The Stone Spheres of Costa Rica’s South Pacific

~ by Luis Gutiérrez Galera

Surrounded by beautiful landscapes, the magnificent Pacific Ocean, and an invaluable archaeological treasure, the southern region of Costa Rica stands out as an area of amazing beauty and characteristics that do not exist in the rest of Central America.

Finca 6

Finca 6

This historic legacy is unique and unparalleled in the rest of the world.

In the county of Osa, some of the richest and most valuable pre-Columbian archaeological masterpieces remain.

The native indigenous settlements of Finca 6, El Silencio, Batambal, and Grijalba, in the Diquís subregion, are the best evidence that various ancestral societies developed for thousands of years in its territory. The extraordinary social, artistic, and technological organization of the first Costa Rican inhabitants is outstanding.

Sphericity and its relation to power and ethnic identity are the symbolic relations that are linked to this amazing pre-Columbian display, and the spheres’ sizes set the differences between each other. The bigger ones were placed in public and living areas, while the smaller ones were buried in tombs, and they also decorated statues.

Since they are considered unique in the world due to their perfection, sizes, and high technological level, so far it has been impossible to establish accurately which of the 5 ethnic groups that are still present in this territory is responsible for such a complex work of engineering.

However, based on all the research done, the Boruca group is number 1 on the experts’ list. What is definitely mind-blowing is the craftsmanship of these enigmatic societies, as well as their expertise in construction, and the creation of gold, ceramic, and stone ornaments that were used in religion, art, and as a symbol of their worldview.

In June, 2014, these four settlements were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, because of their exceptional universal value; this boosts the beauty of the southern region of Costa Rica as a natural, cultural, and archaeological destination.

Posted in Activities, Art & Culture, Environment & Wildlife, Indigenous People, Local News and Community Initiatives, Osa, Tourism & Entertainment and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , .