Ever since I was a child, I've known the carved stone spheres in the parks of San JoséThese were decorative objects that came from the South of the country. They were decorative objects from the south of the country. But their origin and function were, and still are, a mystery...
Since this event, the spheres have been the subject of all kinds of discussions and theories: that they were built by extraterrestrials, or that they are symbols of the social and political organization of the Indian peoples of the Diquis region (in the south of the country). On the other hand, the peoples of the north of the continent (Mayas and Aztecs) or those of the south (Incas among others) chose the verticality of the Pyramid to symbolize their social and political organization.
Unfortunately, the places where the spheres were discovered have not been respected, and many have been removed from their original locations. As a result, we have unfortunately lost basic information.
Today, thanks to the efforts of specialized researchers from the National Museum and the communities of Palmar Nord and Palmar Sud, the "Finca 6" Spheres Park has been created: an archaeological site located in "Palmar Sur de Osa" where the largest concentration of stone spheres in our country can be found. The site was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2014.
The spheres are sculptures that were present in public places frequented by the area's Indian communities. They were built continuously for at least 1,000 years (between 400 and 1500 CE), until the arrival of the Spanish in the New World.
From 500 A.D. onwards, excavations demonstrate the existence of a complex social organization, a tribal organization with chiefs ("cacicasgos"), a redistribution of land, and a specialization in agricultural and craft production.
The construction of the spheres involved collective decision-making and organization of work, as well as a great deal of effort to achieve these perfectly round works.
Over 200 stone spheres have been inventoried to date, all varying in size from 2.5 cm to 30 cm in diameter, with an average of 150 cm.
The continuous production of these spheres and their location, exclusively in the south of the country, demonstrate the importance of these sculptures to our culture.
Despite their mysterious nature, they set us apart from the countries of northern Central America and remain, for us Costa Ricans, one of the symbols of our identity.
You can see these spheres by visiting the Corcovado
Autheure: Gabriela Mata
Diquis spheres
We don't know exactly who built them or why, but they are an example of the skills of the Indian peoples who existed before the arrival of Europeans in America, and who populated the territories between what is now Costa Rica and Panama. The story of the stone spheres begins in the 1940s. At the time, part of Costa Rica's history was being written in close conjunction with the development of banana farming by the United Fruit Company. YUNAI", as the Costa Ricans called the company, was preparing land in the south of the country for banana planting when two workers accidentally discovered the first spheres.
Since this event, the spheres have been the subject of all kinds of discussions and theories: that they were built by extraterrestrials, or that they are symbols of the social and political organization of the Indian peoples of the Diquis region (in the south of the country). On the other hand, the peoples of the north of the continent (Mayas and Aztecs) or those of the south (Incas among others) chose the verticality of the Pyramid to symbolize their social and political organization.
Unfortunately, the places where the spheres were discovered have not been respected, and many have been removed from their original locations. As a result, we have unfortunately lost basic information.
Today, thanks to the efforts of specialized researchers from the National Museum and the communities of Palmar Nord and Palmar Sud, the "Finca 6" Spheres Park has been created: an archaeological site located in "Palmar Sur de Osa" where the largest concentration of stone spheres in our country can be found. The site was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2014.
What we know about spheres today
The spheres are sculptures that were present in public places frequented by the area's Indian communities. They were built continuously for at least 1,000 years (between 400 and 1500 CE), until the arrival of the Spanish in the New World.
From 500 A.D. onwards, excavations demonstrate the existence of a complex social organization, a tribal organization with chiefs ("cacicasgos"), a redistribution of land, and a specialization in agricultural and craft production.
The construction of the spheres involved collective decision-making and organization of work, as well as a great deal of effort to achieve these perfectly round works.
Over 200 stone spheres have been inventoried to date, all varying in size from 2.5 cm to 30 cm in diameter, with an average of 150 cm.
The continuous production of these spheres and their location, exclusively in the south of the country, demonstrate the importance of these sculptures to our culture.
Despite their mysterious nature, they set us apart from the countries of northern Central America and remain, for us Costa Ricans, one of the symbols of our identity.
You can see these spheres by visiting the Corcovado
Autheure: Gabriela Mata
