#diquís

[davidstanleytravel]

Stone spheres such as this one outside the Museo Nacional de Costa Rica in San Jose were carved centuries ago by the Diquís Indians as symbols of prestige and identity. Over 300 petrospheres of this kind have been found in Costa Rica.

[artifacts-archive]

Crocodile-Head Figure Pendant

Diquís

800–1519 CE

Composite creatures consisting of human figures with pronounced animal features occur throughout Costa Rica, signaling that beliefs and their expressions were shared by many groups. Local styles developed distinctive characteristics, however. Metalwork from the Diquís Delta area in southwestern Costa Rica is ornate and replete with detail. Spirals and twisted and braided rope proliferate, and danglers, tinkling like bells and glittering in the sunlight, sometimes conceal the figures behind them.

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[artifacts-archive]

Owl Vessel

Diquís (?)

6th–14th century

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[artifacts-archive]

Pendant with Anthropomorphic Jaguar Figure

Diquís

700-1550 CE

While we do not know the significance of the figures on these gold pendants, the mixture of human and animal attributes suggests a mythical and supernatural universe. The ornaments were worn on necklaces, perhaps by political and religious leaders who recognized and valued their symbolism. The representations of anthropomorphic animals may allude to the transformative powers of shamans or their spirit helpers as they journey to supernatural realms.

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[skycrorg]

¿Fueron las esferas de piedra de Costa Rica un mapa estelar? ¿Representan las esferas de piedra de Costa Rica un mapa de constelaciones o un calendario solar? En este video sometemos esa fascinante hipótesis al escrutinio de la astrofísica. La respuesta es tan honesta como reveladora: comprobarlo exigiría conocer la posición y orientación originales de cada esfera, datos que se perdieron cuando la mayoría fueron movidas de su lugar. SKYCR explica por qué, sin ese contexto, la ciencia no puede dar un veredicto definitivo — y por qué eso también es una respuesta.... https://skycr.org/2026/08/13/fueron-las-esferas-de-piedra-de-costa-rica-un-mapa-estelar/

¿Fueron las esferas de piedra de Costa Rica un mapa estelar?

[artifacts-archive]

Bat-Head Figure Pendant

Diquís

13th–16th century

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[earthstory]

Diquís Spheres

The Diquís River Delta in Costa Rica is dotted with about 300 of these large, sculpted spheres. The largest of these stones is over 2 meters in diameter, making it larger than most average humans, with a mass of nearly 15000 kilograms.

The spheres are made mostly of local igneous gabbro, with an occasional sphere of other local materials such as limestone. Since the rocks are much older than the carving, geochemical techniques struggle to date the time that they were carved. Instead, scientists estimate that they were carved between 600 and 1400 AD based on the layers of sediments that surround some of the boulders.

The original reason for their carving is unknown. When they were first recognized as artifacts in the 20th century, several of them were destroyed or even dynamited due to rumors that they may hold gold. These boulders and other carved rocks in the region were added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2014.

-JBB

Image credit: http://bit.ly/29aYEfQ

References: http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/1160 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8593717.stm http://bit.ly/29a5aT3 http://bit.ly/29ad43s http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1453

[theancientwayoflife]

~Tripod Vessel with Anthropomorphic Supports. Costa Rica, Atlantic Watershed, Diquís, A.D. 1000-1500