Mysterious Peruvian Holes Explained as Ancient Marketplace and Accounting System

Imagine a big mountain in Peru with almost 5,200 holes dug into it.

For a very long time, people didn't know what they were for, thinking they might be old, empty graves.

But scientists looked very closely at the dirt inside the holes.

They found corn and plants that people used to make things like baskets.

This made them think that maybe it wasn't for graves at all!

Instead, they believe it was a special place, like a giant outdoor market, where people traded food and other items a long, long time ago.

It might have also been used later to keep track of things people owed to others, like a very old way of counting.

So, instead of mysterious graves, these holes were part of an ancient community hub.