Researchers investigate mysterious stone spheres in Costa Rica

[Judi Lynn]

Researchers investigate mysterious stone spheres in Costa Rica
March 22, 2010

http://cdn.physorg.com.nyud.net:8090/newman/gfx/news/20-universityof.jpg

John Hoopes, University of Kansas associate professor of anthropology and director of the Global Indigenous Nations Studies Program, recently returned from a trip to Costa Rica where he and colleagues evaluated ancient stone spheres for UNESCO, the United Nations cultural organization that might grant the spheres World Heritage Status. Credit: Courtesy of John Hoopes

The ancient stone spheres of Costa Rica were made world-famous by the opening sequence of "Raiders of the Lost Ark," when a mockup of one of the mysterious relics nearly crushed Indiana Jones.



So perhaps John Hoopes is the closest thing at the University of Kansas to the movie action hero.

Hoopes, associate professor of anthropology and director of the Global Indigenous Nations Studies Program, recently returned from a trip to Costa Rica where he and colleagues evaluated the stone balls for UNESCO, the United Nations cultural organization that might grant the spheres World Heritage Status.

His report will help determine if sites linked to the massive orbs will be designated for preservation and promotion because of their "outstanding value to humanity."

Hoopes, who researches ancient cultures of Central and South America, is one of the world's foremost experts on the Costa Rican spheres. He explained that although the stone spheres are very old, international interest in them is still growing.

"The earliest reports of the stones come from the late 19th century, but they weren't really reported scientifically until the 1930s — so they're a relatively recent discovery," Hoopes said. "They remained unknown until the United Fruit Company began clearing land for banana plantations in southern Costa Rica."

According to Hoopes, around 300 balls are known to exist, with the largest weighing 16 tons and measuring eight feet in diameter. Many of these are clustered in Costa Rica's Diquis Delta region. Some remain pristine in the original places of discovery, but many others have been relocated or damaged due to erosion, fires and vandalism.

More:
http://www.physorg.com/news188485520.html

[dipsydoodle]

1. Shame if any are not in their original postitions.

which may have had meaning. Would be like taking Stone Henge apart and building something else.

[protocol rv]

2. I think the idea is to let them roll

They were used in a sport called "menequehanapakatuki", which means "roll the large stone ball on top of your opponent". It's a stone age version of rugby played by 17 husky guys on each side. Archeologists also find flattened human mummies embedded in the ground wherever they find these stone balls. According to carvings found in the archeological site at Tiki Viraconcha, the first guy to get rolled over would be honored by singing the funeral hymn "Noteneishuesosilesos".

[dipsydoodle]

3. Apparently there was a time

when Stone Henge formed goal posts. A row broke out at an International menequehanapakatuki match against Cost Rica over a red card and when it couldn't be resolved the Costa Ricans said they wanted their ball back.

[protocol rv]

4. I wonder

What happened to the Frenchmen's balls? I know experts looked all over France, and could never find one.

[dipsydoodle]

5. That's as difficult

as finding an interesting Belgian or an Italian war hero.

[rabs]

6. Noteneishuesosilesos

in case you did not catch it, poster was trying to be cutesy:

"Noteneishuesosilesos" in Spanish = No teneis huesos ilesos = in English "You don't have unhurt bones."

Just fyi.

:hi:

[dipsydoodle]

7. I knew he was being whimsical.

I'd thought maybe it translated to "Easter eggs, for real greedy bastards, which had petrified". :)

:hi:

[protocol rv]

8. I'm not religious

I always found the human tendency to carve rocks to appease their imaginary gods to be such a waste of time. Imagine the amount of irrigation they could have had in Egypt if they had used that manpower to build canals, instead of pyramids.