The pre-Inca Nazca culture in southern Peru flourished between 200 BC and 600 AD. It is famous for its giant geoglyphs, which are etched into the Pampa de Nazca, an arid desert plateau between the towns of Nazca and Palpa. This ground drawing shows the image of a whale, approximately 63 meters long. The Nazcans, despite their living in an arid zone some 50 kilometers from the Pacific Ocean, relied on, as excavations have shown, creatures of the sea for their sustenance. Sealife and fishermen with their nets are often depicted on ceramics.