Overview
- Monte Sierpe spans roughly 1.5 kilometers with about 5,200 pits arrayed in more than 60 segmented blocks, each hole about 1–2 meters wide and 0.5–1 meter deep.
- Microbotanical residues from sampled pits include maize and plants used for basketry, supporting periodic deposition of goods brought in woven containers.
- High‑resolution drone imagery reveals numerical patterns in the layout that the authors say resemble the organization of local Inca khipus, though the site’s ~60 segments differ from a nearby khipu’s 80 groups.
- A radiocarbon date of roughly 1320–1405 CE and surface finds align with use by the Chincha Kingdom before later repurposing under Inca tribute administration in a corridor between Tambo Colorado and Lima La Vieja near key road junctions.
- Specialists describe the interpretation as plausible but provisional, calling for broader dating, more sampling across the monument, and comparative khipu analyses while noting the work counters long‑running pseudoarchaeological claims.