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The purpose of the mysterious Nazca Lines in Peru has long puzzled archaeologists.

But now a team of researchers says they may have been used separately by two cultures, for different reasons.

One group may used them as part of a religious pilgrimage, but another may have smashed pots at their corners in religious ceremonies.

Scientists in Japan studied the Nazca Lines in Peru, and they found different sets were used for different reasons. One type was used as part of a religious pilgrimage but, 200 years later, another group smashed pots on them for a ceremony. Shown is a view of the famous 'spaceman' Nazca Line drawing

The new research, reported by Live Science, was conducted by the University of Yamagata University in Japan.

They examined 100 of these so-called geoglyphs - huge structures drawn in the ground, some tens or hundreds of metres wide.

And they deduced that two separate groups of people created and used the lines.

Most of the strange lines seem to head towards a pre-Incan temple complex known as Cahuachi, a religious centre that pilgrims travelled to.

One group of lines, including animals like the condor, is found in an area near the Ingenio Valley and towards Cahuachi, possibly an ancient religious route.

Another group, which includes apparently supernatural beings, is found mostly in the Nazca Valley and towards Cahuachi from a different direction.

The Nazca Lines are located in the Nazca desert in South Peru. However, their purpose and origin has remained somewhat of a mystery since they were first seriously studied in the 20th Century

The researchers deduced that that first group was made during a time called the Formative period, up until 200AD.

This group of people used the lines solely as part of their pilgrimage to Cahuachi.

But a second group in the Nazca period, up until 450 AD, used the lines for a different purpose; they seemed to smash ceramic pots at the intersection of the lines, possibly for religious ceremonies.

Evidence for this comes from the remains of pots smashed during this time period.

All of the strange lines seem to head towards a pre-Incan temple complex known as Cahuachi (pictured), a religious centre that pilgrims travelled to

One group of lines, including animals like the condor or spider (shown), is found in an area near the Ingenio Valley and towards Cahuachi, possibly an ancient religious route

'Our research revealed that the Formative geoglyphs were placed to be seen from the ritual pathways, while those of the early Nazca period were used as the loci of ritual activities such as intentional destructions of ceramic vessels,' lead researcher Dr Masato Sakai told Live Science.

Further supporting the 'multiple groups' theory is that the lines have been created in different ways.

Some have been made by removing rocks from the interior of the shapes, but others were made by removing the border.

THE MYSTERY OF PERU'S NAZCA LINES 

The geoglyphs, more commonly known as the Nazca Lines, were apparently first spotted in 1939 when a pilot flew over the Nasca planes of the Peruvian coastal highlands - although its likely they were seen by locals on hill tops much earlier.

They were designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994 and the area stretches more than 50 miles (80km) between the towns of Nazca and Palpa, about 250 miles (400km) south of Lima.

Some 700 geoglyphs are thought to have been drawn by the ancient Nazca people between the first and sixth centuries.

The Nazca Lines are drawn into lighter coloured strata which contrasts with darker gravels on the plain.

In general terms, the geoglyphs fall into two categories: the first group, of which about 70 have been identified, are said to represent natural objects, such as animals, birds and insects

Many of the images also appeared on pottery and textiles of the region. Other drawings represent flowers, plants, and trees.

A second is made from lines and more basic shapes such as spirals, triangle and rectangles.

Archaeological surveys have found wooden stakes in the ground at the end of some lines, which support theory the ancient people used simple tools and surveying equipment to construct the lines.

Most of the lines are formed by a shallow trench with a depth of between four inches (10cm) and six inches (15cm), made by removing the reddish-brown iron oxide-coated pebbles that cover the surface of the Nazca desert and exposing the light-coloured earth beneath.

Most of the lines are formed by a shallow trench with a depth of between four inches (10cm) and six inches (15cm), made by removing the iron oxide-coated pebbles that cover the surface of the Nazca desert to expose the light-coloured earth beneath

This sublayer contains high amounts of lime which has down the years hardened to form a protective layer that shields the lines from winds and prevents erosion.

Contrary to the popular belief that the figures can only be seen from the air, they are actually visible from the surrounding foothills.

Paul Kosok, from Long Island University, is credited as the first scholar to seriously study the Nazca Lines.

He discovered that the lines converged at the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere.

Along with Maria Reiche, a German mathematician and archaeologist, Kosok proposed the figures were markers on the horizon to show where the sun and other celestial bodies rose.

Source: UNESCO