Ancient Andean Site May Have Served as Pre-Columbian Accounting System
Recent archaeological research suggests Monte Sierpe, a site in Peru's Pisco Valley with around 5,200 aligned holes dating back at least 700 years, might have functioned as an Indigenous accounting and exchange mechanism. An international team led by Jacob L. Bongers and Charles Stanish used drone mapping and sediment analysis, finding maize pollen and plant materials in the holes, indicating storage or transport. The site's segmented layout, with numerical patterns in hole rows, parallels Inca khipu record-keeping devices. The study, published in Antiquity, proposes Monte Sierpe was a barter marketplace or tribute collection system under the Inca Empire, offering insights into pre-Hispanic resource management without currency or writing.
Key facts
- Monte Sierpe in Peru features approximately 5,200 holes arranged over 1.5 kilometers.
- The site dates to at least 700 years ago, predating European contact.
- Research by Jacob L. Bongers and Charles Stanish found maize pollen and plant residues in the holes.
- The layout shows numerical patterns, with sections of holes organized in rows of seven, eight, or nine.
- The study hypothesizes the site was used for accounting or exchange, similar to Inca khipu devices.
Entities
Institutions
- University of Sydney
- University of South Florida
- Antiquity journal
- The Conversation
Locations
- Pisco Valley
- Peru
- Andes