In the lowlands of southern Costa Rica, massive stone spheres lie scattered across former banana plantations, riverbanks, and grassy fields. Some are small enough to cradle in two hands. Others weigh more than 15 tons. They are nearly perfectly round. No written records explain who made them, how they were shaped, or why they were placed where they are.

They were unknown to the outside world until the 1930s, when land clearing for agriculture uncovered dozens of them at once. What looked at first like curiosities soon became one of the most puzzling archaeological discoveries in Central America.

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The spheres were created by the ancient Diquís culture in what is now southern Costa Rica. Most date from roughly 300 to 1500 CE, before European contact.

They are carved primarily from gabbro, a dense volcanic rock found in nearby hills. The stone is extremely hard, yet the spheres were shaped with remarkable precision using stone tools, fire, and patient grinding. Some are accurate to within a few millimeters of a perfect sphere.

In the 1930s, the United Fruit Company cleared large sections of jungle to create banana plantations. Workers began uncovering stone balls buried just beneath the surface.

Rumors spread quickly. Some people believed the spheres contained gold. Others thought they marked pirate treasure. Many were moved, damaged, or even blown apart with dynamite in search of riches that never existed.

Only later did archaeologists begin documenting their original locations, though much contextual information had already been lost.

Unlike most ancient stone monuments, the spheres were not carved in place. They were transported, sometimes several miles, from their quarry sites.

Many were arranged deliberately in lines, triangles, or clusters aligned with landscape features. Some appear to have marked important settlements or ceremonial centers. Others may have symbolized power, territory, or social status.

No two cultures elsewhere in the world are known to have produced stone spheres in such quantity and precision.

There is no surviving oral tradition explaining their purpose. The Diquís culture left no written language.

Theories range from astronomical markers to symbols of authority. Archaeologists today lean toward the idea that the spheres were status symbols, used to display control over land and labor. Perfect spheres required time, skill, and coordination to produce.

In 2014, several sites containing the spheres were designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites, helping protect what remains and bringing renewed attention to a mystery that still has no final answer.

Until next time,

Emails From Afar Team

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