Can we ever figure out what some of the ancients were thinking when they did some of the things that we are puzzled by today? There are so many theories out there, that try and explain some of the mysterious ancient finds, but they are just that, theories and what are theories? They are what we used to call educated guesses and some of them are not so educated. Why would an ancient race perform back breaking work for years to accomplish nothing more than making holes in rocks, holes that stretch for over a mile? You have to remember that this was done at a time when there may not have even been any metal, which made the task far harder than it even would have been today.

I think that we tend to think that a lot of the things that were done in ancient times, were done to appease the gods. Actually this might be true, but there may be many other reasons for this strange behavior. One very simple explanation might be that a field of holes may have been created to catch rain water for drinking in an area where water was scarce. Another reason might have been that rock was being removed for some reason and the holes were just the byproducts. Maybe animal skins were stretched over the holes for faster curing? There could actually be many different reasons why thousands of holes were made. I am referring to the area in Peru, known as the Pisco Valley. Actually it is very near the valley, but not in it. Some ancient people decided to do something that created thousands of holes in rocky terrain. The history of these holes has long been forgotten by the local people. The estimated number of holes is almost 7,000. No one realized the scope of the field, until it was observed from the air, at which time someone's jaw must have hit the floor. The holes are actually carved into a plain named Cajamarquilla.

What is the best guess that the scientific community has for the holes? Most scientists think that they were used to store grain. Of all the explanations for the holes, this one seems the most crazy. Grain storage could be accomplished so much easier, in so many other ways. If anyone ever asked me if I thought this was the reason for the holes, I would have to say that this is the worst reason ever presented. The reason for the holes is probably something that we have never even thought of. Here is the thing about the holes, nothing was ever found inside them. Since they are all empty, this leads one to believe that if they were used to hold anything, it must have been something that would have left no trace. Besides water, I can't think of much else. I would be interested in knowing when the holes were dug to see if this coincides with any ice ages. If it did, then maybe the holes were used to make ice, by filling them with water and waiting for it to freeze. The hole patterns in some areas are quite precise. They gently curve up slops and around obstacles. These holes are not shallow, the average depth is between 6 and 7 feet. It sort of reminds me of the one man fallout shelters that were used in North Vietnam during the war.

It is interesting to note that the holes seem to be the correct size for a human to fit into. Some people thought that they might be vertical graves. This was ruled out however, when the holes bore no traces of having any contents. Another reason for the holes might have been to build something. Perhaps the holes were going to serve as supports for large timbers and the inhabitants never had a chance to finish their project for some reason? The holes were examined as far back as the 1930s and at that time were described as a meter wide and about a meter deep, so perhaps some of the holes are more shallow than others. These could be holes that weren't finished. For those of you that are more adventurous, here are the coordinates for if you want to look this up on a satellite photo site, 13°42'57.67" S,  75°52' 31.50"W. The ruins, of what looks like a settlement, have been found nearby.

One thing that was never mentioned, as far as I know, was the fact that the holes might have been fox holes. Man is a creature of war and I think this should be considered when studying these ancient finds. Here is the problem I have using the holes for a defensive position:
1. Most are too deep to see out of.
2. They seem to be too hard to get out of.
3, Even if archers were in them, they would only be able to get a couple of shots off before being trapped in the holes.
4. The holes are not on high ground, making it easy to run up to them.

Don't you just love these ancient mysteries, I know that I do? When they turn out to be something that is more advanced then we suspected, it makes the discovery even sweeter. When we rediscovered Damascus steel, I think it was in the 1960s, we found a steel that was far stronger than the steel we had. We had never suspected that ancient peoples had this type of technology. Maybe that is what will happen with these holes. Maybe they were all going to be connected into some type of water filtration system, or used for a hydroponics project that never saw the light of day? Gee, I guess I could continue to guess what the holes were used for all day long, but you wouldn't want to read that, so no more guesses by me on the purpose of the holes.

In Russia, larger holes have been discovered in the Krasnoyarsk region. There are about 10 holes that lead to tunnels in a field. Each hole leads to an entrance to a hollowed out place that resembles a cave. The tunnels are connected and are about the height of an average sized person. There are several theories about the origins of the tunnels, but they seem to be wrong. Here they are:
1. The tunnels were dug by pranksters
2. Animals dug the tunnels
3. The tunnels were caused by earthquakes
I just can't imagine pranksters spending months, or years, to dig out holes and tunnels for a laugh, can you? I am sorry but I just can't believe that some animal came along and dug these things out, they are not like fox dens, they are very large and inter connect. As far as earthquakes forming them, they seem to be hollowed out, if an earthquake formed them all and connected them, where is the debris from the fallen dirt and rock and why are the tunnels just the right height to walk through? Nope, I can't buy these theories.

Hole In Ice
Photo Source: Stock.xching

Lastly, I would like to mention the strange hole that appeared in a frozen lake in Latvia. The lake was frozen solid, but there was a hole in the ice that just wouldn't freeze over. The temperatures were subzero. The water in the hole should have froze instantly. This is not the first time that something like this happened. A few years back, a hole formed in a frozen lake in Minnesota, in the U.S. This was a huge hole, estimated to be about 2,100 feet across. No one was ever able to find out why that area of the lake never froze in the subzero temperatures. These holes baffle scientists. One of the things that they check for is warmer water welling up from below ground. If this is the case, you not only get a hole in the ice, but the ice around the hole is thinner than the ice on the rest of the lake. This was not the case with the holes we talked about, that is what makes them so mysterious. If something fell through the ice, the water should have refrozen quickly. At the present time there is just no explanation for this.