A digital archaeology study has revealed that the Inca civilization might have utilized a blockchain-like system 600 years ago. Researchers examined a 1-mile-long band of 5,200 precisely dug holes on Sierpe Mountain in Peru, concluding it served as a public accounting and exchange system. The structure, divided into 60 blocks, allowed for public verification of tribute and trade, resembling a blockchain in design and purpose. This system is thought to have enabled large-scale coordination without the use of currency or writing, drawing parallels to the Inca khipu, a record-keeping method using knotted cords.