In the 1960s, when scientists conducted excavations at a site dating back 1.4 million years in northern Israel, they encountered a baffling discovery – they uncovered nearly 600 stone ‘balls’ amongst other more conventional stone tools. Now, scientists have analyzed 150 of these baseball sized stones and concluded that our ancestors intentionally crafted these spheroids! They speculate that perhaps early human ancestors were driven by a desire to create symmetry and enjoy the act of craftsmanship, though the exact function remains unclear.
The findings of this study, which were published today in the latest edition of the journal Royal Society Open Science , hold the potential to provide valuable insights into the cognitive processes of ancient artisans. This is as per Julia Cabanès, a scientist at the National Museum of Natural History in Paris who was not part of the research team, but spoke to Science.
Continue here: Ancient Origins
