Author: Christina Ayele Djossa / Source: Atlas Obscura
Like Stonehenge, the knobbly orbs of Scotland, England, and Ireland conjure much speculation among theorists. We only know the 5,000-year-old stone artifacts date back to the Neolithic era, are approximately 2.
75 inches to 4.5 inches in diameter, and engraved with cryptic geometric designs. There over 400 of them collected in such places as the Ashmolean Museum at the University of Oxford and the National Museum of Scotland.Besides that, the orbs are shrouded in mystery. Were they dice, résumés, or lethal bludgeons? It’s likely we’ll never know, but we might as well give it the old college try and theorize away.
We asked Atlas Obscura readers to submit their best guesses on what they thought the knobbly were used for, if at all. From Serbia to South Africa to Pakistan, we received over 650 responses from every continent except Antarctica. We couldn’t list them all, but here are a few of our favorites:
Fidget Spinners
Haven’t you people taught middle-schoolers? These are fidget balls that “help” you focus! —Marc Hamlin from Rhode Island, U.S.
Perhaps, they could be used for Komboloi, or worry beads? —Jack R. Rigdon from Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S.
Clearly, they are an early form of fidget toys. What better way for an ancient Pict to pass the time between getting chased by dangerous animals and fending off starvation and disease? —Abby from Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Massages
They appear to be similar to modern day massage balls. They were rolled against the back or other muscle areas using the palm or perhaps a trencher-like slotted wooden holder. —Yusef from Malaysia
These balls would be very useful for massages! Quite seriously, if one examines the latest foam rollers for example, they have knobbly bits, which are excellent for releasing trapped tension in muscles. —Ben Davies from Oxford, United Kingdom
Fortune Telling
Possibly oracles used them as a “right to speak” tool.—Kim from Wiltshire, United Kingdom
These were part of shamans’ tool kits, passed down through generations of masters and apprentices. Shamans used the orbs for mystical healing and foretelling the future.—Don Martin from Columbia, Maryland, U.S.
Games
Found in Scotland? Golf balls, of course. —Bonnie from Massachusetts, U.S.
They were used as Boule or Varpa orbs. Games like Boule and Varpa have been around for a very long time.—Rolf from Stockholm, Sweden
They were used as individual game pieces in a pick up game. I used to play a similar game with ox bones as pieces.—Laura Lucas from Calitzdorp, South Africa
I played Dungeons & Dragons in high school. The first thing I thought of when I saw them was, “Oh look, ancient multi-sided gamer dice! —Sera Hartman from Tulalip, Washington, U.S.
They were used in competitions to determine the best or longest hand-projectiles someone could hurl. —Maxwell Holland from Thailand
In Malta, there is a game called bocci. It is based on getting the closest to the mark and knocking your opponent. My guess is these are for some sort of game. —Chris Sacco from Malta
Math
This idea is influenced by the Japanese researcher Yasushi Kajikawa, but this stone is neither a weapon nor a decoration, it must be a trace of pure geometric thinking. —Narie Wakamatsu from Japan
They were hand held calculators, but…
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