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href="/wiki/File:Room_51,_British_MuseumDSCF6620.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Room_51%2C_British_MuseumDSCF6620.jpg/220px-Room_51%2C_British_MuseumDSCF6620.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="218" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Room_51%2C_British_MuseumDSCF6620.jpg/330px-Room_51%2C_British_MuseumDSCF6620.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Room_51%2C_British_MuseumDSCF6620.jpg/440px-Room_51%2C_British_MuseumDSCF6620.jpg 2x" data-file-width="1816" data-file-height="1801" /></a><figcaption>Carved stone ball, classed as Neolithic</figcaption></figure> <figure typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Kelvingrove_Art_Gallery_and_MuseumDSCF0239_11.JPG" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/Kelvingrove_Art_Gallery_and_MuseumDSCF0239_11.JPG/400px-Kelvingrove_Art_Gallery_and_MuseumDSCF0239_11.JPG" decoding="async" width="400" height="129" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/Kelvingrove_Art_Gallery_and_MuseumDSCF0239_11.JPG/600px-Kelvingrove_Art_Gallery_and_MuseumDSCF0239_11.JPG 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6f/Kelvingrove_Art_Gallery_and_MuseumDSCF0239_11.JPG/800px-Kelvingrove_Art_Gallery_and_MuseumDSCF0239_11.JPG 2x" data-file-width="3256" data-file-height="1050" /></a><figcaption>Three Scottish examples, in <a href="/wiki/Kelvingrove_Art_Gallery_and_Museum" title="Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum">Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum</a>, Glasgow</figcaption></figure> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Towriepetrosphere.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/Towriepetrosphere.jpg/220px-Towriepetrosphere.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="214" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/Towriepetrosphere.jpg/330px-Towriepetrosphere.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/Towriepetrosphere.jpg/440px-Towriepetrosphere.jpg 2x" data-file-width="616" data-file-height="600" /></a><figcaption>Exceptionally elaborately decorated ball from <a href="/wiki/Towie,_Aberdeenshire" title="Towie, Aberdeenshire">Towie</a> in Aberdeenshire, dated from 3200–2500 BC<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup></figcaption></figure> <p><b>Carved stone balls</b> are <a href="/wiki/Stone_ball" title="Stone ball">petrospheres</a> dated from the late <a href="/wiki/Neolithic" title="Neolithic">Neolithic</a>, to possibly as late as the <a href="/wiki/Iron_Age" title="Iron Age">Iron Age</a>, mainly found in <a href="/wiki/Scotland" title="Scotland">Scotland</a>, but also elsewhere in Britain and Ireland. They are usually round and rarely oval, and of fairly uniform size at around <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1154941027">.mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);clip-path:polygon(0px 0px,0px 0px,0px 0px);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}</style><span class="frac">2<span class="sr-only">+</span><span class="num">3</span>⁄<span class="den">4</span></span> inches or 7 cm across, with anything between 3 and 160 protruding knobs on the surface. They range from having no ornamentation (apart from the knobs) to extensive and highly varied engraved patterns.<sup id="cite_ref-Marshall-1976-1977_2-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Marshall-1976-1977-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> A wide range of theories has been produced to explain their use or significance, with none gaining very wide acceptance. </p><p>They are not to be confused with the much larger smooth round <a href="/wiki/Stone_spheres_of_Costa_Rica" title="Stone spheres of Costa Rica">stone spheres of Costa Rica</a>. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Age_and_distribution">Age and distribution</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Carved_stone_balls&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Age and distribution"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Carved stone balls date as old as 5,200 years old, coming from the late Neolithic to at least the <a href="/wiki/Bronze_Age" title="Bronze Age">Bronze Age</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-AshmoleanMus-stone-balls_3-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-AshmoleanMus-stone-balls-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Nearly all have been found in north-east Scotland, the majority in <a href="/wiki/Aberdeenshire" title="Aberdeenshire">Aberdeenshire</a>, the fertile land lying to the east of the <a href="/wiki/Grampian_Mountains" title="Grampian Mountains">Grampian Mountains</a>. A similar distribution to that of <a href="/wiki/Pict" class="mw-redirect" title="Pict">Pictish</a> symbols led to the early suggestion that carved stone balls are Pictish artefacts.<sup id="cite_ref-Marshall-1976-1977_2-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Marshall-1976-1977-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup class="reference nowrap"><span title="Page:  55">(p 55)</span></sup> The core distribution also reflects that of the <a href="/wiki/Recumbent_stone_circles" class="mw-redirect" title="Recumbent stone circles">Recumbent stone circles</a>. As objects they are very easy to transport and a few have been found on <a href="/wiki/Iona" title="Iona">Iona</a>, <a href="/wiki/Skye" class="mw-redirect" title="Skye">Skye</a>, <a href="/wiki/Harris,_Scotland" class="mw-redirect" title="Harris, Scotland">Harris</a>, <a href="/wiki/Uist" title="Uist">Uist</a>, <a href="/wiki/Isle_of_Lewis" title="Isle of Lewis">Lewis</a>, <a href="/wiki/Isle_of_Arran" title="Isle of Arran">Arran</a>, <a href="/wiki/Hawick" title="Hawick">Hawick</a>, <a href="/wiki/Wigtownshire" title="Wigtownshire">Wigtownshire</a> and fifteen from <a href="/wiki/Orkney" title="Orkney">Orkney</a>. Outside Scotland examples have been found in <a href="/wiki/Ireland" title="Ireland">Ireland</a> at <a href="/wiki/Ballymena" title="Ballymena">Ballymena</a>, in England at <a href="/wiki/Durham,_England" title="Durham, England">Durham</a>, <a href="/wiki/Cumbria" title="Cumbria">Cumbria</a>, <a href="/wiki/Lowick,_Northumberland" title="Lowick, Northumberland">Lowick</a>, and <a href="/wiki/Bridlington" title="Bridlington">Bridlington</a>. A single example was found in Norway in a medieval cairn; it is thought most likely that this had been acquired and carried home by a Norseman on an expedition to Scotland.<sup id="cite_ref-Stewart-Moffit_4-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Stewart-Moffit-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> The larger (90mm diameter) balls are all from Aberdeenshire, bar one from <a href="/wiki/Newburgh,_Fife" title="Newburgh, Fife">Newburgh in Fife</a>. </p><p>By the late 1970s, a total of 387 had been recorded.<sup id="cite_ref-Marshall-1976-1977_2-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Marshall-1976-1977-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup class="reference nowrap"><span title="Page:  55">(p 55)</span></sup> Of these, by far the greatest concentration (169) was found in Aberdeenshire. By 1983, the number had risen to 411<sup id="cite_ref-Marshall-1983_5-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Marshall-1983-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> and by 2015, over 425 balls had been recorded.<sup id="cite_ref-AshmoleanMus-stone-balls_3-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-AshmoleanMus-stone-balls-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> A collection of over 30 carved balls from Scotland, Ireland, and northern England is held by the <a href="/wiki/British_Museum" title="British Museum">British Museum</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-BritMus-search-ball_6-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-BritMus-search-ball-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Archaeological_context">Archaeological context</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Carved_stone_balls&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Archaeological context"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Many of the balls have not had their discovery site recorded and most are found as a result of agricultural activity. Five were found at the Neolithic settlement of <a href="/wiki/Skara_Brae" title="Skara Brae">Skara Brae</a> and one at the <a href="/wiki/Dunadd" title="Dunadd">Dunadd</a> hillfort. The distribution of the balls is similar to that of <a href="/wiki/Mace_(bludgeon)" title="Mace (bludgeon)">mace-heads</a>, which were both weapons and prestige objects used in ceremonial situations.<sup id="cite_ref-Marshall-1976-1977_2-3" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Marshall-1976-1977-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup class="reference nowrap"><span title="Pages:  62–63">(pp 62–63)</span></sup> The lack of context is likely to distort the interpretation. Random finds are only likely to have been picked up and entered a collection if they were aesthetically appealing. Damaged and plain balls were less likely to find a market than decorated examples so some more decorated examples might be fraudulent. </p><p>Balls of plain sandstone with the facets from shaping still clearly visible were found at <a href="/wiki/Traprain_Law" title="Traprain Law">Traprain Law</a> in <a href="/wiki/East_Lothian" title="East Lothian">East Lothian</a>. A significant number have already been found here and are known from other southern Scottish Iron Age sites. They may date from the fourth to third centuries BC. These balls are not ornamented and do not have knobs.<sup id="cite_ref-Rees-Hunter-2000_7-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Rees-Hunter-2000-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In 2013, archaeologists discovered a carved stone ball at <a href="/wiki/Ness_of_Brodgar" title="Ness of Brodgar">Ness of Brodgar</a>, a rare find of such an object <i>in situ</i> in "a modern archaeological context".<sup id="cite_ref-DigDiary-2013-08-07-Orkneyjar_8-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-DigDiary-2013-08-07-Orkneyjar-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Early, undecorated, polished stone balls have also been found 'in-situ' inside a 5,500 year-old tomb at Tresness on Orkney by Professor Vicki Cummings.