The Puquios System of Nazca

The Puquios System of Nazca

The arid Nazca region of Peru is dotted with spiral-shaped indentations, part of an irrigation system that helped indigenous civilizations thrive here before European contact. Although the region’s rainfall varies year-to-year, it never amounts to much. So pre-Columbian Nazcans turned instead to underground aquifers to gather and transport water. An aerial view of several puquois chimneys near Nazca, Peru. Aquifers in the region slope downward, …