1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,920 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:07,800 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hey y'all, I'm Eves and welcome to This 3 00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:11,000 Speaker 1: Day History Class, a podcast for people who can never 4 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:23,000 Speaker 1: know enough about history. Today is May. The day was 5 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:28,400 Speaker 1: May fifteenth, nineteen o three. Mathematician and archaeologist Maria Reischa 6 00:00:28,720 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 1: was born in Dresden, Germany. Preisha was dedicated to studying 7 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:36,280 Speaker 1: the Nascar Lines, and she became known as the Lady 8 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:39,720 Speaker 1: of the Lines. The Nascar Lines are a group of 9 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:44,080 Speaker 1: designs etched into the Earth and southern Peru. Risha grew 10 00:00:44,159 --> 00:00:48,280 Speaker 1: up in Germany and went to university. There. She studied math, geography, 11 00:00:48,360 --> 00:00:51,720 Speaker 1: and astronomy and learned to speak five languages. But in 12 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:55,000 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty two, as the Nazis rose in power, she 13 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:58,960 Speaker 1: moved from Germany to Peru. There, Risha became interested in 14 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:03,240 Speaker 1: the culture and history of the country. In seven, not 15 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:07,319 Speaker 1: long before Rasha arrived in Peru, a Peruvian archaeologists came 16 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:11,080 Speaker 1: across the Nascal Lines and reported on them. The Nascalons 17 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 1: are a group of geoglyphs, or large designs created on 18 00:01:14,480 --> 00:01:17,240 Speaker 1: the surface of the Earth. Many of them are believed 19 00:01:17,240 --> 00:01:19,840 Speaker 1: to have been created more than two thousand years ago. 20 00:01:20,959 --> 00:01:23,280 Speaker 1: As more people began flying over the area. In the 21 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:27,600 Speaker 1: nineteen thirties, the Nazca lines became better known and Rissia 22 00:01:27,720 --> 00:01:31,759 Speaker 1: became interested in them. At the same time, American historian 23 00:01:31,880 --> 00:01:36,080 Speaker 1: Paul Kozak was photographing and studying the lines. Risha began 24 00:01:36,120 --> 00:01:39,520 Speaker 1: to work with Kozak and she began studying the lines extensively. 25 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:44,160 Speaker 1: She visited them, flew over them, and began mapping them. 26 00:01:44,200 --> 00:01:47,520 Speaker 1: She realized that they formed hundreds of huge images like 27 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:50,560 Speaker 1: that of a monkey, a hummingbird, a spider, and other 28 00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 1: abstract designs. Kozak thought that the lines might be irrigation ditches, 29 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:58,480 Speaker 1: but they were too shallow to be used for that purpose. 30 00:01:59,480 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 1: After KOs left Peru, Raisha continued to study the lines. 31 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:05,800 Speaker 1: Risha theorized that the NASCAR lines were part of an 32 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 1: astronomical calendar, and she published her theories in the book 33 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:12,840 Speaker 1: The Mystery on the Desert in nineteen forty nine. She 34 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:15,440 Speaker 1: suggested that they were used to help determine when to 35 00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:20,240 Speaker 1: plant and arrogate crops, but this theory was not widely accepted. Still, 36 00:02:20,360 --> 00:02:23,680 Speaker 1: the NASCAR lines began to get attention from researchers around 37 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 1: the world. The lines also began to attract more tourist attention. 38 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:31,240 Speaker 1: Risha began to be recognized as a keeper of the lines. 39 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 1: She worked to preserve the lines and used a broom 40 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 1: to sweep the desert, removing the gravel that was filling 41 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:41,280 Speaker 1: in the lines. She used so many brooms that rumors 42 00:02:41,320 --> 00:02:44,920 Speaker 1: circulated among the locals that she was a witch. She 43 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 1: paid guards to protect the lines with money she earned 44 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:51,680 Speaker 1: from her book. The Pan American Highway cut through the lines, 45 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:55,080 Speaker 1: but Raisha got the Peruvian government to limit access to 46 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:57,959 Speaker 1: the area and build a watch tower so people could 47 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:01,840 Speaker 1: safely view them. The Nascar Lines were declared a UNESCO 48 00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:07,040 Speaker 1: World Heritage Site in Russia. Lived in a tourist hotel 49 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:09,880 Speaker 1: in Nascar for the last twenty five years of her life, 50 00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:13,000 Speaker 1: and she continued to give lectures on the lines until 51 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 1: she died in After her death, her home in Nascar 52 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:20,640 Speaker 1: was turned into a museum. The true purpose behind the 53 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 1: lines is still a mystery. I'm Eve Jeff Cote and 54 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 1: hopefully you know a little more about history today and 55 00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:31,840 Speaker 1: you did yesterday. And if you have any comments are suggestions, 56 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:34,160 Speaker 1: you can send them to us at this day at 57 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:36,200 Speaker 1: I heart media dot com. If you want to hit 58 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:39,160 Speaker 1: us up on social media. We're at t D i 59 00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 1: HC Podcast on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Thanks so much 60 00:03:43,040 --> 00:03:44,960 Speaker 1: for listening to the show and we'll see you tomorrow. 61 00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:58,640 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from My Heart Radio, vis the I 62 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 1: Heart Radio app, apple Pie Casts, or wherever you listen 63 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:02,160 Speaker 1: to your favorite shows.