<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Physical_characteristics">Physical characteristics</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Carved_stone_balls&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Physical characteristics"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Materials">Materials</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Carved_stone_balls&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Materials"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Room_51,_British_MuseumDSCF6621.jpg" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Room_51%2C_British_MuseumDSCF6621.jpg/220px-Room_51%2C_British_MuseumDSCF6621.jpg" decoding="async" width="220" height="217" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Room_51%2C_British_MuseumDSCF6621.jpg/330px-Room_51%2C_British_MuseumDSCF6621.jpg 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Room_51%2C_British_MuseumDSCF6621.jpg/440px-Room_51%2C_British_MuseumDSCF6621.jpg 2x" data-file-width="2085" data-file-height="2061" /></a><figcaption>Another example, displayed at the <a href="/wiki/British_Museum" title="British Museum">British Museum</a></figcaption></figure> <p>Many balls are said to be made of "<a href="/wiki/Greenstone_(archaeology)" title="Greenstone (archaeology)">greenstone</a>", a general term for all varieties of dark, greenish igneous rocks, including <a href="/wiki/Diorites" class="mw-redirect" title="Diorites">diorites</a>, <a href="/wiki/Serpentinite" title="Serpentinite">serpentinite</a>, and altered <a href="/wiki/Basalt" title="Basalt">basalts</a>. Including Old Red Sandstone, 43 are sandstone, 26 greenstone, 12 <a href="/wiki/Quartzite" title="Quartzite">quartzite</a>, and 9 were <a href="/wiki/Serpentinite" title="Serpentinite">serpentinite</a>; these had been carved. Some were made of <a href="/wiki/Gabbro" title="Gabbro">gabbro</a> – a difficult material to carve. Round and oval natural shaped sandstones are sometimes found. </p><p>Examples made from <a href="/wiki/Hornblende" title="Hornblende">hornblende</a> <a href="/wiki/Gneiss" title="Gneiss">gneiss</a> and granitic gneiss were noted, both very difficult stone to work. Granitic rocks were also used; and the famous <a href="/wiki/Towie,_Aberdeenshire" title="Towie, Aberdeenshire">Towie</a> example from Aberdeenshire may be serpentinised <a href="/wiki/Picrite" class="mw-redirect" title="Picrite">picrite</a>. The highly ornamented examples were mainly made of sandstone or serpentine.<sup id="cite_ref-Marshall-1976-1977_2-4" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Marshall-1976-1977-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup class="reference nowrap"><span title="Page:  54">(p 54)</span></sup> A significant number have not as yet been fully inspected or tested to ascertain their composition. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Experimental_archaeology">Experimental archaeology</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Carved_stone_balls&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Experimental archaeology"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Full replicas have been made using authentic manufacturing techniques (pecking and grinding) by A.T. Young.<sup id="cite_ref-Young-UEx_10-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Young-UEx-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> It was shown that they could be made using prehistoric technology with no recourse to the use of metal tools.<sup id="cite_ref-Young-UEx_10-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Young-UEx-10"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>10<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Nova-2010-11-rollers_11-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Nova-2010-11-rollers-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Size,_shape,_and_knobs"><span id="Size.2C_shape.2C_and_knobs"></span>Size, shape, and knobs</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Carved_stone_balls&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Size, shape, and knobs"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Of the 387 carved stone balls known in 1976 (now about 425), 375 are about 70 mm in diameter, but twelve are known with diameters of 90 to 114 mm. Only 7 are oval. They are therefore about the size of tennis balls or oranges. Nearly half have 6 knobs.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (November 2021)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </p> <table style="text-align:right;vertical-align:bottom;" class="wikitable"> <caption><i><b><span style="font-size:120%"><span class="nowrap">Carved stone ball</span> shape</span></b></i><sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (November 2021)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> </caption> <tbody><tr style="text-align:right;"> <th>Carved protrusions </th> <th>Number of finds </th></tr> <tr> <td>3 knobs</td> <td>3 </td></tr> <tr> <td>4 knobs</td> <td>43 </td></tr> <tr> <td>5 knobs </td> <td>3 </td></tr> <tr> <td>6 knobs</td> <td>~240 </td></tr> <tr> <td>7 knobs</td> <td>18 </td></tr> <tr> <td>8 knobs </td> <td>9 </td></tr> <tr> <td>9 knobs</td> <td>3 </td></tr> <tr> <td>10–55 knobs</td> <td>52 </td></tr> <tr> <td>70–160 knobs</td> <td>14 </td></tr></tbody></table> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Ornamentation">Ornamentation</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Carved_stone_balls&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Ornamentation"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Human_Prehistory_in_the_Kelvingrove_carved_stone_ball_Aberdeenshire.JPG" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/Human_Prehistory_in_the_Kelvingrove_carved_stone_ball_Aberdeenshire.JPG/220px-Human_Prehistory_in_the_Kelvingrove_carved_stone_ball_Aberdeenshire.JPG" decoding="async" width="220" height="232" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/Human_Prehistory_in_the_Kelvingrove_carved_stone_ball_Aberdeenshire.JPG/330px-Human_Prehistory_in_the_Kelvingrove_carved_stone_ball_Aberdeenshire.JPG 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/08/Human_Prehistory_in_the_Kelvingrove_carved_stone_ball_Aberdeenshire.JPG/440px-Human_Prehistory_in_the_Kelvingrove_carved_stone_ball_Aberdeenshire.JPG 2x" data-file-width="1058" data-file-height="1117" /></a><figcaption>Carved stone ball with low-profile knobs</figcaption></figure> <p>The decoration used falls into three categories: </p> <ul><li>those with spirals</li> <li>those with concentric circles</li> <li>those with patterns of straight incised lines and hatchings</li></ul> <p>More than one design is used on the same ball and the standard of artwork varies from the extremely crude to the highly expert which only an exceptionally skilled craftsman could have produced. Some balls have designs on the interspaces between the knobs which must be significant in the context of the speculated use of these artefacts. </p><p>Twenty-six of the six-knobbed balls are decorated. The Orkney examples are unusual, being either all ornamented or otherwise unusual in appearance, such as the lack, bar one example, of the frequently found six-knobbed type. Metal may have been used to work some of the designs. </p><p>The <a href="/wiki/Towie,_Aberdeenshire" title="Towie, Aberdeenshire">Towie</a> ball from Aberdeenshire has some design similarities with the carvings on the <a href="/wiki/Folkton_Drums" title="Folkton Drums">Folkton Drums</a>. These were found in a <a href="/wiki/Tumulus" title="Tumulus">tumulus</a> in England and are made of <a href="/wiki/Chalk" title="Chalk">chalk</a> with elaborate carvings, among which are distinct <a href="/wiki/Oculi" class="mw-redirect" title="Oculi">oculi</a> or eyes.<sup id="cite_ref-Powell-1966_12-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Powell-1966-12"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>12<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Concentric carved lines on stone balls appear to be stylised oculi. This ball also has a roughly triangular arrangement of three dots in an interspace between the knobs. This appears to be identical to the arrangement of dots found on the Parkhill silver chain terminal ring, found near Aberdeen, a Pictish artefact. It is possible that the dots represent a name, as some of the Pictish symbols at least are thought to represent personal names.<sup id="cite_ref-Cummins-1999_13-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Cummins-1999-13"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>13<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Spirals or plastic ornament which is similar to Grooved Ware is found on the Aberdeenshire examples, this being a type of late Neolithic pottery not known in the north-east but common in Orkney and Fife. The <a href="/wiki/Newgrange" title="Newgrange">Newgrange</a> carvings in Ireland show strong similarities to those found on some balls. A continuous spiral is found on one and elements of chevrons, zig-zags and concentric triangles are also found, stimulating comparisons with <a href="/wiki/Petrosomatoglyph" title="Petrosomatoglyph">petrosomatoglyph</a> symbolism. Mostly the different knobs have different or sometimes no ornamentation. A 'golf-ball' variety of ornamentation is found on a few balls. The carving does not appear to have any practical purpose in general, however it has been suggested that one type, with very distinct knobs, was used for processing copper ores (see under 'Function'). Some of the bold triangles and criss-cross incisions seem to be more Iron Age in character than Neolithic or Bronze Age.<sup id="cite_ref-Marshall-1976-1977_2-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Marshall-1976-1977-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup class="reference nowrap"><span title="Page:  62">(p 62)</span></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Function">Function</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Carved_stone_balls&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: Function"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size mw-halign-right" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Human_Prehistory_in_the_Kelvingrove_carved_stone_ball_Turriff.JPG" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f2/Human_Prehistory_in_the_Kelvingrove_carved_stone_ball_Turriff.JPG/220px-Human_Prehistory_in_the_Kelvingrove_carved_stone_ball_Turriff.JPG" decoding="async" width="220" height="220" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f2/Human_Prehistory_in_the_Kelvingrove_carved_stone_ball_Turriff.JPG/330px-Human_Prehistory_in_the_Kelvingrove_carved_stone_ball_Turriff.JPG 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f2/Human_Prehistory_in_the_Kelvingrove_carved_stone_ball_Turriff.JPG/440px-Human_Prehistory_in_the_Kelvingrove_carved_stone_ball_Turriff.JPG 2x" data-file-width="1105" data-file-height="1103" /></a><figcaption>Glasgow example</figcaption></figure> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Suggested_ceremonial_use">Suggested ceremonial use</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Carved_stone_balls&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Suggested ceremonial use"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li>The possible use of the balls as <a href="/wiki/Oracle" title="Oracle">oracles</a> has been suggested. The way in which the ball came to rest could be interpreted as a message from the gods or an answer to a question.</li></ul> <ul><li>An alternative or supplementary use could have been as the 'right to speak' where discussions are controlled by the requirement for the speaker to hold the carved stone ball or if not, then keep their peace and listen to the views of others. The balls are of a size that fits comfortably in one hand.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (November 2021)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Suggested_practical_use">Suggested practical use</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Carved_stone_balls&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: Suggested practical use"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li>Some of the balls have grooves or interspaces between the knobs into which leather could be tied so as to make a device such as a <a href="/wiki/Bolas" title="Bolas">bolas</a>.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (November 2021)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> Their use as weapons was suggested by many researchers but in recent years this idea has fallen from favour.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (November 2021)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup></li></ul> <ul><li>One suggestion saw the balls as movable poises on a primitive weighing machine, following the logic of the remarkable uniformity in size shown by a good number of these carefully made objects. However, it has been shown that their weights vary so considerably that mathematically they could not be considered part of a system of weight measurement.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (November 2021)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup></li></ul> <ul><li>'Sink stones' (fishing weights) found in Denmark and Ireland have some slight similarities, these artefacts being used in conjunction with fishing nets.<sup id="cite_ref-Evans-1897_14-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Evans-1897-14"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>14<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> Similarly, they might have been used as loom weights, but neither loom weights nor fishing weights have any particular need for uniform diameter.</li></ul> <ul><li>Another possible use for the stones would be in the working of hides.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (November 2021)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> Into the 20th century leatherworkers polished leather, parchment, and hides, by tying the skins to a frame using a ball at each corner of the hide then rubbing down material being worked with stones. The corners of the hides were wrapped around the balls which allowed the bindings to hold fast without slipping off. In more modern times, the balls were often made from scraps of the material being worked and the leather was cut away from the balls when the polishing was finished. This caused the balls to grow in size until the process had to be started over by replacing the oversized balls with scraps and beginning a new ball.</li></ul> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Lynne_Kelly_(science_writer)" title="Lynne Kelly (science writer)">Lynne Kelly</a>, in her book Memory Code, posits that such stones were used as memory aids by the pre-literate peoples, citing similarities to objects in other cultures.</li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Megalith_construction_aid">Megalith construction aid</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Carved_stone_balls&action=edit&section=11" title="Edit section: Megalith construction aid"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <figure class="mw-default-size" typeof="mw:File/Thumb"><a href="/wiki/File:Human_Prehistory_in_the_Kelvingrove_carved_stone_ball_Alford.JPG" class="mw-file-description"><img src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Human_Prehistory_in_the_Kelvingrove_carved_stone_ball_Alford.JPG/220px-Human_Prehistory_in_the_Kelvingrove_carved_stone_ball_Alford.JPG" decoding="async" width="220" height="201" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Human_Prehistory_in_the_Kelvingrove_carved_stone_ball_Alford.JPG/330px-Human_Prehistory_in_the_Kelvingrove_carved_stone_ball_Alford.JPG 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/83/Human_Prehistory_in_the_Kelvingrove_carved_stone_ball_Alford.JPG/440px-Human_Prehistory_in_the_Kelvingrove_carved_stone_ball_Alford.JPG 2x" data-file-width="1212" data-file-height="1108" /></a><figcaption>Another in Glasgow</figcaption></figure> <p>A theory on the movement of megalithic stones for monuments has been put forward as a result of an observed correlation between standing stone circles and a concentration of carved stone balls. The suggestion is that the stone balls might have been used like <a href="/wiki/Ball_bearing" title="Ball bearing">ball bearings</a> for transporting big stones.<sup id="cite_ref-Nova-2010-11-rollers_11-1" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Nova-2010-11-rollers-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>Many of the late Neolithic stone balls have diameters differing by only a millimetre, suggesting that uniform size was important for their purpose. This led to the suggestion that they might have been meant to be used together, or interchangeably. By mapping find-sites in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, it can be shown that often these small stone spheres were found in the vicinity of Neolithic megalithic circles. </p><p>To test the proposal, experimental archeologists built a model system, substituting hard wooden balls made to the same size. The balls were placed into grooves cut in parallel longitudinal wooden 'sleepers'; these supported an overlying carrying-board that the giant test stone rode on. At least in the situation tested, the model showed such heavy transport to be practical.<sup id="cite_ref-SciDaily-2010-11-20_15-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-SciDaily-2010-11-20-15"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>15<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Nova-2010-11-rollers_11-2" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Nova-2010-11-rollers-11"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>11<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Platonic_solids">Platonic solids</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Carved_stone_balls&action=edit&section=12" title="Edit section: Platonic solids"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The carved stone balls have been taken as evidence of knowledge of the five <a href="/wiki/Platonic_solids" class="mw-redirect" title="Platonic solids">Platonic solids</a> a millennium before <a href="/wiki/Plato" title="Plato">Plato</a> described them. Indeed, some of them exhibit the symmetries of Platonic solids, but the extent of this and how much it depends on mathematical understanding is disputed, as configurations resembling the solids can naturally arise when fitting equal-sized knobs with minimal gaps onto the surface of a sphere.<sup class="noprint Inline-Template Template-Fact" style="white-space:nowrap;">[<i><a href="/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed" title="Wikipedia:Citation needed"><span title="This claim needs references to reliable sources. (January 2015)">citation needed</span></a></i>]</sup> There does not appear to be much special attention given to the Platonic solid arrangements over less symmetrical arrangements of knobs over the balls, and some of the five solids do not appear.<sup id="cite_ref-Lloyd-2012_16-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Lloyd-2012-16"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>16<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Hart-1998_17-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Hart-1998-17"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>17<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Carved_stone_balls&action=edit&section=13" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_prehistoric_artworks" class="mw-redirect" title="List of prehistoric artworks">List of prehistoric artworks</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Brain_balls" title="Brain balls">Brain balls</a>, in Irish archaeology proposed balls made from calcification of enemy's brains</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dodecahedra" class="mw-redirect" title="Dodecahedra">Dodecahedra</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Roman_dodecahedron" title="Roman dodecahedron">Roman dodecahedron</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Marble_(toy)" title="Marble (toy)">Marble (toy)</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="References">References</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Carved_stone_balls&action=edit&section=14" title="Edit section: References"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist reflist-columns references-column-width" style="column-width: 25em;"> <ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-1">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/record.php?usi=000-100-033-206-C&PHPSESSID=0m851am1612gh5fi5bfltvd5g5&scache=25cl220v88&searchdb=scran&PHPSESSID=0m851am1612gh5fi5bfltvd5g5">"Carved stone ball"</a>. National Museums of Scotland. Retrieved 22 March 2008.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Marshall-1976-1977-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Marshall-1976-1977_2-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Marshall-1976-1977_2-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Marshall-1976-1977_2-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Marshall-1976-1977_2-3"><sup><i><b>d</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Marshall-1976-1977_2-4"><sup><i><b>e</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Marshall-1976-1977_2-5"><sup><i><b>f</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite id="CITEREFMarshall1976–1977" class="citation journal cs1">Marshall, D.N. (1976–1977). "Carved stone balls". <i>Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland</i>. <b>108</b>: 4–72.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Proceedings+of+the+Society+of+Antiquaries+of+Scotland&rft.atitle=Carved+stone+balls&rft.volume=108&rft.pages=4-72&rft.date=1976%2F1977&rft.aulast=Marshall&rft.aufirst=D.N.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACarved+stone+balls" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-AshmoleanMus-stone-balls-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-AshmoleanMus-stone-balls_3-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-AshmoleanMus-stone-balls_3-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.ashmolean.org/ash/britarch/highlights/stone-balls.html">"Stone balls"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/Ashmolean_Museum" title="Ashmolean Museum">Ashmolean Museum</a></i>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Ashmolean+Museum&rft.atitle=Stone+balls&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ashmolean.org%2Fash%2Fbritarch%2Fhighlights%2Fstone-balls.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACarved+stone+balls" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Stewart-Moffit-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Stewart-Moffit_4-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFChris_L._Stewart-Moffitt2022" class="citation book cs1">Chris L. Stewart-Moffitt (July 2022). <i>The Circular Archetype in Microcosm: The Carved Stone Balls of Late Neolithic Scotland</i>. Archaeopress Publishing Ltd. p. 3. <q>The sole example from Norway was almost certainly found by Vikings during an expedition to Scotland and taken home as a curio; it is documented as being discovered in an early medieval cairn (Breivik 2013:47-49).</q></cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Circular+Archetype+in+Microcosm%3A+The+Carved+Stone+Balls+of+Late+Neolithic+Scotland&rft.pages=3&rft.pub=Archaeopress+Publishing+Ltd&rft.date=2022-07&rft.au=Chris+L.+Stewart-Moffitt&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACarved+stone+balls" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Marshall-1983-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Marshall-1983_5-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMarshall1983" class="citation journal cs1">Marshall, D.N. (1983). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.9750%2FPSAS.113.628.630">"Further notes on carved stone balls"</a>. <i>Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland</i>. <b>113</b>: 628–646. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<span class="id-lock-free" title="Freely accessible"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.9750%2FPSAS.113.628.630">10.9750/PSAS.113.628.630</a></span>. <a href="/wiki/S2CID_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="S2CID (identifier)">S2CID</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:257748877">257748877</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Proceedings+of+the+Society+of+Antiquaries+of+Scotland&rft.atitle=Further+notes+on+carved+stone+balls&rft.volume=113&rft.pages=628-646&rft.date=1983&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.9750%2FPSAS.113.628.630&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.semanticscholar.org%2FCorpusID%3A257748877%23id-name%3DS2CID&rft.aulast=Marshall&rft.aufirst=D.N.&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fdoi.org%2F10.9750%252FPSAS.113.628.630&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACarved+stone+balls" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-BritMus-search-ball-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-BritMus-search-ball_6-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/search.aspx?searchText=ball+neolithic">"Neolithic ball"</a>. <i><a href="/wiki/British_Museum" title="British Museum">British Museum</a></i>. Search collection.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=British+Museum&rft.atitle=Neolithic+ball&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.britishmuseum.org%2Fresearch%2Fcollection_online%2Fsearch.aspx%3FsearchText%3Dball%2Bneolithic&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACarved+stone+balls" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Rees-Hunter-2000-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Rees-Hunter-2000_7-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFReesHunter2000" class="citation journal cs1">Rees, Thomas; Hunter, Fraser (2000). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://journals.socantscot.org/index.php/psas/article/view/9524">"Archaeological excavation of a medieval structure and an assemblage of prehistoric artefacts from the summit of Traprain Law, East Lothian, 1996 - 1997"</a>. <i>Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland</i>. <b>130</b>: 413–440. <a href="/wiki/Doi_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="Doi (identifier)">doi</a>:<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://doi.org/10.9750%2FPSAS.130.413.440">10.9750/PSAS.130.413.440</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Proceedings+of+the+Society+of+Antiquaries+of+Scotland&rft.atitle=Archaeological+excavation+of+a+medieval+structure+and+an+assemblage+of+prehistoric+artefacts+from+the+summit+of+Traprain+Law%2C+East+Lothian%2C+1996+-+1997&rft.volume=130&rft.pages=413-440&rft.date=2000&rft_id=info%3Adoi%2F10.9750%2FPSAS.130.413.440&rft.aulast=Rees&rft.aufirst=Thomas&rft.au=Hunter%2C+Fraser&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fjournals.socantscot.org%2Findex.php%2Fpsas%2Farticle%2Fview%2F9524&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACarved+stone+balls" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-DigDiary-2013-08-07-Orkneyjar-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-DigDiary-2013-08-07-Orkneyjar_8-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140325001901/http://www.orkneyjar.com/archaeology/nessofbrodgar/2013/08/dig-diary-wednesday-august-7-2013/">"Wednesday, 7 August 2013"</a>. <i>Orkneyjar</i> (blog). <a href="/wiki/Archeological_dig" class="mw-redirect" title="Archeological dig">Dig</a> Diary – <a href="/wiki/Ness_of_Brodgar" title="Ness of Brodgar">Ness of Brodgar</a>. 7 August 2013. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.orkneyjar.com/archaeology/nessofbrodgar/2013/08/dig-diary-wednesday-august-7-2013/">the original</a> on 25 March 2014<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">10 August</span> 2013</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=Orkneyjar&rft.atitle=Wednesday%2C+7+August+2013&rft.date=2013-08-07&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.orkneyjar.com%2Farchaeology%2Fnessofbrodgar%2F2013%2F08%2Fdig-diary-wednesday-august-7-2013%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACarved+stone+balls" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-9">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.uclan.ac.uk/articles/research/polished-stone-balls-discovered-tomb">"Polished stone balls some 5,500 years' old discovered in Orkney tomb"</a>. <i>University of Central Lancashire</i>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=University+of+Central+Lancashire&rft.atitle=Polished+stone+balls+some+5%2C500+years%27+old+discovered+in+Orkney+tomb&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.uclan.ac.uk%2Farticles%2Fresearch%2Fpolished-stone-balls-discovered-tomb&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACarved+stone+balls" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Young-UEx-10"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Young-UEx_10-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Young-UEx_10-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFYoung" class="citation web cs1">Young, Andrew T. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://eprofile.exeter.ac.uk/andrewyoung/?section=2">"The Ground Stone Tools of Britain and Ireland: An experimental approach"</a>. Archaeology (doctoral research profile). <a href="/wiki/University_of_Exeter" title="University of Exeter">University of Exeter</a><span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">30 August</span> 2014</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=The+Ground+Stone+Tools+of+Britain+and+Ireland%3A+An+experimental+approach&rft.pub=University+of+Exeter&rft.aulast=Young&rft.aufirst=Andrew+T.&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Feprofile.exeter.ac.uk%2Fandrewyoung%2F%3Fsection%3D2&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACarved+stone+balls" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Nova-2010-11-rollers-11"><span class="mw-cite-backlink">^ <a href="#cite_ref-Nova-2010-11-rollers_11-0"><sup><i><b>a</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Nova-2010-11-rollers_11-1"><sup><i><b>b</b></i></sup></a> <a href="#cite_ref-Nova-2010-11-rollers_11-2"><sup><i><b>c</b></i></sup></a></span> <span class="reference-text"> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation audio-visual cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/secrets-stonehenge.html"><i>Secrets of Stonehenge</i></a> (science documentary / transcript). <a href="/wiki/Nova_(American_TV_program)" title="Nova (American TV program)">Nova</a>. <a href="/wiki/Public_Broadcasting_Service" class="mw-redirect" title="Public Broadcasting Service">PBS</a>. November 2010.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Secrets+of+Stonehenge&rft.series=Nova&rft.pub=PBS&rft.date=2010-11&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pbs.org%2Fwgbh%2Fnova%2Fancient%2Fsecrets-stonehenge.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACarved+stone+balls" class="Z3988"></span> — shows an experimental use of them as roller-bearings for <a href="/wiki/Megalith" title="Megalith">megalith</a> transport. Search transcript for key phrase "carved stone balls".</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Powell-1966-12"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Powell-1966_12-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFPowell1966" class="citation book cs1"><a href="/wiki/T._G._E._Powell" title="T. G. E. Powell">Powell, T.G.E.</a> (1966). <i>Prehistoric Art</i>. Thames & Hudson. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-500-20046-7" title="Special:BookSources/0-500-20046-7"><bdi>0-500-20046-7</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Prehistoric+Art&rft.pub=Thames+%26+Hudson&rft.date=1966&rft.isbn=0-500-20046-7&rft.aulast=Powell&rft.aufirst=T.G.E.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACarved+stone+balls" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Cummins-1999-13"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Cummins-1999_13-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFCummins1999" class="citation book cs1">Cummins, W.A. (1999). <i>The Picts and their Symbols</i>. Sutton Publishing. p. 92. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-7509-2207-9" title="Special:BookSources/0-7509-2207-9"><bdi>0-7509-2207-9</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=The+Picts+and+their+Symbols&rft.pages=92&rft.pub=Sutton+Publishing&rft.date=1999&rft.isbn=0-7509-2207-9&rft.aulast=Cummins&rft.aufirst=W.A.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACarved+stone+balls" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Evans-1897-14"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Evans-1897_14-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"> <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFEvans1897" class="citation book cs1">Evans, John, Sir (1897). <i>The Ancient Stone Implements, Weapons and Ornaments of Great Britain</i> (2nd ed.). 