Date:

Archaeologists excavate giant stone spheres in Costa Rica

Archaeologists have excavated giant stone spheres in the Diquís Delta of Costa Rica.

Stone spheres are found on the small island of Isla del Caño and the Diquís Delta, where over 300 stone Petrospheres have been previously identified from the Diquís culture.

- Advertisement -

The Diquís culture emerged in the Valley of the Rio Grande de Térraba, where they established complex social, economic, and political systems to govern their society.

During the Chiriquí Period between AD 800 – 1500, many settlements grew into large communities around the alluvial lands of the Térraba River and its main tributaries, constructing large structures using round-edged boulders, paved areas, burial sites, and circular or rectangular mounds with stone walls.

The Diquís reached an apex of cultural development during this period, with Diquís artisans creating elaborate ceramic, bone, and gold objects, and sculpturing stone spheres in important zones within the settlements. Stone spheres were also placed 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 excavated 6 stone spheres as part of a wider project to preserve the monuments.

- Advertisement -

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 “.

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.

INAH

Header Image Credit : INAH

- Advertisement -

Stay Updated: Follow us on iOS, Android, Google News, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, TikTok, LinkedIn, and our newsletter

spot_img
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan
Mark Milligan is a multi-award-winning journalist and the Managing Editor at HeritageDaily. His background is in archaeology and computer science, having written over 8,000 articles across several online publications. Mark is a member of the Association of British Science Writers (ABSW), the World Federation of Science Journalists, and in 2023 was the recipient of the British Citizen Award for Education, the BCA Medal of Honour, and the UK Prime Minister's Points of Light Award.
spot_img
spot_img

Mobile Application

spot_img

Related Articles

Blocks from the Lighthouse of Alexandria recovered from seabed

Archaeologists have recovered twenty-two stone blocks from the Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Gravestone depicting 13th century knight unearthed in central Gdańsk

Archaeologists from ArcheoScan have unearthed a rare gravestone depicting a medieval knight during excavations in the centre of Gdańsk, Poland.

Angler unexpectedly fishes out a mysterious medieval sword

An angler fishing in the Vistula River in Warsaw has made an unexpected discovery, a medieval sword dating back hundreds of years.

Archaeologists uncover elite Hellenistic residence in North Macedonia

Excavations by the Museum of Kumanovo near the village of Mlado Nagoričane in the municipality of Staro Nagoričane have uncovered a Hellenistic-era residence dating to the 4th century BC.

Cache of Roman footwear unearthed at Magna Roman Fort

Magna, also known as Carvoran, is a Roman fort situated at the edge of the Whin Sill in Northumberland, England.

Ancient mortuary cave found hidden within desert mountains

Archaeologists from the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) have discovered a pre-Hispanic mortuary cave within the Ocampo Natural Protected Area (ANP) in Coahuila, Mexico.

Preserved shipwreck contains 2,000-year-old ceramic treasures

A recently discovered shipwreck off the coast of Adrasan, Turkey, has yielded a collection of ceramic treasures dating to the Late Hellenistic–Early Roman period.

Ancient boomerang found in Polish cave stuns scientists

A study of a Palaeolithic boomerang found in Poland's Obłazowa Cave has been dated to 42,000 years ago, making the discovery the oldest example in Europe and potentially the world.