Inca Empire

Researchers from the University of Sydney have proposed that the ancient Monte Sierpe site in Peru's Pisco Valley, known as the Band of Holes, served as a pre-Inca marketplace before being repurposed by the Inca Empire for accounting. Using drone mapping and soil analysis, the team uncovered evidence of trade and numerical patterns resembling Inca khipu devices. The findings, published on November 10, 2025, in Antiquity, suggest the site facilitated barter and tribute collection.