In the Pisco valley of Peru, an intriguing archaeological site known as the Band of Holes spans about 1,500 meters and includes between 5,000 and 6,000 pits arranged in distinct block patterns. The site, also called locally Monte Sierpe or Cerro Viruela, features shallow pits roughly one meter in diameter and between 50 and 100 centimeters deep. These pits are spread across a narrow band about 14 to 20 meters wide, climbing a hillside. Some were dug directly into earth mounds, while others were carved from rock formations emerging from the ground. The site has puzzled researchers for almost a century. No excavation has uncovered bones or other signs of funerary use, which has ruled out the idea that it was a burial ground. The modern history of the site began in the 1930s, when aviator Robert Shippee published an aerial photo in National Geographic. The image revealed a striking, almost hypnotic pattern that captured the interest of scientists and the public alike. In 1953, explorer Victor Wolfgang von Hagen estimated the site had about 5,000 pits and initially suggested they might be tombs. However, this idea was soon challenged by the absence of any human remains. In 2015, a team from the University of California used drones to map the area and confirmed the estimate of between 5,000 and 6,000 pits. This number highlights the immense human effort needed to dig such a large number of cavities on a long slope. The site is near an ancient Inca road, storage facilities called colcas, and pottery from the 15th century, suggesting a link to the Inca Empire. Its proximity to Tambo Colorado, a major Inca administrative center, places it within the empire’s system of management and control in the region. In 1984, archaeologist John Hyslop proposed that the circular structures might have been used for storage, similar to other Inca sites like Quebrada de la Vaca and Tambo Colorado. Another theory, suggested by Andean culture specialist Charles Stanish, is that the holes may have been used to measure agricultural taxes owed to the Inca rulers. According to this idea, each pit could have been filled with a specific amount of grain or goods, allowing officials to visually count what each family group, or ayllu, owed to the imperial administration. This might explain the different patterns in the blocks of pits, with each block potentially representing a different ayllu. However, this theory is not universally accepted. Jean-Pierre Protzen, a recognized expert in Inca architecture, disagreed with this hypothesis, though the specific reasons for his opposition have not been detailed. Despite decades of observation, aerial surveys, and field studies, the Band of Holes remains an unsolved archaeological mystery, with verifiable facts pointing to its connection with the Inca Empire, yet its exact purpose still unknown.