Definition:
Geoglyphs are works of art that were made from moving or arranging stones or earth or other objects within a landscape. The Nazca Lines are arguably the most famous geoglyphs on the planet.
Geoglyphs also can be carved into a hillside exposing bedrock; these types of geoglyphs, like the Uffington Horse and the Cerne Abbas Giant are called chalk giants. You could, by stretching the definition a bit, consider crop circles and corn mazes as examples of modern geoglyphs.
A mound could be considered a type of geoglyph that involves raising the elevation of a piece of ground, perhaps but not necessarily over a burial.
Examples of Geoglyphs
- Nasca Lines of Peru
- Blythe Intaglios in California in the USA
- Pintados in the Atacama Desert of Chile
- Effigy Mounds in Iowa, USA
- Quebrada de Santo Domingo in Peru
- Big Horn Medicine Wheel of Wyoming in the USA
- Uffington Horse in England
- Cerne Abbas Giant in England
- Gummingurru arrangement in Queensland
This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Any mistakes are the responsibility of Kris Hirst.
