Stone spheres of Costa Rica

The more than 300 stone spheres of Costa Rica usually consist of gabbro, a plutonic rock similar to granite, each about a dozen on the other hand are made of limestone and sandstone. Between a few centimeters and more than two meters in diameter, weigh the heaviest 15 tons. [ Basis 1]

Locations and age

There are many localities, most of them in Diquis Delta and on the island Isla del Caño, more on the Río Terraba and Golfito; all products named in Puntarenas Province, which occupies the southern and central part of the Pacific side of Costa Rica. But 300 km further north in Papagayo on the Nicoya Peninsula in the Guanacaste province, there were discoveries.

They were made probably by steaming and grinding stones, as can be seen traces of processing. Near the balls one has found evidence of pre-Columbian time: in some pottery from the Aguas Buenas - culture ( 200 BC -600 AD); other sculptures from the Buenos Aires Polychrome type from the period around 1000-1500 AD ( meant Buenos Aires is in the province of Puntarenas). As a manufacturer of the balls is thought to be ancestors of the Boruca.

The age determination is difficult, especially because the vast majority of beads were removed from their locality and now adorn private gardens, for example. As a method of determination you have only the indirect method of stratigraphy, ie the study of archaeological layers on man-made tracks. On them you can only the "last use" of the balls estimate, but not the date of origin - unless one could find the editing tools to make their age assignment.

History of Research

The stone balls were found safe several times; received reports exist from the 19th century. Today's research began in the 1930s when the United Fruit Company was clearing the jungle to create banana plantations. Workers with bulldozers pushed the balls aside and damaged it; emerged as rumors, in its interior lay hidden gold, some even were blown up with dynamite. After the authorities intervened, were a few reassembled and brought to the National Museum of Costa Rica.

The first scientific study was undertaken shortly thereafter by Doris Stone, daughter of a United Fruit employee. Through its publication in 1943 in the journal American Antiquity became aware of Samuel Lothrop of the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard University on the topic. 1948 on a research trip in Costa Rica, the couple met Lothrop on Doris Stone, who gave personal contacts and showed rewarding excavation sites in Diquis Delta. Lothrops research results were published in 1963 in Archaeology of the Diquis Delta, Costa Rica.

Trivia

On behalf of Unesco is examined whether the balls are to be considered as World Heritage in the future.

Gallery

Stone ball from the Diquis Delta on the grounds of Harvard University