Paul Kosok

Who was Paul Kosok?

Paul August Kosok, an American professor in history and government, is credited with being the first serious researcher of the Nazca Lines in Peru. His work on the lines started in 1939, when he was doing field study related to the irrigation systems of ancient cultures. This was his main research and, by the 1950s, he had done extensive mapping of ancient canals in Peru. He demonstrated the culture's sophisticated management of water to support their settlement patterns.

Observing the Nazca Lines, he recognized that some patterns represented living creatures, and some lines related to astronomical events. His study of archeo-astronomy aspects contributed to the recognition of the lines as an important archeological resource, which Peru has protected. The Nazca Lines were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.