Strange Carved Balls from Scotland Just over 420 carved stone balls are known. They date from about 3500 to 1500 BC, the later Neolithic into the Bronze Age. Almost all come from Scotland, mostly from the area between the Tay and Moray Firth, with one each from Ireland, Cumbria, Bridlington, Durham and Norway. The vast majority are about 7cm (3 inches) although some larger ones with a diameter of 90-114mm are also known. A few are oval rather than round. Most of the balls are covered in knobs varying from three up to 160 but most commonly (almost half of all known) have six. Some knobs and, sometimes, the spaces between them are decorated with an incised pattern and occasionally the whole ball is decorated with a single design. The decorations include hatchings, incised lines, spirals and concentric circles. The size/prominence of the knobs varies. The distribution tends to follow that of Pictish Stones but as Pictish Stones emerge some 200 years later, then perhaps we should say precede rather than follow. The vast majority of known origin were found between the Tay and Moray Firth. They are constructed from a variety of materials ranging from sandstone to granite. The carving skills would clearly depend on the hardness of the material. A good set of examples [above] can be seen in photos from Marischal College. ### Back to Viewzone || Comments?