Ancient Geoglyphs of Kazakhstan: The Mysterious Markings in Danger of Destruction

07:58, 2 September 2015

ASTANA. KAZINFORM Rings, crosses, circles, squares, and a swastika are some of the many intricate designs of the enigmatic and ancient geoglyphs spread across the vast northern steppe of Kazakhstan. 50 huge geoglyphs were discovered by archaeologists in 2007 and were revealed last year, but researchers still seek to piece together who built the large-scale creations or why.

Archaeologists Irina Shevnina and Andrew Logvin, who discovered the geoglyphs, said of the finds, "As of today, we can say only one thing - the geoglyphs were built by ancient people." According to IBTimes, the sprawling creations are built-up mounds on top of the earth, unlike the famous Nazca Lines of Peru, which were dug and scraped into the earth. The mounds, found in the Torgay region in Kazakhstan, are typically formed with rocks, stone fragments, brush, gravel and soil. Like other giant geoglyphs, they are easily visible from altitude, and researchers have surveyed sites using satellite images from Google Earth. Last year a team of archaeologists from Kostanay University in Kazakhstan and Vilnius University in Lithuania, investigated the giant structures using aerial photography and ground-penetrating radar. A wide variety of shapes were revealed, with sizes ranging from 90 to 400 meters (295 to 1312 feet) in diameter. They were mostly shaped out of earth, but the swastika geoglyph was found to have been made out of timber, and as such is not in good condition.Pittsburgh University scientists Shalkar Adambekov and Ronald Laporte are currently working to get the area designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site to protect the archaeologically important sites. The geoglyphs are thought to date back 3,000 to 7,000 years. Author: Liz Leafloor, Ancient Origins

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