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Virtual polyhedra. <i>georgehart.com</i>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=georgehart.com&rft.atitle=Neolithic+carved+stone+polyhedra&rft.date=1998&rft.aulast=Hart&rft.aufirst=George&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.georgehart.com%2Fvirtual-polyhedra%2Fneolithic.html&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACarved+stone+balls" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> </ol></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Sources">Sources</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Carved_stone_balls&action=edit&section=15" title="Edit section: Sources"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFSmith1874–1876" class="citation journal cs1">Smith, John Alexander (1874–1876). "Notes of small ornamented stone balls found in different parts of Scotland, &c., with remarks on their supposed age and use". <i>Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland</i>. <b>V</b> (11): 29–62.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Proceedings+of+the+Society+of+Antiquaries+of+Scotland&rft.atitle=Notes+of+small+ornamented+stone+balls+found+in+different+parts+of+Scotland%2C+%26c.%2C+with+remarks+on+their+supposed+age+and+use&rft.volume=V&rft.issue=11&rft.pages=29-62&rft.date=1874%2F1876&rft.aulast=Smith&rft.aufirst=John+Alexander&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACarved+stone+balls" class="Z3988"></span></li></ul> <ul><li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFSmith1874–1876" class="citation journal cs1">Smith, John Alexander (1874–1876). "Additional notes of small ornamented stone balls found in different parts of Scotland, &c". <i>Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland</i>. <b>V</b> (11): 313–319.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=Proceedings+of+the+Society+of+Antiquaries+of+Scotland&rft.atitle=Additional+notes+of+small+ornamented+stone+balls+found+in+different+parts+of+Scotland%2C+%26c.&rft.volume=V&rft.issue=11&rft.pages=313-319&rft.date=1874%2F1876&rft.aulast=Smith&rft.aufirst=John+Alexander&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACarved+stone+balls" class="Z3988"></span></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Carved_stone_balls&action=edit&section=16" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1235681985">.mw-parser-output .side-box{margin:4px 0;box-sizing:border-box;border:1px solid #aaa;font-size:88%;line-height:1.25em;background-color:var(--background-color-interactive-subtle,#f8f9fa);display:flow-root}.mw-parser-output .side-box-abovebelow,.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{padding:0.25em 0.9em}.mw-parser-output .side-box-image{padding:2px 0 2px 0.9em;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-imageright{padding:2px 0.9em 2px 0;text-align:center}@media(min-width:500px){.mw-parser-output .side-box-flex{display:flex;align-items:center}.mw-parser-output .side-box-text{flex:1;min-width:0}}@media(min-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .side-box{width:238px}.mw-parser-output .side-box-right{clear:right;float:right;margin-left:1em}.mw-parser-output .side-box-left{margin-right:1em}}</style><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1237033735">@media print{body.ns-0 .mw-parser-output .sistersitebox{display:none!important}}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .sistersitebox img[src*="Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg"]{background-color:white}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .sistersitebox img[src*="Wiktionary-logo-en-v2.svg"]{background-color:white}}</style><div class="side-box side-box-right plainlinks sistersitebox"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1126788409">.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul{line-height:inherit;list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol li,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul li{margin-bottom:0}</style> <div class="side-box-flex"> <div class="side-box-image"><span class="noviewer" typeof="mw:File"><span><img alt="" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png" decoding="async" width="30" height="40" class="mw-file-element" srcset="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/45px-Commons-logo.svg.png 1.5x, //upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/59px-Commons-logo.svg.png 2x" data-file-width="1024" data-file-height="1376" /></span></span></div> <div class="side-box-text plainlist">Wikimedia Commons has media related to <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Carved_stone_balls_from_Prehistoric_Britain" class="extiw" title="commons:Category:Carved stone balls from Prehistoric Britain">Carved stone balls from Prehistoric Britain</a></span>.</div></div> </div> <ul><li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation audio-visual cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20140325222801/http://www.huntsearch.gla.ac.uk/cgi-bin/foxweb/huntsearch/SummaryResults.fwx?collection=archaeology&Searchterm=Carved+Stone+Ball"><i>A gallery of carved stone balls</i></a> (photographs & information). Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.huntsearch.gla.ac.uk/cgi-bin/foxweb/huntsearch/SummaryResults.fwx?collection=archaeology&Searchterm=Carved+Stone+Ball">the original</a> on 25 March 2014.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=A+gallery+of+carved+stone+balls&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.huntsearch.gla.ac.uk%2Fcgi-bin%2Ffoxweb%2Fhuntsearch%2FSummaryResults.fwx%3Fcollection%3Darchaeology%26Searchterm%3DCarved%2BStone%2BBall&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACarved+stone+balls" class="Z3988"></span></li></ul> <ul><li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation audio-visual cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://sketchfab.com/nationalmuseumsscotland/collections/carved-stone-balls"><i>Carved stone balls</i></a> (3D gallery). <a href="/wiki/National_Museums_of_Scotland" class="mw-redirect" title="National Museums of Scotland">National Museums of Scotland</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Carved+stone+balls&rft.pub=National+Museums+of+Scotland&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fsketchfab.com%2Fnationalmuseumsscotland%2Fcollections%2Fcarved-stone-balls&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACarved+stone+balls" class="Z3988"></span></li></ul> <ul><li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFDr_Hugo_Anderson-Whymark2018" class="citation web cs1">Dr Hugo Anderson-Whymark (6 June 2018). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://blog.nms.ac.uk/2018/06/06/enormous-petrified-mulberries-a-new-dimension-on-carved-stone-balls/">"Enormous petrified mulberries a new dimension on carved stone balls"</a>. <a href="/wiki/National_Museums_of_Scotland" class="mw-redirect" title="National Museums of Scotland">National Museums of Scotland</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Enormous+petrified+mulberries+a+new+dimension+on+carved+stone+balls&rft.pub=National+Museums+of+Scotland&rft.date=2018-06-06&rft.au=Dr+Hugo+Anderson-Whymark&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fblog.nms.ac.uk%2F2018%2F06%2F06%2Fenormous-petrified-mulberries-a-new-dimension-on-carved-stone-balls%2F&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACarved+stone+balls" class="Z3988"></span></li></ul> <ul><li><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation audio-visual cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vy_pKDVE6JQ"><i><span></span>'Not just a load of old balls': Late Neolithic developments and the creation of a new world order</i></a> (video). The Rhind Lectures. <a href="/wiki/Society_of_Antiquaries_of_Scotland" title="Society of Antiquaries of Scotland">Society of Antiquaries of Scotland</a>. 17 December 2020 – via YouTube.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=%27Not+just+a+load+of+old+balls%27%3A+Late+Neolithic+developments+and+the+creation+of+a+new+world+order&rft.series=The+Rhind+Lectures&rft.pub=Society+of+Antiquaries+of+Scotland&rft.date=2020-12-17&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DVy_pKDVE6JQ&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ACarved+stone+balls" class="Z3988"></span></li></ul> <div class="navbox-styles"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output 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href="/wiki/Hillforts_in_Scotland" title="Hillforts in Scotland">Hillforts</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Architecture_of_Scotland_in_the_Roman_era" title="Architecture of Scotland in the Roman era">Roman era</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wheelhouse_(archaeology)" title="Wheelhouse (archaeology)">Wheelhouse</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Artefacts</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Scottish_art_in_the_Prehistoric_era" class="mw-redirect" title="Scottish art in the Prehistoric era">Art</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Carved stone balls</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Grooved_ware" title="Grooved ware">Grooved ware</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Unstan_ware" title="Unstan ware">Unstan ware</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%">Economy</th><td 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href="/wiki/Siege_of_Burnswark" class="mw-redirect" title="Siege of Burnswark">Siege of Burnswark</a> (140)</li> <li><a href="/wiki/Great_Conspiracy" title="Great Conspiracy">Great Conspiracy</a> (367–368)</li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Timeline_of_prehistoric_Scotland" title="Timeline of prehistoric Scotland">Timeline</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Scotland_in_the_Iron_Age" title="Scotland in the Iron Age">Scotland in the Iron Age</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Scotland_during_the_Roman_Empire" title="Scotland during the Roman Empire">Roman Interlude</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <div class="navbox-styles"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1129693374"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" 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title="Special:EditPage/Template:Prehistoric technology"><abbr title="Edit this template">e</abbr></a></li></ul></div><div id="Prehistoric_technology" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/Prehistoric_technology" title="Prehistoric technology">Prehistoric technology</a></div></th></tr><tr><td class="navbox-abovebelow" colspan="2"><div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Prehistory" title="Prehistory">Prehistory</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Timeline_of_prehistory" title="Timeline of prehistory">Timeline</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Outline_of_prehistoric_technology" title="Outline of prehistoric technology">Outline</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stone_Age" title="Stone Age">Stone Age</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Three-age_system#Stone_Age_subdivisions" title="Three-age system">Subdivisions</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Neolithic" title="Neolithic">New Stone Age</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Technology" title="Technology">Technology</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/History_of_technology" title="History