University to open center at Nazca Lines

YAMAGATA — Yamagata University said Wednesday it will open a research center in Peru in September at the site of the Nazca Lines, the ancient markings that have been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The facility will operate for 15 years and research more than 1,000 of the "geoglyphs" and other ancient relics. It will invite other Japanese and local university researchers to participate in its work.

"It's not known why those geoglyphs were created and we also know little about the lifestyle of the people (who created them)," said Masato Sakai, a professor heading the Nazca Lines research team at the university.

Sakai's team began its field work on the Nazca Lines in 2006 and has discovered more than 100 geoglyphs.