Stone spheres of the Diquís
Esferas de piedra del Diquís
- Date
- c. 300-1500 · confidence low
- Place
- Palmar Sur, Osa, Puntarenas, Costa Rica
- Credited to
- Pre-Columbian societies of the Diquís delta (Aguas Buenas and Sierpe traditions)
- Field
- Cosmos & Earth
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What it is
More than three hundred spheres of gabbro and other rocks, from a few centimetres to over two metres, carved by percussion and abrasion with near-geometric precision. They constitute stone sculpture unique in the world, and their function remains unknown.
Their chronology spans from about AD 300 to 1500 depending on the author (most are associated with the Sierpe period, 800-1500). They were found in the 1930s when forest was cleared for banana plantations; many were moved from their original positions. Astronomical hypotheses are unproven.
What it led to
- markers of rank and ceremonial landscape in Diquís villages (leading hypothesis)
- recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2014)
- an identity symbol of Costa Rica