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Product Description
SEE MORE PRE-COLUMBIAN ANCIENT ARTIFACTS
Numerous mysteries surround various Pre-Columbian ancient civilizations and one of the most fascinating is the 300 stone spheres left behind on an island by the Diquis Culture of Costa Rica. 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. Aside from these famous wonders of the ancient world, the Diquis / Greater Chiriqui Culture also produced uniquely decorated ceramics. This beautifully preserved and INTACT painted seated figure pendant is one of them.
Partially hollow and made of terracotta with a painted decoration and glaze, this figure has a piercing by the head whereby it could have been worn as a pendant in addition to serving as some type of ritual figure. The original luster of the glaze is still present and the entire figure is complete as originally made. An old collection label number is on the underside. While we cannot offer one of the famous stone balls left behind by this mysterious lost civilization, this figure is a scarce and excellent artifact of this little-known culture.
HISTORY
The Diquis culture (sometimes spelled Diquís) was a pre-Columbian indigenous culture of Costa Rica that flourished from AD 700 to 1530. The word "diquís" means "great waters" or "great river" in the Boruca language. The Diquis formed part of the Greater Chiriqui culture that spanned from southern Costa Rica to western Panama.
The Diquis are known for mysterious stone spheres, sometimes referred to as the Diquís Spheres. These are an enigma of a lost ancient society. The stone spheres are an assortment of over 300 petrospheres in Costa Rica, on the Diquís Delta and on Isla del Caño. Locally, they are also known as bolas de piedra (literally stone balls). They are thought to have been placed in lines along the approach to the houses of chiefs, but their exact significance remains uncertain.
