We have all read about how the world has evolved over the years, but there is so much more that is yet to be explored. Every day, archaeologists find new facts, and this time it is about the Nazca Lines in Peru. Nazca lines are pre-Columbian geoglyphs that are etched in the desert’s sand in Peru. Recently, archaeologists discovered 168 more of these lines.

The Discovery

A team from Yamagata University in Japan, working in a research program led by the head archaeologist, Jorge Olano, successfully discovered geoglyphs in Peru. The geoglyphs were found during field surveys carried out between June 2019 and February 2020, and they are believed to have been created between 100 B.C. and 300 A.D. The discovery, which the team made using drones and overhead photographs, includes the silhouettes of humans and other creatures like birds, cats, and snakes.

Next Stop for the Study

This research program has been going on for a decade now, and the team has made a total of 358 geoglyphic discoveries, including the recent 168. But the study is expected to take a new turn now. The group is working on creating artificial intelligence that can look at aerial photos and find geoglyphs. As they search the countryside for more of these prehistoric images, according to Sakai, the team aims to utilize the new geoglyphs to make their task a little easier and train the system instead to find more such depictions. Next on the team’s agenda is to work with authorities with the aim of safeguarding the geoglyphs.

What Archaeologists Say

Justin Jennings, who has been a guardian at the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada of New World Archaeology, stated what a great job the team has been doing. Jennings himself, at a point in time, was involved in conducting a critical and detailed archaeological study in Peru. According to him, the team has presented a fine and detailed report on what happens in the region. The use of high-resolution images has helped to find even the minute details and geoglyphs that were previously left unidentified. He then added how some of these newly discovered geoglyphs were created by piling up stones. As per him, this finding is interesting, given that most of the time, to create Nazca lines, one was required to remove the soil and expose the white surface.

If your idea of life in the Wild West was formed based on Hollywood westerns starring Clint Eastwood and John Wayne, you might want to question its validity. Although we all fancy the period of cowboys rustling cattle, a slacker sheriff completely disinterested in enforcing the little law that existed, and the constant threat of getting mixed up in a gunfight on your way to the saloon, history’s version of events in the Wild West begs to differ.

The Wild West Was a Lot Tamer Than Portrayed in Films and Books

Despite the flashy take on the West advertised by moviemakers, historians offer a much different explanation of life during that notable period in American history. The Wild West stretched from Texas and the West Coast all the way to the Rocky Mountain states like Montana. It covered a period that began before the Civil War, somewhere during the 1850s, and lasted until the 1900s. That’s when cattle could glaze anywhere, and the range was open.

Since the majority of the land was pre-statehood, there was virtually no federal oversight, which left people to resolve their disputes among themselves. Contrary to popular belief, cattle owners didn’t go around shooting their rivals to steal their land. Instead, they formed associations to decide property rights for extensive plots of land. Of course, Native Americans weren’t included in those agreements, and their fate was decided with the Appropriations Act of 1851 and the creation of the first reservations.

The Western States Were More Violent Than Eastern States

It wasn’t all sweet-smelling roses in the Wild West. Despite the prolonged periods of peace, there were also periods of violent rivalry for precious metals. When people had to deal with property matters, they found a peaceful resolution, but when it came to gold, murder and gunfights weren’t uncommon.

The Wild West certainly wasn’t the raw, violent scenery we’re used to seeing in movies, but it surely wasn’t a walk in the park in some regions.