An analysis of 150 round, baseball-sized stones found at a site where early humans lived 1.4 million years ago shows that they were intentionally shaped into spheres. This contradicts the theory that they became round after being used as hammers, but the reasons why they were shaped in this way remains unknown.
The site, known as ‘Ubeidiya, located in northern Israel, was discovered in 1959 and contains signs of ancient occupation by early members of our ancestor species, Homo erectus. Among the thousands of stone tools found at the site, nearly 600 stone balls, known as spheroids, have been uncovered. These spheroids, made of flint, basalt, and limestone, have also been found at other early human sites dating back as far as 1.8 million years ago.
There have been various theories regarding the purpose of these spheroids. Some suggest that they are byproducts of making other stone tools, while others propose that they were stones used as hammers, which naturally became round through use, rather than being intentionally shaped.
To test these theories, Antoine Muller and his colleagues scanned 150 limestone spheroids from ‘Ubeidiya, which varied in their roundness and were about 8 centimeters in diameter, roughly the size of a baseball. By studying the sequence of strikes responsible for shaping each stone, the researchers concluded that these spheroids required skill and planning, similar to the making of hand axes. However, it is unclear if this holds true for all spheroids found.
Andrew Wilson, a researcher at Leeds Beckett University in the UK, who previously demonstrated that typical spheroids are suitable for throwing, agrees that the deliberate shaping of these stones suggests their use as hunting weapons. Wilson believes that the individuals who made these objects put significant effort into making them into spheres, making them more likely to have been crafted as projectiles rather than as hammers.
Insights:
– The spherical stones found at the ‘Ubeidiya site were intentionally shaped into spheres by early humans, rather than becoming round through use as hammers.
– The purpose of these spherical stones remains unknown, with theories ranging from them being byproducts of other stone tool production to them being intentionally crafted as projectiles.
– Further research is needed to understand the significance and function of these mysterious spherical stones in ancient human societies.
