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The Diquis Delta of Costa Rica. This region located along the pacific coast of Costa Rica became noteworthy when the United Fruit Company arrived in 1940 to grow bananas. The rediscovery of ancient artifacts along this flat expanse gave information about the Chiriqui tradition and proved beneficial to archaeological investigation of the Chibcha culture as a whole.

Location

The Diquis Delta is located in a low lying region along the southern pacific coast of Coast Rica. The delta is found between two mountain ranges. Much of what gives the Diquis region a unique environment is numerous streams that join to form the main river called the Rio Grande de Terraba or Diquis River, which flows into the Golfo Dulce. The low lying region is diverse ecologically due to its highly erosive soil and large amount of annual rainfall in the area. It is tropical in its vegetation but also characterized with flat fertile plains. Flooding is known to happen on a regular basis though some of the effects have been reduced due to the installation of drainage canals. The area became ideal during the early part of the century for banana plantations and that is when the United Fruit Company obtained the lands from Costa Rica for their plantations. As a result of the intensive irrigation of the delta for growing bananas, the low level flooding was reduced and fertile soil was left. Also uncovered as a result of the United Fruit Company’s arrival and consequent digging of drainage canals was the remnants of an ancient culture related to the Chibchan language family. During 1940, excavations were carried out by Samuel K. Lothrop and many gold, stone and ceramic artifacts were uncovered that gave clues to the people that once inhabited the region.

Archaeological Investigations

The primary archaeologist for this area was Samuel K Lothrop. He is well known for excavations of lower Central America during the early nineteenth century. Most notably were his excavations at Sitio Conte which revealed the largest collection of gold objects in the Americas. Lothrop was commissioned by the United Fruit Company to carry out digs of their plantation. The excavations included seven farms, which the square plots of banana fields are called. Many intriguing artifacts were found that helped give clues about the people that lived in this region. Another archaeologist, Doris Stone, contributed beneficial interpretations of the stone artifacts uncovered by Lothrop. Some of what was uncovered gave insight into regional exchange with other groups of the time.

The Stone Balls

One of the more perplexing discoveries was that of large rotund stone balls. These balls were discovered throughout the plantation and then at sites farther inland along the Terraba River. The balls found grouped and with sizes ranging from eight feet in diameter to marble size. The dating of the balls spans from AD 400 to AD 1000 and even to the arrival of the Spanish in the sixteenth century but were probably most prevalent as part of the Aguas Buenas tradition and the proceeding Chiriqui tradition. Samuel Lothrop measured and mapped the balls before they were removed and today there are few that exist as they were originally discovered in context. The majority or balls were made of granite although some were made of lava rock. Granite is not available in the delta area, so acquiring rock would require a short journey to the rock quarry in the mountains. This suggests great involvement by the people to transport the rock to the delta region. Due to burning carried out by the United Fruit Company in order to clear the land, many of the balls were damaged from the intense heat and cooling. Although the placement of the balls was mapped by Lothrop, there is no discernible purpose to their layout though there have been many speculations. Theories range from their layout as being calendrical in purpose or astrological but there is not evidence to support such claims. Some were found in triangle patterns and others in straight lines. Many myths have emerged about these balls, one being that they are perfectly spherical. Since their discovery, the balls have become valuable among the Costa Ricans as lawn ornaments. The popularity likely tied to their historical significance as well as their scarcity. Still the mystery behind the stone balls remains. It is not known for what purpose they were fashioned nor they techniques employed to create the roundness. Only the people who created them know their importance to their culture.

Stone Sculptures and Gold

The stone statues are unique to this area in the fact that they are peg based. This made them ideal for sticking into the ground and they were probably intended to line the outside of house mounds. Houses were placed on mounds that were lined by river rock so houses would not be affected by the common flooding. The stone sculptures may have served some Doris Stone who studied the stone sculptures of the Diquis found that when comparing it these sculptures to the Nicoya and Highlands Region of Costa Rica, the type of figures found were more stylized and with more emphasis on form. There are common themes found in stone statues of this region. The most prevalent being carved is anthropomorphic. That is the being is human but with animal characteristics, as would be seen in facial expressions. Most common animals depicted are jaguars and especially crocodiles which would have been found in abundance in the region. These images are though to be representative of a deity or people undergoing transformation as part of their ideology. A theme unique to this region from all the neighboring tribes is the appearance of trophy heads worn on necklaces around the figure’s neck.

The Gold of this region has similarities with the chiriqui culture. The technique used was lost-wax casting which left the gold object hollow inside. Tumbaga was practiced as well in gold making which was an alloy of copper and gold. Common motifs in gold work were eagle and bat pendants. A technique of annealing and cold hammering was used to make gold discs similar to those found in Sitio Conte.

Chiriqui Tradition

The inhabitants of the Diquis region show similarity to the Chiriqui culture and both were thriving at the same time. The Aguas Buenas tradtion was an earlier tradition in the area from AD 400-AD 600 and was likely the culture responsible for the early stone balls and the Chiriqui likely continued making the balls until 1000 AD. Aguas Buenas is credited with providing the cultural context for the spread of Maize Agriculture, growth of sedentary populations and emergence of social complexity . The Chiriqui were found in an area just south of the Diquis so their close proximity suggests trade would be probable. Similarities arise in pottery and stone and gold work. The make up of Chiriqui was likely one of small chiefdoms up until the arrival of the Spanish.

References

-Lothrop, Samuel K. Archaeology of the Diquis Delta, Costa Rica. Cambridge MA. Peabody Museum. 1963.

- Stone, Doris. "Stone Sculptures of Costa Rica". Essays in Pre-Columbian Art and Archaeology. Cambridge MA. Harvard University Press. 1961.