Charles Stanish, a professor of archaeology at the University of South Florida, is close to cracking the case behind the Band of Holes’ mystery. This remarkable archaeological site is located in the scenic Pisco Valley of Peru, among dramatic glacier-covered peaks. Local residents refer to this site as Monte Sierpe, or “serpent mountain.” That since has captivated researchers for decades, as it features more than 5,200 mysterious, shallow pits carved into a hillside.
Stanish’s process with the Band of Holes started back in the 80s on his first visit to this fascinating site. At first, he speculated that the pits were human-made depressions formed during the pre-Inca era. His lifetime of research through the years has made him a true believer. He posits that these pits constituted the first rudimentary marketplace for indigenous peoples of North America. The Incas eventually reworked the site to serve their purposes. They made it into an incredibly complex system for both accounting and storage, primarily for agricultural purposes.
Recent discoveries on the site have revealed its ancient importance. Stanish found seeds from the colonial era, though these mostly existed as single seeds at the bottom of a post hole. He stated, “We didn’t get any, with one exception way down below, colonial-era seeds, and we got one carbon-dated to slightly pre-Inca, which was fascinating.” This carbon-dated seed gives important evidence connecting the site’s use to a period preceding Inca civilization.
With the help of cutting-edge drone technology, Stanish was able to create the first detailed aerial mapping of the Band of Holes. This mapping resulted in extremely high-resolution photos that uncovered some incredible patterns in the arrangement of holes. Usually measuring between 3 and 6.5 feet in width, the pits seem divided and propositioned by calculus. Their layout is very similar to khipu design. These knotted-string devices were employed by the Inca as accounting and record-keeping devices.
Stanish emphasized the human involvement in placing seeds at the site, asserting, “We proved that the seeds didn’t fly in, they weren’t airborne, they had to be put there by humans.” His previous research found the Inca and Quechua people’s use of indigenous reed and willow structures. Even today, these materials are still used to transport goods around the globe. He remarked on these discoveries: “The coolest stuff was we found the reeds, the traditional reeds and the willows that the Inca and the Quechua peoples use to carry commodities, even up to the present day.”
Looking ahead, Stanish is planning to do more analysis of recovered seed samples and possible excavation on the site. He expressed confidence in his findings: “If we do find anything that changes interpretation, we’ll say that. I doubt it.”