of technology">history</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Glossary_of_archaeology" title="Glossary of archaeology">Glossary</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible mw-collapsed navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><div id="Tools" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/Lithic_technology" title="Lithic technology">Tools</a></div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:9em"><a href="/wiki/History_of_agriculture" title="History of agriculture">Farming</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Neolithic_Revolution" title="Neolithic Revolution">Neolithic Revolution</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Founder_crops" title="Founder crops">Founder crops</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/New_World_crops" title="New World crops">New World crops</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ard_(plough)" title="Ard (plough)">Ard / plough</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Celt_(tool)" title="Celt (tool)">Celt</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Digging_stick" title="Digging stick">Digging stick</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Domestication" title="Domestication">Domestication</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Goad" title="Goad">Goad</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Irrigation" title="Irrigation">Irrigation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Secondary_products_revolution" title="Secondary products revolution">Secondary products</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sickle" title="Sickle">Sickle</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Terrace_(earthworks)" title="Terrace (earthworks)">Terracing</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:9em">Food processing</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Control_of_fire_by_early_humans" title="Control of fire by early humans">Fire</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Basket" title="Basket">Basket</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cooking" title="Cooking">Cooking</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Earth_oven" title="Earth oven">Earth oven</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Granary" title="Granary">Granaries</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Grinding_slab" title="Grinding slab">Grinding slab</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ground_stone" title="Ground stone">Ground stone</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hearth" title="Hearth">Hearth</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/A%C5%9F%C4%B1kl%C4%B1_H%C3%B6y%C3%BCk#Hearths" title="Aşıklı Höyük">Aşıklı Höyük</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Qesem_cave#Fire" title="Qesem cave">Qesem cave</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mano_(stone)" title="Mano (stone)">Manos</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Metate" title="Metate">Metate</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mortar_and_pestle" title="Mortar and pestle">Mortar and pestle</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pottery" title="Pottery">Pottery</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Quern-stone" title="Quern-stone">Quern-stone</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Prehistoric_storage_pits" title="Prehistoric storage pits">Storage pits</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:9em"><a href="/wiki/Hunting_hypothesis" title="Hunting hypothesis">Hunting</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Arrow" title="Arrow">Arrow</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Boomerang" title="Boomerang">Boomerang</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Throwing_stick" title="Throwing stick">throwing stick</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bow_and_arrow" title="Bow and arrow">Bow and arrow</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/History_of_archery" title="History of archery">history</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gravettian#Hunting" title="Gravettian">Nets</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Spear" title="Spear">Spear</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Spear-thrower" title="Spear-thrower">spear-thrower</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Baton_fragment_(Palart_310)" title="Baton fragment (Palart 310)">baton</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Harpoon" title="Harpoon">harpoon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sch%C3%B6ningen_spears" title="Schöningen spears">Schöningen</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Woomera_(spear-thrower)" title="Woomera (spear-thrower)">woomera</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;font-weight:normal;"><a href="/wiki/Projectile_point" title="Projectile point">Projectile points</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Arrowhead" title="Arrowhead">Arrowhead</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Transverse_arrowhead" title="Transverse arrowhead">Transverse</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bare_Island_projectile_point" title="Bare Island projectile point">Bare Island</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cascade_point" title="Cascade point">Cascade</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Clovis_point" title="Clovis point">Clovis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Creswellian_culture" title="Creswellian culture">Cresswell</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cumberland_point" title="Cumberland point">Cumberland</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Eden_point" title="Eden point">Eden</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Folsom_point" title="Folsom point">Folsom</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lamoka_projectile_point" title="Lamoka projectile point">Lamoka</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Manis_Mastodon_site" title="Manis Mastodon site">Manis Mastodon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Plano_point" title="Plano point">Plano</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%;font-weight:normal;">Systems</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Game_drive_system" title="Game drive system">Game drive system</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Buffalo_jump" title="Buffalo jump">Buffalo jump</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:9em"><a href="/wiki/Lithic_technology" title="Lithic technology">Toolmaking</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Industry_(archaeology)" title="Industry (archaeology)">Earliest toolmaking</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Oldowan" title="Oldowan">Oldowan</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Acheulean" title="Acheulean">Acheulean</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mousterian" title="Mousterian">Mousterian</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Aurignacian" title="Aurignacian">Aurignacian</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Clovis_culture" title="Clovis culture">Clovis culture</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cupstone" title="Cupstone">Cupstone</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Fire_hardening" title="Fire hardening">Fire hardening</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gravettian" title="Gravettian">Gravettian culture</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hafting" title="Hafting">Hafting</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hand_axe" title="Hand axe">Hand axe</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Grooves_(archaeology)" title="Grooves (archaeology)">Grooves</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Langdale_axe_industry" title="Langdale axe industry">Langdale axe industry</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Levallois_technique" title="Levallois technique">Levallois technique</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lithic_core" title="Lithic core">Lithic core</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lithic_reduction" title="Lithic reduction">Lithic reduction</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Lithic_analysis" title="Lithic analysis">analysis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Debitage" title="Debitage">debitage</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lithic_flake" title="Lithic flake">flake</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lithic_technology" title="Lithic technology">Lithic technology</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Magdalenian" title="Magdalenian">Magdalenian culture</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ferrous_metallurgy" title="Ferrous metallurgy">Metallurgy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microblade_technology" title="Microblade technology">Microblade technology</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Grime%27s_Graves" title="Grime's Graves">Mining</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Prepared-core_technique" title="Prepared-core technique">Prepared-core technique</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Solutrean" title="Solutrean">Solutrean industry</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Striking_platform" title="Striking platform">Striking platform</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tool_stone" title="Tool stone">Tool stone</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Uniface" title="Uniface">Uniface</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Yubetsu_technique" title="Yubetsu technique">Yubetsu technique</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:9em"><a href="/wiki/Artifact_(archaeology)" title="Artifact (archaeology)">Other tools</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Adze" title="Adze">Adze</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stitching_awl" title="Stitching awl">Awl</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Gravettian#Use_of_animal_remains" title="Gravettian">bone</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Axe" title="Axe">Axe</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bannerstone" title="Bannerstone">Bannerstone</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Blade_(archaeology)" title="Blade (archaeology)">Blade</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Prismatic_blade" title="Prismatic blade">prismatic</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bone_tool" title="Bone tool">Bone tool</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bow_drill" title="Bow drill">Bow drill</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Burin_(lithic_flake)" title="Burin (lithic