Feb 2nd, 2016: Scot’s Stone Balls

[xoxoxoBruce]

During the last 150 years, over 400 carved stone balls have been dug up in northeast Scotland. Each have between 3 and 160 knobs or bumps, but usually 6. There has been tons of speculation about what they were used for, from scale balance weights to hunting weapons, but none have been found damaged or worn.

This most impressive example is named the Towie Ball, after the town where it was found, and is judged to be from 2500 BC.


Since practical use as tools seems to be ruled out by condition, speculation has turned to teaching aids. Platonic solids and solid geometry are being bandied about. I suppose since nobody really knows, everyone is allowed their pet theory, but if they’ve found 400 and they’re really that old, there must have been a lot of them. I doubt there was that many math scholars in North East Scotland 4000 years ago.



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