Peruvian Band of Holes - photo

[Altair]

The Band of Holes is a series of 6,000 man-sized holes running approximately 1.5 km (.93 miles) in the Pisco Valley of Peru. Archeologists are uncertain about their purpose.

Fullsize image: https://diqn32j8nouaz.cloudfront.net...s_fullsize.jpg



Previously:

Casas Grandes meteorite - photo
Ancient Roman city aerial view - photos
Cantalloc Aqueducts - photos

[Duke_of_URL]

Most definitely ahead of their time, as they created potholes before the invention of roads.

[jimfols]

Sheepsfoot test area?

[Frank S]

If you ask me and fortunately most don't, I would say those holes were dug to form a barrier to slow or deter an evading force. An infantry or a Calvery would find negotiation the holes most distressing at best. many if not most of the holes were carved out of rock so originally the sides of them could have been near vertical. Even a shallow hole of a meter in diameter and half a meter deep would be crippling to a horse and an army would be slowed to neatly a standstill while attempting to march several 1000 soldiers through them

[schuylergrace]

I wonder if they might not be some sort of water catchments. They seem to be following ridgelines, and I notice clouds or fog in the background of the color image. Perhaps they condensed out airborn moisture and fed it into aquifers or aqueducts, like the ones near Nazca. There's a project in Morocco that harvests water from ground-hugging clouds with large nets. Nothing is more important to a community than water.

[jimfols]

A close-up look at one of the pits in the Band of Holes. Each one is about 3 feet wide and 20 to 40 inches deep. They were not dug into the rock, but built from imported rocks and soil.



From here: https://arstechnica.com/science/2016...cient-economy/

[NortonDommi]

Frank S,
About 15 - 20 years ago I read about a marathon runner who went to a Peruvian mountain range to train and apparently got the shock of his life. His training buddy was a 70 year old who ran in bare feet and the writer could not keep up with him.
Considering that a reasonably athletic fit person would have little difficulty navigating this terrain if lightly encumbered but any large animal especially a team harnessed and pulling wagon would be stopped toot sweet you have a credible theory.
BTW when a host encounters adverse conditions they are broken to smaller divisions and given cart blanche to progress.

[mccwho]

Since the pits were built up with dirt and rocks and not dug into the rock (so they would not have held water. They might have been used to slow enemies or used to direct migrating animals since animal are like humans and prefer to take the path of least resistance. Might even have been used to capture or injure migrating animals.
Depending on past weather or the different climate they would have had back then. They could have even been used as food storage.