The Mystery Of The Stone Spheres Of Costa Rica

And then someone else said "Well, those are kind of cool and would look good on my lawn," or words to that effect, and so they were moved — onto private properties. Six were saved and are on display in Costa Rica's National Museum in San José.

Where did they come from? Who made them, and why? Nobody knows for certain. Ancient Origins Encyclopedia reports speculation that the spheres date back to around 600 CE, but even that's just a guess. How were they crafted in an era and area without metal tools? John Hoopes, associate professor of anthropology and director of the Global Indigenous Nations Studies Program, told Ancient Origins that the peoples who might have made them "became extinct shortly after the Spanish conquest" and left no written records that would explain the spheres or anything else.

Whatever their origin (aliens? Elvis?), the spheres are now protected by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization): They "represent an exceptional testimony to the artistic traditions and craft capabilities of Precolumbian societies."

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