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- A truckload of Costa
Rica's most important archeological
artifacts made their way home this
week.
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- Officials from the National Museum moved eight ancient
indigenous stone spheres from the San JosÈ area to the Osa
Peninsula,
close to the site where they were originally found in
1940.
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- While creating a large banana plantation in the Diquis
Delta
area, workers stumbled upon rows of carefully placed spheres of perfect
roundness. More were found on Isla del CaÒo. They are considered
Costa Rica's most significant pre-Columbian relics.
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- The mysterious spheres, some of
which are the size of
an orange while others are over two meters in
diameter, were constructed
by indigenous groups in approximately 800
AD. They can weigh as much as
16 tons. At least 500 spheres of varying
sizes have so far been found.
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- Archeologists still can't come up with a clear
explanation
for the spherical accuracy of the giant spheres, or their
possible use.
Some geologists believe a volcano spat globs of magma
into the air, which
cooled into spheres. Others believe they were made
with stone tools.
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- Researcher Ivan Zapp, in his book, "Atlantis in
Costa
Rica," the spheres may have been navigational markers used by
a
highly developed seafaring culture (TT, July 3 '98).
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- The artifacts were welcomed
home by Osa residents during
a ceremony at the Central Park in the
southern town of Palmar Sur on Monday.
Twenty years ago, locals blocked
the streets of their community in an attempt
to keep the spheres from
being removed, and were thrilled to see them returned.
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- The relocation is part of the
"Community, Archeology
and Environment in Osa" project, which
is dedicated to promoting the
southern regions of Costa Rica as a
tourist destination.
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- For decades, the spheres have been used as decoration
outside many public institutions in San JosÈ and in private homes.
More spheres are expected to be repatriated in the coming months.
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