Archaeology Magazine - November/December 2014 - 10

FROM THE TRENCHES
before modern antibiotics and standards of hygiene, probably played a
role as well. Infammation is known
to contribute to plaque buildup in
arteries, says Thomas, and people
with chronic inflammatory condiÖtzi the Iceman undergoing sampling
for genetic testing

Some archaeological sites are so unusual that they still present mysteries decades after they were found.
Take the Diquis Delta in southeastern Costa Rica, where there
are hundreds of almost perfectly
spherical stone balls dating to more
than 1,000 years ago. Ranging in
size from just a few inches to more
than six feet in diameter-and up to
16 tons-"Las Bolas," as the locals
affectionately call them, were first
discovered during the agricultural

boom of the 1930s. The United Fruit
Company cleared the jungle for banana plantations using bulldozers,
which damaged and moved many
of the ancient spheres. Of 300
found so far, just a dozen remain
in their original context. Many of
the rest decorate public buildings
and plazas. Doris Stone, daughter
of a United Fruit Company executive, published the first scientific
study of the balls in 1943. Decades
later, archaeologists know that the

tions such as lupus commonly develop
atherosclerosis early in life. Because
infection was a leading killer of humans
until very recently, people with strong
immune systems-and therefore a
strong infammatory response-likely
had a better chance at survival. But that same robust
response, as it continues
into adulthood, can contribute to clogged arteries.
The finding of atherosclerosis in mummies
from such a wide range of
cultures and time periods
makes it clear that the disease is not just a modern
plague, but a hallmark of
humanity. "No matter how

monolithic sculptures were made
by human hands, but are still working to determine their significance
to the ancient people of Costa
Rica. Archaeologist Francisco Corrales of the National Museum of
Costa Rica says that the site known
as Finca 6 contains the only known
surviving group of spheres in their
original alignment.
The site
In and around Finca 6 there are nearly
30 spheres, of which seven remain
in their original context, with fve
oriented in roughly east-west lines.
The spheres could have been used
to record celestial phenomena, such
as the rise of the sun at certain times
of year. Corrales says there are other
theories, including that the alignments
are related to constellations and, in
turn, myths and legends. "[No theory]
has been proven so far," he says. They
were probably made by the Chiriqui
culture (a.d. 800-1500), the last of
three major pre-Columbian cultures
in Costa Rica, during a period when
villages began to form, with cobblestone house foundations, pavements,
walls, and mounds. Two of these
mounds are adjacent to the clearing
with the sphere alignments at Finca
6. A new museum at the site includes
a panorama of the occupations of the
region, with an emphasis on stone
sphere sites.

Arterial
calcifcation
in Princess
AhmoseMeryetAmon, a
17th Dynasty
mummy
from Egypt

much exercise we do, what food we
eat, whether we take our medications,"
says Thomas, "we are still at risk for
atherosclerosis."
-Daniel Weiss

While you're there
Finca 6, a fve-hour drive from the capital of San José, is near Batambal, another visitor-friendly stone-sphere site,
this one with a view all the way to the
ocean. The area has other attractions,

such as Caño Island (for snorkeling
and scuba diving), Corcovado National
Park, and Ballena National Marine Park,
where it is possible to see humpback
whales during the summer.
-Malin GrunberG banyasz

ARCHAEOLOGY * November/December 2014

Archaeology Magazine - November/December 2014

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