MYSTERY SOLVED

Peruvian Hole Mystery Possibly Solved by Florida Professor

Researchers revealed that the mysterious holes were man-made.

A series of around 5,200 holes in Peru’s mountainous Pisco Valley first drew media attention in the 1930s, and after years of mystery, their origin may have finally been discovered. Charles Stanish, a professor of archaeology at the University of South Florida, co-authored a paper concluding that the “band of holes” was likely man-made in the pre-Inca period as a marketplace and was later adapted by the Inca civilization as an accounting method. Researchers reached their conclusion by using advanced drone technology during their expedition to map the site from the air. They found patterns in the arrangement of the holes that mirrored the devices the Incas used for counting and record-keeping. Moreover, analysis of sediment samples from the holes revealed the presence of crops traditionally used for weaving. “We proved that the seeds didn’t fly in, they weren’t airborne, they had to be put there by humans,” Stanish told The Guardian. The archaeologists also found reeds that ancient people used to carry commodities. “So we got the reeds, we got the seeds,” Stanish said, adding that future research will further analyze the seed samples, but the evidence so far points strongly to the holes being man-made.