flake)">Burin</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Canoe#History" title="Canoe">Canoe</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Oar" title="Oar">Oar</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pesse_canoe" title="Pesse canoe">Pesse canoe</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chopper_(archaeology)" title="Chopper (archaeology)">Chopper</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Chopping_tool" title="Chopping tool">tool</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cleaver_(Stone_Age_tool)" title="Cleaver (Stone Age tool)">Cleaver</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Denticulate_tool" title="Denticulate tool">Denticulate tool</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Fire_plough" title="Fire plough">Fire plough</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Fire-saw" title="Fire-saw">Fire-saw</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hammerstone" title="Hammerstone">Hammerstone</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Knife" title="Knife">Knife</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Microlith" title="Microlith">Microlith</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Quern-stone" title="Quern-stone">Quern-stone</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Racloir" title="Racloir">Racloir</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rope" title="Rope">Rope</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Scraper_(archaeology)" title="Scraper (archaeology)">Scraper</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Grattoir_de_c%C3%B4t%C3%A9" title="Grattoir de côté">side</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stone_tool" title="Stone tool">Stone tool</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tally_stick#Paleolithic_tally_sticks" title="Tally stick">Tally stick</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/History_of_weapons#Copper_Age" title="History of weapons">Weapons</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wheel" title="Wheel">Wheel</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Bronocice_pot" title="Bronocice pot">illustration</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible mw-collapsed navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><div id="Architecture" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/History_of_architecture" title="History of architecture">Architecture</a></div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:9em">Ceremonial</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Kiva" title="Kiva">Kiva</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pyramid" title="Pyramid">Pyramid</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Menhir" title="Menhir">Standing stones</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Megalith" title="Megalith">megalith</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stone_row" title="Stone row">row</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stonehenge" title="Stonehenge">Stonehenge</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:9em">Dwellings</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Neolithic_architecture" title="Neolithic architecture">Neolithic architecture</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Neolithic_long_house" title="Neolithic long house">long house</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/British_megalith_architecture" title="British megalith architecture">British megalith architecture</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Nordic_megalith_architecture" title="Nordic megalith architecture">Nordic megalith architecture</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Burdei" title="Burdei">Burdei</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cave" title="Cave">Cave</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cliff_dwelling" title="Cliff dwelling">Cliff dwelling</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dugout_(shelter)" title="Dugout (shelter)">Dugout</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hut" title="Hut">Hut</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Quiggly_hole" title="Quiggly hole">Quiggly hole</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jacal" title="Jacal">Jacal</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Longhouse" title="Longhouse">Longhouse</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mudbrick" title="Mudbrick">Mudbrick</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Mehrgarh#Lifestyle_and_technology" title="Mehrgarh">Mehrgarh</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pit-house" title="Pit-house">Pit-house</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Navajo_pueblitos" title="Navajo pueblitos">Pueblitos</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pueblo" title="Pueblo">Pueblo</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rock_shelter" title="Rock shelter">Rock shelter</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Blombos_Cave" title="Blombos Cave">Blombos Cave</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Abri_de_la_Madeleine" title="Abri de la Madeleine">Abri de la Madeleine</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sibudu_Cave" title="Sibudu Cave">Sibudu Cave</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Roundhouse_(dwelling)" title="Roundhouse (dwelling)">Roundhouse</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stilt_house" title="Stilt house">Stilt house</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Prehistoric_pile_dwellings_around_the_Alps" title="Prehistoric pile dwellings around the Alps">Alp pile dwellings</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ness_of_Brodgar" title="Ness of Brodgar">Stone roof</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wattle_and_daub" title="Wattle and daub">Wattle and daub</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:9em">Water management</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Check_dam" title="Check dam">Check dam</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cistern" title="Cistern">Cistern</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Flush_toilet#History" title="Flush toilet">Flush toilet</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Reservoir" title="Reservoir">Reservoir</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Well" title="Well">Well</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:9em">Other architecture</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Feature_(archaeology)" title="Feature (archaeology)">Archaeological features</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Broch" title="Broch">Broch</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Burnt_mound" title="Burnt mound">Burnt mound</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Fulacht_fiadh" title="Fulacht fiadh">fulacht fiadh</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Causewayed_enclosure" title="Causewayed enclosure">Causewayed enclosure</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Tor_enclosure" title="Tor enclosure">Tor enclosure</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Neolithic_circular_enclosures_in_Central_Europe" title="Neolithic circular enclosures in Central Europe">Circular enclosure</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Goseck_Circle" title="Goseck Circle">Goseck</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cursus" title="Cursus">Cursus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Henge" title="Henge">Henge</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Thornborough_Henges" title="Thornborough Henges">Thornborough</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Megalithic_architectural_elements" title="Megalithic architectural elements">Megalithic architectural elements</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Midden" title="Midden">Midden</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_oldest_extant_buildings" title="List of oldest extant buildings">Oldest extant buildings</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Timber_circle" title="Timber circle">Timber circle</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Timber_trackway" class="mw-redirect" title="Timber trackway">Timber trackway</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Sweet_Track" title="Sweet Track">Sweet Track</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks mw-collapsible mw-collapsed navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="col" class="navbox-title" colspan="2"><div id="Arts_and_culture" style="font-size:114%;margin:0 4em"><a href="/wiki/Prehistoric_art" title="Prehistoric art">Arts</a> and <a href="/wiki/Archaeological_culture" title="Archaeological culture">culture</a></div></th></tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="navbox-list navbox-odd" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"></div><table class="nowraplinks navbox-subgroup" style="border-spacing:0"><tbody><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:9em"><a href="/wiki/Artifact_(archaeology)" title="Artifact (archaeology)">Material goods</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Basket_weaving" title="Basket weaving">Baskets</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Beadwork" title="Beadwork">Beadwork</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bed#History" title="Bed">Beds</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chalcolithic" title="Chalcolithic">Chalcolithic</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/History_of_clothing_and_textiles" title="History of clothing and textiles">Clothing/textiles</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Timeline_of_clothing_and_textiles_technology" title="Timeline of clothing and textiles technology">timeline</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/History_of_cosmetics" title="History of cosmetics">Cosmetics</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Middle_Stone_Age" title="Middle Stone Age">Glue</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/History_of_hide_materials" title="History of hide materials">Hides</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Shoe#History" title="Shoe">shoes</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/%C3%96tzi#Clothes_and_shoes" title="Ötzi">Ötzi</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jewellery#History" title="Jewellery">Jewelry</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Amber#Use" title="Amber">amber use</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mirror#History" title="Mirror">Mirrors</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pottery#History" title="Pottery">Pottery</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Cardium_pottery" title="Cardium pottery">Cardium</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cord-marked_pottery" title="Cord-marked pottery">Cord-marked</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Grooved_ware" title="Grooved ware">Grooved