Precolumbian Chiefdom Settlements with Stone Spheres of the Diquís World Heritage Site

Official name

Precolumbian Chiefdom Settlements with Stone Spheres of the Diquís | UNESCO

Country

Costa Rica | Map

Continent

North America

Location

8.9384° Lat, -83.5025° Lon | Map

Code

1453

Time Zone

America/Costa_Rica (CST, -0600)

Current Time

Category

Cultural

Description

Inscribed 2014. The property includes four archaeological sites located in the Diquís Delta in southern Costa Rica, which are considered unique examples of the complex social, economic and political systems of the period AD 500–1500. They contain artificial mounds, paved areas, burial sites and, most significantly, a collection of stone spheres, between 0.7 m and 2.57 m in diameter, whose meaning, use and production remain largely a mystery. The spheres are distinctive for their perfection, number, size and density, and placement in original locations. Their preservation from the looting that befell the vast majority of archaeological sites in Costa Rica has been attributed to the thick layers of sediment that kept them buried for centuries.