Hundreds of spherical rocks exist in Costa Rica and no one knows what the ancients created them for.
Mysterious stone spheres in Costa Rica
The stone spheres in Costa Rica are known locally as Las Bolas . They are the subject of research by John Hoopes, a scientist at the University of Kansas, USA. He wanted to evaluate their importance to ask UNESCO to recognize them as a world heritage .
Archaeologists discovered stone spheres for the first time in the late 19th century. Some were made around the year 600. These rocks are still very difficult to estimate their age. Archaeologists determine their age through the age of ceramic samples and the age of radioactive carbon , relative to the sediments found in excavated areas.
The age of the rock was further complicated when the spherical rock areas were found to have the presence of different cultural artifacts dating back to time. Moreover, most of these spherical rocks are no longer in their original position.
The size of the stones varies, with diameters ranging from a few centimeters to more than 2.5 meters. The largest one weighs more than 14 tons.
Costa Rica has about 300 stone balls. Most of them are made from a volcanic rock called gabbro and have an almost perfectly round shape. They are honed during collision, rubbing against smaller stones. Ancient Costa Rican did not have a written language so no documents related to the stone balls were preserved.
Many stone balls are still waiting for human excavation.
Some tablets are engraved with diverse shapes.
Although many scientists have studied the stone spheres, it is still unknown to what purpose the ancients used them. Many spheres are found arranged in straight lines, curves as well as triangles or parallelograms. Another group of four orbs is located to the north, so it is suspected that they are arranged by people who are familiar with compasses or have astronomical significance.
Because the civilization that created the stone balls disappeared after the Spanish invasion in the 16th century, their role will remain a mystery and that secret will be protected by UNESCO.
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