New drone mapping and soil/pollen analysis suggest the Band of Holes on Monte Sierpe (about 5,200 pits) was likely a landscape-scale indigenous trade and accounting system—akin to a giant khipu—used around the 14th century by regional traders and later repurposed by the Inca. The patterning of pits, presence of transported crop residues, and strategic location support use as a visual, communal ledger or marketplace rather than agricultural or water-capture features.
An interactive map/catalog of global maritime chokepoints classifying primary (no viable maritime bypass) and secondary (alternatives exist) bottlenecks, outlining their strategic importance, vulnerabilities (conflict, piracy, climate, infrastructure), and rerouting options. It highlights critical passages such as the Strait of Hormuz, Malacca, Suez/Bab el-Mandeb, Panama Canal, Bosphorus, Cape of Good Hope and emerging Arctic routes.