Were these stone balls made by ancient human relatives trying to perfect the sphere? | Science | AAAS

The stone balls are unlikely to have been created by natural processes, the authors say. If they were, the researchers argue, then their texture would be much smoother. Stones found in rivers, for example, tend to be supersmooth because of water erosion. Their shapes, however, are almost never truly spherical. The stones found at Ubeidiya, by contrast, have rough surfaces as one might expect from hand crafting and some of them are near-perfect spheres, as only a toolmaker could create.

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It appears that hominins 1.4 million years ago had the ability to conceptualize a sphere in their minds and shape their stones to match, says lead author Antoine Muller of HUJI. This takes remarkable planning and forethought, as well as a great deal of manual dexterity and skill.

Other artifacts from this period include elegantly constructed stone hand axes. Considered alongside these spheroids, the new work suggests these early toolmakers had an appreciation for both symmetry and beauty, the authors say.

Even so, the new results don t solve the mystery of why these ancient toolmakers shaped these spheroids in the first place. Their purpose, Muller says, remains enigmatic.

via www.science.org

Perhaps some ancient, as yet undiscovered ball game?