ware</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/J%C5%8Dmon_pottery" title="Jōmon pottery">Jōmon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Linear_Pottery_culture" title="Linear Pottery culture">Linear</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Unstan_ware" title="Unstan ware">Unstan ware</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sewing_needle#History" title="Sewing needle">Sewing needle</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Weaving" title="Weaving">Weaving</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/History_of_wine" title="History of wine">Wine</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Areni-1_winery" title="Areni-1 winery">winery</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/History_of_the_wine_press#Early_history" title="History of the wine press">wine press</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:9em"><a href="/wiki/Prehistoric_art" title="Prehistoric art">Prehistoric art</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Art_of_the_Upper_Paleolithic" title="Art of the Upper Paleolithic">Art of the Upper Paleolithic</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Art_of_the_Middle_Paleolithic" title="Art of the Middle Paleolithic">Art of the Middle Paleolithic</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Blombos_Cave#Archaeological_remains_and_material_culture_from_the_Middle_Stone_Age_levels" title="Blombos Cave">Blombos Cave</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/List_of_Stone_Age_art" title="List of Stone Age art">List of Stone Age art</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Bird_stone" title="Bird stone">Bird stone</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cairn" title="Cairn">Cairn</a></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Carved stone balls</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cave_painting" title="Cave painting">Cave paintings</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cup_and_ring_mark" title="Cup and ring mark">Cup and ring mark</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Geoglyph" title="Geoglyph">Geoglyph</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Hill_figure" title="Hill figure">Hill figure</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Golden_hat" title="Golden hat">Golden hats</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Guardian_stones" title="Guardian stones">Guardian stones</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gwion_Gwion_rock_paintings" title="Gwion Gwion rock paintings">Gwion Gwion rock paintings</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/History_of_painting#Pre-history" title="History of painting">painting</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pigment#History" title="Pigment">pigment</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Megalithic_art" title="Megalithic art">Megalithic art</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Petroform" title="Petroform">Petroform</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Petroglyph" title="Petroglyph">Petroglyph</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Petrosomatoglyph" title="Petrosomatoglyph">Petrosomatoglyph</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pictogram" title="Pictogram">Pictogram</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rock_art" title="Rock art">Rock art</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Rock_cupule" title="Rock cupule">Rock cupule</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stone_carving" title="Stone carving">Stone carving</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sculpture#Prehistoric_periods" title="Sculpture">Sculpture</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Statue_menhir" title="Statue menhir">Statue menhir</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stone_circle" title="Stone circle">Stone circle</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_stone_circles" title="List of stone circles">list</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stone_circles_in_the_British_Isles_and_Brittany" title="Stone circles in the British Isles and Brittany">British Isles and Brittany</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Venus_figurine" title="Venus figurine">Venus figurine</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:9em"><a href="/wiki/Paleolithic_religion" title="Paleolithic religion">Burial</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-odd" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Tumulus" title="Tumulus">Burial mounds</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Bowl_barrow" title="Bowl barrow">Bowl barrow</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Round_barrow" title="Round barrow">Round barrow</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mound_Builders" title="Mound Builders">Mound Builders culture</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_burial_mounds_in_the_United_States" title="List of burial mounds in the United States">U.S. sites</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chamber_tomb" title="Chamber tomb">Chamber tomb</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Cotswold-Severn_Group" title="Cotswold-Severn Group">Cotswold-Severn</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cist" title="Cist">Cist</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Dartmoor_kistvaens" title="Dartmoor kistvaens">Dartmoor kistvaens</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Clava_cairn" title="Clava cairn">Clava cairn</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Court_cairn" title="Court cairn">Court cairn</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Cremation#History" title="Cremation">Cremation</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dolmen" title="Dolmen">Dolmen</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Great_dolmen" title="Great dolmen">Great dolmen</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pyre" title="Pyre">Funeral pyre</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gallery_grave" title="Gallery grave">Gallery grave</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Transepted_gallery_grave" class="mw-redirect" title="Transepted gallery grave">transepted</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Wedge-shaped_gallery_grave" class="mw-redirect" title="Wedge-shaped gallery grave">wedge-shaped</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Grave_goods" title="Grave goods">Grave goods</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Jar_burial" title="Jar burial">Jar burial</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Long_barrow" title="Long barrow">Long barrow</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Unchambered_long_barrow" title="Unchambered long barrow">unchambered</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gr%C3%B8nsalen" title="Grønsalen">Grønsalen</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Megalithic_tomb" class="mw-redirect" title="Megalithic tomb">Megalithic tomb</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Mummy" title="Mummy">Mummy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Passage_grave" title="Passage grave">Passage grave</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Rectangular_dolmen" title="Rectangular dolmen">Rectangular dolmen</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ring_cairn" title="Ring cairn">Ring cairn</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Simple_dolmen" title="Simple dolmen">Simple dolmen</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Stone_box_grave" title="Stone box grave">Stone box grave</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tor_cairn" title="Tor cairn">Tor cairn</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Unchambered_long_cairn" title="Unchambered long cairn">Unchambered long cairn</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:9em">Other cultural</th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even" style="padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Archaeoastronomy" title="Archaeoastronomy">Archaeoastronomy</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/List_of_archaeoastronomical_sites_by_country" title="List of archaeoastronomical sites by country">sites</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Lunar_calendar" title="Lunar calendar">lunar calendar</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Behavioral_modernity" title="Behavioral modernity">Behavioral modernity</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Evolutionary_musicology" title="Evolutionary musicology">Evolutionary musicology</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Music_archaeology" title="Music archaeology">music archaeology</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Evolutionary_origin_of_religion" title="Evolutionary origin of religion">Evolutionary origin of religion</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Paleolithic_religion" title="Paleolithic religion">Paleolithic religion</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Prehistoric_religion" title="Prehistoric religion">Prehistoric religion</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Entheogenic_drugs_and_the_archaeological_record" title="Entheogenic drugs and the archaeological record">Spiritual drug use</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Origin_of_language" title="Origin of language">Origin of language</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Prehistoric_counting" title="Prehistoric counting">Prehistoric counting</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Prehistoric_medicine" title="Prehistoric medicine">Prehistoric medicine</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Trepanning" title="Trepanning">trepanning</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Prehistoric_music" title="Prehistoric music">Prehistoric music</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Alligator_drum" title="Alligator drum">Alligator drum</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Paleolithic_flute" title="Paleolithic flute">flutes</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Divje_Babe_flute" title="Divje Babe flute">Divje Babe flute</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Gudi_(instrument)" title="Gudi (instrument)">gudi</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Prehistoric_warfare" title="Prehistoric warfare">Prehistoric warfare</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Diepkloof_Rock_Shelter" title="Diepkloof Rock Shelter">Symbols</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Howiesons_Poort#Symbolism" title="Howiesons Poort">symbolism</a></li></ul></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr></tbody></table><div></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?type=1x1" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" 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