Massive Stone Spheres Dug Up In Costa Rica

Recently, archaeologists have discovered several stones on the small island of Isla del Caño and the Diquís Delta, in which they have formerly detected 300 stone Petrospheres from the Diquís civilization appearing in the Valley of the Rio Grande de Térraba, where they set up complicated systems of society, economics and politics to supervise the community.
Several settlements developed into huge communities around the alluvial areas of the Térraba River and its primary tributaries in the Chiriquí Period between AD 800 – 1500. Huge structures were built using round-edged boulders, paved areas, burial sites, and circular or rectangular mounds with stone walls.

Source: INAH

The Diquís reached an apex of cultural development during this time, with Diquís artisans forming elaborate ceramic, bone, and gold items, and carving stone spheres in significant zones within the settlements. Stone spheres were also put in alignments in public plazas, or along the approach to the dwellings of the ruling elite or chieftains.
Archaeologists from the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (INAH) and the National Museum of Costa Rica (MNCR) have dug up 6 stone spheres as part of a wider project to preserve the monuments.

Source: INAH

The team focused on the Finca 6 archaeological site located in the canton of Osa in the Puntarenas Province, in which stone spheres have deteriorated due to alterations derived from the constitution of the rock, damage caused by humidity, and floods resulting from hurricanes and tropical storms.
Isabel Medina-González from ENCRyM-INAH said: “The intervention included surface cleaning and stabilisation through the application of edging and patches of enriched lime-sand mortar to slightly increase the hardness, as well as the placement of protective layers with mortar “.

Source: INAH

The spheres were then reburied with layers of geotextile, gravel and sand. “We have verified that this allows a homogenisation of temperature and humidity that avoids contact with the acidity of the clay soil and prevents the growth of vegetation in the vicinity.” said Javier Fallas from MNCR.