Image could be part of a pilgrimage, according to the researchers

A geoglyph of a decapitation was also discovered nearby in 2011

New one shows animal with a long tongue , spotted body and many legs

More than 700 geoglyphs have been found in the Nazca desert, Peru

Between the towns of Nazca and Palpa in Peru, a stretch of ground spanning 50 miles (80km) is covered in more than 700 enormous drawings.

Now a new drawing, officially named a geoglyph, has been discovered by Japanese scientists showing an imaginary spotted animal with lots of legs, sticking out its long tongue.

These new lines join existing geoglyphs of a dog, hummingbird, condor and a monkey, thought to have been drawn by the ancient Nazca people between the 1st and 6th centuries.

Between the towns of Nazca and Palpa in Peru, a stretch of ground spanning 50 miles (80km) is covered in more than 700 enormous drawings. Now a new geoglyph (pictured) has been discovered by Japanese scientists showing an imaginary spotted animal with lots of legs, sticking out its long tongue

The geoglyph was discovered at Pampa de Majuelos in the Nazca desert by archaeologists Masato Sakai and Jorge Olano of Yamagata University.

The researchers claim the image, which measures more than 90ft-long (27 metres), shows an imaginary animal whose head and tongue are on the left, with a spotted body and legs to the right.

Masato Sakai said the image was created by moving stones from the whitish-coloured ground and piling them up to shape the animal.

'This is a characteristic technique of geoglyphs and [the find] may date back to 2,000 to 2,500 years ago,' he told Adina.

Masato Sakai, co-author of the study, said the image was created by moving stones from the whitish-coloured ground and piling them to shape the animal. He said the find could date back between 2,000 and 2,500 years

The researchers claim the image, which measures more than 90ft-long (27 metres), depicts an imaginary animal whose head and long tongue are on the left, with a spotted body and many legs to the right

The geoglyph was discovered at Pampa de Majuelos in the Nazca desert (pictured). The Nazca Lines stretch 50 miles (80km) between the towns of Nazca and Palpa, about 250 miles (400km) south of Lima

PERU'S NAZCA 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. 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 Advertisement

Another geoglyph was discovered nearby in 2011, showing a decapitation scene.

'Taking into account there is an ancient path, between the two geoglyphs, heading to the Cahuachi ceremonial site, we might say the figures are linked to a pilgrimage,' he said.

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

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

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

They were designated as a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1994 and the area stretches 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.

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.

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

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

In the same desert, a mysterious line of shallow holes called the band of holes extends from north to south across the Pisco Valley.

The holes, like the world's most uneven road, have baffled archaeologists for decades.

But last week it was revealed the narrow pockmarked piece of landscape may have been used to help the Inca rulers collect and collate their taxes.

A mysterious line of shallow holes called the band of holes extends from north to south across the Pisco Valley. The holes have baffled archaeologists for decades. But last week it was revealed the narrow pockmarked piece of landscape may have been used to help the Inca rulers collect and collate their taxes

THE NAZCA'S MYSTERY HOLES Further to the north of where the latest geoglyph has been found strange spiraling holes dotted across the arid valleys of southern Peru have puzzled generations of archaeologists. But researchers believe they may have solved the mystery of the holes, known as puquios, with the help of satellite images and data. They claim the holes formed part of a 'sophisticated' hydraulic system that allowed the ancient Nazca civilisation to retrieve water from underground aquifers. The Nazca culture, which flourished around 100BC to 800AD, were the same people who created the vast geoglyphs on the featureless landscape, also known as the Nazca lines. It is thought they operated by channelling wind into the earth down the corkscrew holes and into a series of underground canals that carried water from aquifers. This influx of air kept the water moving along the canals, forcing it out into the network of channels. A huge line of holes dug in a narrow band across the arid plateau above Peru's Pisco Valley have baffled archaeologists for decades, but last week research is suggested they may have formed part of a complex tax collection system that allowed the Inca authorities to keep track of tributes paid to them The holes are around 3ft-wide (1 metre) and up to 40 inches deep (pictured), many of which are lined with stones. They are dug at regular intervals and run close to an old Inca road, according to archaeologists The rock-lined holes, which are around 3ft-wide (1 metre) and up to 40 inches (101 cm) deep, would have helped keep precious food cool and dry in the harsh climate, the researchers said. Crucially, however, the holes would also have allowed the authorities to keep track of who or where the food tributes had come from. Professor Charles Stanish, an archaeologist at the University of California Los Angeles, believes food in the holes was then allocated to people in the Inca state - a nearby storehouse called a colca. Together with his colleague Henry Tantalean, he has found Inca pottery dating to shortly before the time when the Spanish invaded Peru in 1532. Using drones, the team collected aerial images and have created a new map of the Band of Holes, which it estimate is made of more than 6,000 depressions before they peter out. They found the layout of the holes was remarkably similar to the checkerboard pattern used in an Incan colca at Inkawasi, around 160 miles (258km) to the north. Some believe the holes may be a form of geoglyphic art, much like the famous Nazca Lines to the south, but recent research has shown the band of holes (pictured) runs close to an old Inca road Advertisement

The site was first documented in 1931 by aerial photographers and the few archaeologists who visited the site concluded the holes had been dug to provide storage.

But the reason why this was done has remained a mystery and the holes have been largely overshadowed by the more famous Nazca Lines which can also be found in the area.

There are also some that claim the holes were initially dug by a more ancient culture up to 2,300 years ago but then were adapted for use by the Inca.

Some claim the holes were built as a form of geoglyphic art much like the Nazca Lines themselves.