LIMA, Peru (AP) -- Archeologists have discovered a group of figures scraped into the hills of Peru's southern coastal desert that are believed to predate the country's famous Nazca lines.

About 50 giant figures were etched into the earth over an area of roughly 90 square miles (145 square kilometers) near the city of Palpa, El Comercio newspaper reported.

The drawings -- which include human figures as well as animals such as birds, monkeys, and felines -- are believed to have been created by members of the Paracas Culture sometime between 600 and 100 B.C., Johny Islas, the director of the Andean Institute of Archaeological Studies, told the newspaper.

One prominent figure appears to represent the main deity of the Paracas Culture that is commonly depicted on textiles and ceramics that date from the period, Islas said.

The recently discovered designs predate the country's famous Nazca lines that cover a 35-mile (56-kilometer) stretch of desert and have mystified scientists. They were added to the United Nations' Cultural Heritage list in 1994.

The Nazca culture flourished between 50 B.C. and 600 A.D., Islas said.

The lines -- which also include pictographs of various animals -- are one of Peru's top tourist attractions. About 80,000 tourists fly over the site every year.

The Palpa Lines includes a wide array of different geoglyph types - quite different from the Nazca pampas, such as the Llipata figures and more - but also the same types of trapezoids, runways, lines, and more - notice the unusual fan-shaped object in the upper right

Notice the contrast between the "vertical" lines in this image.  The left wide lines shows significant imperfection, and the thin line at right significant perfection.

Notice the long line rising vertically

A Palpa long line crossing the pampa

An outline trapezoid over other lines

A ridge top trapezoid

a trapezoid extending into a long line

note than two of the trapezoids align and the middle one veers off to the left - what purpose was served by successive geometrics of the same alignment?  Note the trapezoid overwritten by the closest

crossing trapezoids - are these redirections or alignment refinements?  practice making perfect?

In the case of the trapezoid climbing the hill toward the upper left, erosion seems to have degraded the geoglyph

A group of trapezoids of unknown purpose - note the lower of the trapezoids seems to have an appendage trapezoid

A complex trapezoid design - with a long runway crossing

It is not clear if the trapezoid could all be clearly viewed from the ground - however in most cases they can be used as a sight line from the group

A complex grouping of lines, including a tapering runway, and a long trapezoid the rises up on the the hill in the distance

crossed trapezoids

forking trapezoids

a rough trapezoid being crossed by a long line

Another question raised by the Palpa Lines is that since they are placed more frequently on hill tops and ridge tops, to what extent did the constructors of the class one and two objects reshape the ridges to create the orientation and smoothness of the surfaces for their designs?

A pair of trapezoids (with parallel lines) diverging

bigger is better?  a large trapezoid laid down over a narrower

A combination of solid and outline trapezoids, parallel lines, and long lines - the larger outline trapezoid appears to be very precise

A maps showing many of the Sacramento and San Ignacio line groupings - not there is a tendency for the lines in each group to point to one or two approximate directions

Showing the ridge-top placement of the Palpa lines

Trapezoid at Carapo from ground level

Trapezoid at Yunama from ground level

Diagrams showing one of the Palpa Runways

Notice the zigzag pattern underneath the runway, and the unusual grid-like pattern at right mid-way down the runway

A palimpsest is a manuscript page, whether from scroll or book that has been written on, scraped off, and used again.  In our context, we are referring to the desert itself as the page of this manuscript, that has been written then erased and rewritten.

Note zigzag pattern running through imprecise runway - note Big Spiral at left

Note anomalous Exclamation Point at top

Zigzags in all directions