One of the greatest mysteries for archaeologists and other scientific researchers today represents the phenomenon of stone spheres. First stone spheres were found in the early 1930’s in the delta of river Diquis in Costa Rica. Since then were found hundreds of stone spheres of many different sizes in different locations of the world. Many of them are built from the mineral called granodiorite that is very firm. Bosnian stone spheres phenomenon was actualized in 2004 when Mr. Semir Osmanagic and his team of independent researchers and historians found few stone spheres in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
First Bosnian stone spheres were found near Banja Luka. There has been found either the biggest stone sphere in Bosnia and Herzegovina whose construction was probably interrupted in one of its phases, so that the stone sphere seems not finished, which means that rough and by its outfit it is distinguished from unwritten rule that says that all stone spheres were glazed at the end of their construction.
Going further more locations with stone spheres have been discovered. In the place of Teocak were found 8 stone spheres that were built from granite, while in the settlement Ponikve near the town Vares was discovered an irregular shaped stone sphere that was probably formed by magmatic rocks. The stone sphere of Ponikve weighs about 4 tons. In the village of Zlokuce, near town Kakanj, there are few stone spheres that have the same mineral composition and also few elongated stone megaliths for which people during the past attributed magical healing powers. A small stone sphere is kept in the library of Franciscan Monastery in Kraljeva Sutjeska near Kakanj. Stone spheres were also found in two locations of neighboring Maglaj – in the village of Jablanica and on the hill Cikota.
In the settlement Grab near Zavidovici has been discovered another location with the greatest number of stone spheres ever found in Bosnia and Herzegovina. On that location were found tens of stone spheres that were moved by clueless villagers to other locations. Today, there are about 15 unharmed stone spheres and either about 20 half-spheres. Their diameters vary between 50 cm and 2 m. The origin of these stone spheres is not known till these days, but there are few stories that people retell.
Legends concerning the formation of stone spheres in Zavidovici
The most interesting legend concerned to the stone spheres is certainly the one that narrates about an inundation occurred in 1936. The legend says that the day was dark as night, and it was pouring with rain so much that the brooks and rivers left their beds and the inundation brought stone spheres to the place where they were discovered many years later by researchers Semir Osmanagic, Jovo Jovanovic and Ahmed Bosnic listening to stories and legends of local inhabitants.
The other legend about the origins of stone spheres narrates the crash of wedding guests. Villagers say that the place where the stones spheres are found was the place where wedding guests crushed each other, stoned themselves, and became stone spheres. The legend, as strange and unbelievable it may sound, may be a story filled with metaphor in order to describe the creation of the stone spheres.
Written by Semir Osmanagic
