Monte Sierpe, or the âBand of Holes,â sits in the Pisco Valley of southern Peruâs Andes and dates back to at least the Late Intermediate Period (around AD 1000â1400), continuing into Inca times. This striking site features a winding band stretching exactly 1.5 km along a hillside ridge, divided into roughly 60 blocks that hold about 5,200 neatly arranged circular depressionsâeach usually 1â2 meters wide and 0.5â1 meter deep, with the deeper ones matching the âone meterâ detail. New 2025 research using drone mapping and sediment analysis suggests these werenât random pits but a pre-Hispanic barter market later adapted by the Inca as a massive âaccounting deviceâ similar to a giant khipu for tracking tribute and trade. Pollen traces from items like maize and bulrush point to active exchange, with no signs of burials, farming, or fortifications. The layoutârows of 6â9 holes across, separated by gapsâreveals numerical patterns that back its role in organized trade along Andean routes. Located near Ica, about 35 km inland, itâs hikeable but dry, so pack water.
