Monumentality in Sites with Stone Spheres, Diquis Delta, Southern Central America

Summary

This is an abstract from the "The Problem of the Monument: Widening Perspectives on Monumentality in the Archaeology of the Isthmo-Colombian Area" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Several sites in the Diquis delta, an extensive alluvial plan in southeastern Costa Rica, present architectural ensembles consisting of artificial mounds up to 30 m diameter and a height between 1.1 and 1.4 m with cobblestone walls and ramp accesses, with stone spheres of a similar diameter (1.2 m in average) in their corners. This would be a context of "composite monumentality" including spheres and structures that would have reinforced the importance of those who lived in or used such structures and spaces. Sites such as Finca 4, Finca 6 and Antigua Finca 7 due to its location within the alluvial plain and complexity better withstand the periodic flooding of the delta. The presence of elevated structures and a slightly higher elevation (10 masl) could favor population concentration and the generation of material stratification expressions. In Finca 6 and Antigua Finca 7 there have been findings of complete and fragmented zoomorphic and anthropomorphic sculptures associated to the access ramps that contribute to their composite monumentality. These statuary objects are local in nature and of circulation restricted to the delta. They can be considered as inalienable possessions whose retention serves to legitimize the status of individuals or groups.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• The Problem of the Monument: Widening Perspectives on Monumentality in the Archaeology of the Isthmo-Colombian Area   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38406.0