How were the Sajama Lines made?
The lines were created by removing natural vegetation to expose the bare ground. In other cases, the construction may have involved scraping away the dark soil and oxidized rocks from the surface to expose the lighter subsurface. Local peoples must have periodically maintained the lines that are clearly visible from the ground and on the aerial photographs and satellite images (otherwise they would be covered with vegetation). This suggests that the lines are still in use (or were until recently) in the Sajama region. Some have a slight U-shaped cross section from erosion, probably through repeated use. Compression of the soils through frequent passage of humans may help to maintain them and also prevent vegetation from growing over them. The lines are clearly part of the designed, built environment.
