Jacob L. Bongers

Seabirds shaped the expansion of pre-Inca society in Peru This research investigates the influence of seabird guano on agriculture in the Chincha Valley of southern Peru through multi-isotopic, archaeological, and historical data. We conduct stable carbon,…

A new study by @jbongers.bsky.social and colleagues suggests nutrient‑rich seabird guano enhanced coastal agriculture, contributing to expansion of pre‑Inca societies in Peru’s Chincha Valley.

plos.io/4rSCzcp

Seabirds shaped the expansion of pre-Inca society in Peru This research investigates the influence of seabird guano on agriculture in the Chincha Valley of southern Peru through multi-isotopic, archaeological, and historical data. We conduct stable carbon, n...

Seabirds shaped the expansion of pre-Inca society in Peru / Jacob L. Bongers ,Emily B. P. Milton, et al. @jbongers.bsky.social @plosone.org journals.plos.org/plosone/arti... #openaccess

In our new research, published in @plosone.org, isotopic analyses of maize align with imagery and historical sources to show how the pre-Inca Chincha Kingdom turned seabird guano (droppings) into a source of wealth and power.

@australianmuseum.bsky.social

journals.plos.org/plosone/arti...

Lead author Dr Jacob Bongers mapping a ground control point (GCP) next to a series of aligned holes on a mountain ridge.

We're definitely not jealous of @jbongers.bsky.social's fieldwork at Monte Sierpe (Band of Holes)...
Last year, Dr Bongers and colleagues published a new theory on the Andean monument's purpose, and it is some of our most-read research of 2025!

Read it 🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...

🏺 #Archaeology

Archaeologists think they’ve solved Peru’s ‘band of holes’ mystery | CNN For years, researchers have questioned who created the “band of holes” site in Peru. A new study suggests it was an ancient marketplace.

Check out this amazing story about new findings in #Archaeology research in #Peru with Jacob Bongers from #USYD
@jbongers.bsky.social
edition.cnn.com/2025/11/21/s...

Thanks for having me on your show @smitinathan.bsky.social!

Thanks for your interest and watching the segment!!!

A centuries-old grid of holes in the Andes may have been a ‘spreadsheet’ for accounting and exchange An ancient band of thousands of precisely aligned small pits stretching 1.5 kilometres across the Pisco Valley in Peru has baffled experts for almost a century.

Fascinating to read about drone-mapping and the #BandofHoles accounting and trading system in ancient Peru. I just watched a segment on ABC News Breakfast too. @jbongers.bsky.social theconversation.com/a-centuries-...

Mysterious holes in the Andes may have been an ancient marketplace, study suggests New research published in Antiquity by Dr Jacob Bongers at the University of Sydney has uncovered compelling evidence that brings us closer to solving the mystery behind one of the most unique…

📰 Was Peru's mysterious monument Monte Sierpe (Band of Holes) an ancient marketplace?

🏺 #AntiquityResearch #ArchaeologyNews via @sydney.edu.au

www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion...

YouTube video by SBS News Why does this ancient Peruvian monument have over 5,000 holes?

Thanks to SBS News for covering our research!

youtu.be/n67JQCpvy0M?...

Mysterious holes in Andean mountain may be an Inca spreadsheet Thousands of holes arranged in a snake-like pattern on Monte Sierpe in Peru could have been a monumental accounting device for trade and tax

#ICYMI Did over 5000 mysterious holes in the Andes function as an ancient marketplace and ‘spreadsheet’ for Inca accounting? @jbongers.bsky.social from Sydney Uni’s Vere Gordon Childe Centre shares insights in New Scientist. #Archaeology #IncaHistory #ResearchImpact Read here: bit.ly/3LwI8gG

Great question Christopher! This is one of the lingering questions about the site. We only have one direct C14 date from one of the holes and no systematic excavations have been carried out at the site. We plan on doing so to run more dates and figure out over what period of time the site was built.

More coverage of our exciting research on one of the most unique archaeological sites in the Andes!

Mysterious holes in the Andes may have been an ancient marketplace, study suggests New research published in Antiquity by Dr Jacob Bongers at the University of Sydney has uncovered compelling evidence that brings us closer to solving the mystery behind one of the most unique archaeo...

Research by a team led by the University of Sydney's Jacob Boners (Archaeology) has uncovered compelling evidence that brings us closer to solving the mystery behind one of the most unique archaeological sites in the Andes.
www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion...

Thanks for posting this thread on our research, @antiquity.ac.uk!

Lovely coverage of our research!

What was the purpose of the iconic Andean monument of Monte Sierpe (aka Band of Holes)? New research supports a new interpretation: it was a barter marketplace, later developing into a monumental system of accounting under #Inca rule.

🆓 doi.org/10.15184/aqy...

🏺 #Archaeology

@sydney.edu.au