The environs of Nazca (sometimes spelled Nasca) are watered by the Rio Grande de Nazca, which is a convergence of streams and rivers from higher altitude Andes and their summer rains. Major tributaries are the Nazca and the Ica rivers. This is an arid and desolate country, where in places rivers flow through subterranean layers of ancient limestone. Portions of this territory receive an average of 20 minutes of rain a year. Especially affected by perpetual drought are the lowlands.

The Nazca people created a complex irrigation system for their crops, consisting of aqueducts and resevoirs. They produced fine textiles, and fine colorful pottery. Motifs on their pottery appear to depict their pantheon, which include a variety of creatures, some hybrid and some fanciful. The "Killer Whale" is a common motif, as is a catlike creature, and one known simply as the "Mythical Anthropomorphic Being". The latter owes influence to Chavin art. Unlike other regions in the future Inca Empire, the Nazca people did not make complex objects from gold.

One of the most evocative yet inexplicable creations of the ancient world are the Nazca lines and figures built into the desolate Nazca plateau. Forms and patterns can only be seen from the air, or from space, resulting in off-base speculations such as that these artifacts were built by, or for, aliens from outer space.

They're known as "geoglyphs". The lines were made by simply raking the darker topsoil off the ligher clay below. The removed topsoil was left alongside the lines.

Most of the lines are found in the Ingenio Valley. This is an area which is naturally and seasonally irrigated from Andes riverwater runoff.

Most of the lines are geometrical, with trapezoids and straight lines being prevalent. There are over 40 animals drawn far bigger than life size, and there's even a representation of an ancient loom. There are over 800 lines in total, with 62 points of convergence.

The lines have been studied, and their purpose remains elusive. Early visitors thought the lines marked irrigation channels, until they were able to observe the sheer complexity of these images. Another theory considered that the lines were astronomical signifiers. It is possible a few of the lines were used to tell seasonal time, but very few of the lines appear to have any celestial significance, upon a thourough examination. Those that do seem to connect with a rising or setting sun, however, could have served as a calendar. However, the lines do parallel to a remarkable degree the nearby waterways. A curent speculation, promoted by Anthony Aveni, considers that convergence points seem to match areas where water was likely to have welled out in the past. He hypothesizes that the ancient people of Nazca were performing a type of water magic, by drawing most of these lines, and using them ritualistically.

Cahuachi was a city two miles long and two-thirds of a mile wide. Among other things, the town had some pyramids that reached 70 feet, cemetaries, and village squares. Much in the way of a rich motherlode of pottery has been discovered here. The main period of settlement was 100 - 600 AD, although the site was in use sporadically for ceremonial purposes until circa 800. However, as no proper town layout has been discovered, it was probably less residental than the seat of Nazca authority, and home to the Nazca spiritual life.

Buildings were made of adobe brick. Pottery for religious purposes have been found here in abundance.

Signs are evident that La Estaqueria was built after Cahuachi was largely abandoned. The site lies near Cahuachi, and there is a solar observatory present.