Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Costa Rica Diquís Spheres

Diquís Spheres

These mysterious ancient stone spheres were created by a civilization lost to time and are now mostly lawn ornaments.

Costa Rica

Added By
Joshua Foer
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Diquís Spheres   Axxis10 on Wikipedia
Diquís Spheres   Rodtico21 on Wikipedia
Diquís Spheres   Rodtico21 on Wikipedia
Diquís Spheres   Axxis10 on Wikipedia
  Mitch Lang / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
Three spheres are on display at the Jade Museum in San Jose.   allanaaa / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Popping up in yards across Costa Rica, the huge, stone Diquís Spheres might be seen as simply a landscaping trend, but in fact the rounded stones are mysterious artifacts that were created centuries ago in great numbers, but for unknown reasons.  

In the 1930s, workers from the United Fruit Company, clearing land in the Diquís Valley of Costa Rica, began unearthing large numbers of almost perfectly round stone spheres. The largest of these apparently man-made balls is over two meters in diameter and weighs over 16 tons. No one is sure exactly when or how they were made, or for what reason, but, according to University of Kansas archeologist John Hoopes, “The balls were most likely made by reducing round boulders to a spherical shape through a combination of controlled fracture, pecking, and grinding.” They were likely the product of an extinct civilization of people that existed in the area between 700 CE and 1530 CE.

Today, virtually all of the spheres have been taken from their original locations. Many are prized lawn ornaments across Costa Rica. A collection of six now resides in the courtyard of Costa Rica's National Museum in San Jose.

Related Tags

Geological Oddities Statues Long Now Locations Rocks Archaeology Spheres Geology

Community Contributors

Added By

Josh

Edited By

Chiricuto, aribrown, EricGrundhauser, allanaaa...

  • Chiricuto
  • aribrown
  • EricGrundhauser
  • allanaaa
  • Collector of Experiences
  • Mitch Lang

Published

November 13, 2014

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_spheres_of_Costa_Rica
  • http://www.world-mysteries.com/sar_12.htm
Diquís Spheres
Unnamed Road
Palmar Sur
Costa Rica
8.910814, -83.478767

Nearby Places

Punta Uvita Tombolo

Uvita, Costa Rica

miles away

Restaurante La Oruga

Altamira, Costa Rica

miles away

727 Fuselage Home

Quepos, Costa Rica

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Costa Rica

Costa Rica

Central America

Places 24
Stories 4

Nearby Places

Punta Uvita Tombolo

Uvita, Costa Rica

miles away

Restaurante La Oruga

Altamira, Costa Rica

miles away

727 Fuselage Home

Quepos, Costa Rica

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Costa Rica

Costa Rica

Central America

Places 24
Stories 4

Related Places

  • Radial Cairn.

    Kerry, Ireland

    Knocknakilla Stone Circle

    Just another ancient, mysterious Irish stone circle.

  • Dong Van Karst Plateau Geopark

    Đồng Văn, Vietnam

    Dong Van Karst Plateau

    This striking landscape in northern Vietnam contains both geological and archaeological wonders.

  • Rock City and its spherical stones.

    Minneapolis, Kansas

    Rock City

    A landscape of massive spherical boulders are the main attraction in this Kansas State Park.

  • Hole-in-the-Rock

    Phoenix, Arizona

    Hole-in-the-Rock

    Millions of years of erosion created the feature for which this rock formation is aptly named.

  • Colorful sandstone cliff just west of the Colorock Quarry.

    Moapa Valley, Nevada

    Buffington Pockets

    The rocks exposed at Valley of Fire State Park also occur in a much less known but equally spectacular area a few miles to the southwest.

  • Fluorescent Andersonite from Utah.

    Tempe, Arizona

    Miners Rock Shop

    A family-owned store specializing in minerals, geodes, gemstones, and more.

  • Grampian, Pennsylvania

    Bilger's Rocks

    Rocky outcrops containing overhangs, caves, fissures, clefts, and alcoves that invite exploration and scrambling.

  • Mexican Hat

    Mexican Hat, Utah

    Mexican Hat

    This balancing rock is one of Utah's most unusual geological formations.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.