounting concerns from archaeologists, academics, and opposition lawmakers about the encroachment of informal mining near the ancient geoglyphs.
Technical Working Group to Define New Zoning
Peru’s Ministry of Culture announced the creation of a technical working group including government officials, archaeologists, and international entities such as UNESCO. The aim is to establish scientifically grounded, consensus-based criteria for future land-use zoning and territorial management in the region.
Informal Mining Threat in Nasca
According to Peru’s Ministry of Energy and Mines, 362 small-scale gold miners are currently registered under the REINFO program in the Nasca district. However, experts warn that this registry is sometimes exploited by illegal miners in collaboration with criminal groups, posing a growing risk to the archaeological site.
World Heritage at Risk
The Nasca Lines—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—comprise more than 800 geoglyphs etched into the desert of southern Peru over 1,500 years ago. These giant figures—visible only from above—depict animals, plants, geometric patterns, and human-like forms.
The area remains a significant center of scientific research. In September 2024, archaeologists announced the discovery of hundreds of new geoglyphs, primarily featuring animals and humanoid shapes. Notably, in 2020, researchers uncovered a 37-meter-long figure of a feline with pointed ears.
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