Posted on 06/18/2018 10:56:29 AM PDT by BBell
Some of the most enigmatic human-made objects from Europe's late Stone Age intricately carved balls of stone, each about the size of a baseball continue to baffle archaeologists more than 200 years after they were first discovered.
More than 500 of the enigmatic objects have now been found, most of them in northeast Scotland, but also in the Orkney Islands, England, Ireland and one in Norway.
Archaeologists still don't know the original purpose or meaning of the Neolithic stone balls, which are recognized as some of the finest examples of Neolithic art found anywhere in the world. But now, they've created virtual 3D models of the gorgeous balls, primarily to share with the public. In addition, the models have revealed some new details, including once-hidden patterns in the carvings on the balls
Hugo Anderson-Whymark, a curator at National Museums Scotland who created the online models, explained that many functions have been proposed for the stone balls over the years.
Such proposals have included the possibility that they were made as the stone heads for crushing weapons, or standardized weights for Neolithic traders, or rollers for the transport of the giant stones used in megalithic monuments.
One theory is that the knobs on many of the carved stone balls were wound with twine or sinew, which allowed them to be thrown like slings or South American bolas. Other theories describe the balls as objects of religious devotion or symbols of social status.
"Many of the ideas you have to take with a pinch of salt, while there are others that may be plausible," Anderson-Whymark told Live Science. "What's interesting is that people really get their imaginations captured by them they still hold a lot of secrets."
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
The jokes practically write themselves...
They are cool though. I want a time machine so I can go back and see what happened. Oh; and I want to be invisible doing it. Imagine the fun!
We could always ask Pelosi, Mad Maxine, or Bobby De Niro. They were around back then.
Maybe if the hunting had been poor and the people really hungry, they’d use a ‘magic ball’ to increase their chances - made and saved-up for the lean times ;-)
Today we have Smith and Wessen. Back them they had Scroh and Tumm.
LOL!
If you want a rock that will stay in it’s bindings and fly true you will. It’s not like they had much to fill their free time with anyway, so why not spend some on improving the important objects that provide food and protection?
Some balls are held for charity
And some for fancy dress
But when they’re held for pleasure
They’re the balls that I like best
My balls are always bouncing
To the left and to the right
It’s my belief that my big balls
Should be held every night
True, and identical stone balls have been discovered all over the world.
It's still not known who made them, when they were made, for what purpose, and most importantly, how they were made.
I just wonder how much ‘free time’ they could have had. Works like this must have been very special, made by special people who occupied a particular niche; not mass-production of arms.
Looks pretty obvious to me: Atom & molecule models for Paleolithic chemistry classes.
Something that pointless is a sure indicator of a Neolithic government grants program for the arts.
LOL. I had not seen that before.
On the other hand many of the ones shown would hold a rope or string for a bola.
In spite of the work in making these balls, did any of the archeologists consider they were just toys for the kids. At any time in human history just give an infant a ball and it will keep their attention for a long time.
"They found them where?"
Hand one to that little shepherd boy over there. You know, David? He’ll know what to do.
Kinda ornate for weapon use. Why were they abandon? Did their enemy have pears and arrows and killed the maker of these?
-PJ
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