Ancient civilization has wondered us, well, since forever. Humanity has a nagging tendency to look back toward our ancestors for wisdom and knowledge, as well as simply to wonder. Which brings us to the stone spheres of Costa Rica. We don’t really know where the came from, why they were made, or what they were used for. There is a bunch we do know about them, but the most interesting thoughts about them have yet to be proven. Let’s jump into it.
What Do We Know About Stone Spheres of Costa Rica?
What we know is that they range in size from just a few centimeters across, to over two meters across (that’s over 6.5 feet, if you’re using freedom units). The largest of the stones weigh somewhere over 15 tons, or 30,000lbs. That’s a fat rock. We also know that these stone spheres are primarily carved from gabbro, a coarse stone rich in iron and magnesium, originating from the magma beneath the Earth’s surface.
A small number of the stone spheres of Costa Rica are made out of limestone, and some are made of sandstone, neither of which are as tough and strong as gabbro. The stones were then smoothed with sand, basically used as primitive sandpaper.
We also know (obviously) where they are: Costa Rica! More specifically, they are found in the Diquís Delta, in one of the most southern portions of the country. Anthropologists have dated the site these stones sit on back to about the year 300. For reference, this was the height of the Roman Empire, prior to the founding of Islam, and about 1,100 years before Columbus sailed the ocean blue. So, you know, a long, long time ago. By the time of European contact, the people who created the stone spheres of Costa Rica were long gone, and they would sit in the Costa Rican wilderness for quite some time.
It wasn’t until the United Fruit Company would start developing the region that they were discovered. Initially, workers destroyed and bulldozed the stone spheres of Costa Rica to make way for development until authorities stepped in and said: “Hey, cut that out”. The first scientific evaluations done of the stones was done by (no joke) Doris Stone.
What Don’t We Know?
We don’t know who built the stone spheres of Costa Rica or why. Theories abound, but nobody really has any idea. For one, the spheres are (predictably) spherical, which is not easy to achieve without modern machinery on a 15-ton rock that’s over 6-and-a-half feet across. Seriously, you try it, see how it goes. I’ll wait. The precision with which the stones have been crafted is one of their more puzzling aspects.
One of the more creative ways that’s theorized is that the ancient people used a magic potion that can dissolve the rock away, allowing them to melt and shape the stone as if it were a piece of pottery. Where did these ancient people get such a magic potion, you ask? Well, from the one place you’d think—Atlantis.
Fish People Did It
Yes, Atlantis, that is where they got that magic potion. And if they didn’t get the magic potion from Atlantis, then maybe they just got the stone spheres of Costa Rica themselves from Atlantis. A prevailing theory in ancient Central American myth is that these seemingly impossible feats of engineering are the result of contact with Atlantis.
I, for one, am hugely in favor of this hypothesis. Atlantis has mythological roots dating back to the days of Plato, which is about 700 years prior to the people who made the stones. Perhaps, as Plato said, Atlantis fell into the sea, but then its people reemerged on the other side of the world. In fact, it’s possible that people from Atlantis were the same people who built the stones and established this culture.
As stated before, the people who created these stone spheres were never contacted or discovered. It’s possible that when they caught wind of European settlers landing on their shores that they thought the best course of action would be to get on the first sub back to Atlantis (I’m assuming that if they can engineer perfect spheres with magic potions that they also have access to submarines). Maybe, one day the mystery of the Costa Rican stone spheres will be solved, but until then I firmly believe that this is the result of ancient sea people.
