EGYPTIAN PETROGLYPH IDENTIFIED AS A CONSTELLATION – THE EL-HOSH CAPRICORN (GOAT-FISH):

The el-Hosh Capricorn petroglyph, Egypt. Image from msn.com.

A recent paper (2024) by Linda Evans and her team discuss a petroglyph with a combination of the apparent fore-quarters of a quadruped and the rear half being a fish tail, discovered at a rock art site in Upper Egypt. Their analysis led to conclusions that it represented the goat-fish symbol for the constellation Capricornus.

Close-up of the el-Hosh Capricorn petroglyph, Egypt. Image from phys.org.

“A new study by Dr. Linda Evans and her colleagues from Macquarie University, Australia, published in the Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, has recently identified what may be an Egyptian petroglyph depicting the zodiac sign Capricornus, a hybrid creature with the forequarters of a goat and the body of a fish. Zodiac symbols are completely unattested in Egyptian rock art, making this image the only known example. By studying the history of the zodiac sign, its introduction into Egypt, and its use, the researchers were able to determine the likely period of and possible reason for its creation.” (Oster 2024)

Enhanced image of the el-Hosh Capricorn petroglyph, Egypt. Image from phys.org.

Drawing of the petroglyph. Image from Evans et al., 2024.

At some point in prehistory hominins came up with a number of ideas concerning the night sky. One was that the stars made patterns that they believed that they could identify with beings, creatures, or implements. With this belief established it is not a long way to the assumption that these stellar creatures or beings influence life here on earth. “The ‘goat-fish’, a mythical creature incorporating the horned forequarters of a goat and the torso of a large fish, has long been known from the ancient Near East and Mediterranean regions. It first appeared in Mesopotamia, where it later represented the zodiac sign of Capricornus. There is also sporadic evidence of the sign in Egypt, beginning in the Graeco-Roman Period. Here we present an unusual petroglyph at the rock art site of el-Hosh in Upper Egypt (70 km north of Aswan, on the west bank of the Nile), which depicts a hybrid mammal and fish figure that we propose may also represent Capricornus.” (Evans et al. 2024) And, once we have accepted the proposition that what happens in the heavens influences life here on earth, then it is only natural to look for patterns or movements to try to analyze what they portend, and to develop rites and rituals to try to influence these portents.

The Sumerian god Enki. Illustration from mythology.net

Sandee Oster (2024) described the development of Capricornus as a symbol for a constellation. “The first occurrence of something resembling Capricornus occurred in Mesopotamia, where the Sumerian got Enki and the Akkadian equivalent Ea were usually depicted as bearded men with horned caps, wearing gowns. At the shoulders of these gowns, water streams filled with fish would spout. This later evolved into the first recognizable depiction of a goat-fish hybrid at the feet of the god on cylinder seals dating to ca. 2112-2004 BCE.” (Oster 2024) This cylinder seal was not illustrated.

Babylonian Capricorn on a boundary stone. (redrawn from Hinke 1907 fig. 36) Evans et al., 2024.

Greek Capricorn (sea goat). Illustration from Wikipedia.

According to Oster, the Greeks got the idea of the zodiac from the early Mesopotamian civilizations. “From Mesopotamia, the zodiacs and their associations eventually spread to Greece (5^th century BCE) and from there to Rome (1^st and 2^nd century CE). By at least 300 BCE, zodiacs were known to Egypt and their earliest depictions could be found on zodiac ceilings in Egyptian Ptolemaic temples such as the temple Montu and Rattawy at Armant (c. 44-30 BCE). Later these zodiac symbols, including Capricornus, occurred in Roman-era temple ceilings, coffin lids, tombs, and even coins.” (Oster 2024)

Interestingly, I can find no mention of a capricornus or goat-fish hybrid therianthrope  anywhere online as being part of the Egyptian zodiac. Capricorn is one of the constellations in the Greek zodiac suggesting the possibility that this would have been introduced into Egypt by the Greeks or Romans

Later Egyptian (Greek period) Capricorn from the hypostyle hall, temple of Hathor, Dendera (traced from photograph), Evans et al. 2024.

Later Egyptian (Greek period) Capricorn from the Osiris chapel, temple of Hathor, Dendera (traced from photograph), Evans et al., 2024.

Linda Evans et al. (2024) came to the same conclusions when discussing the potential date of the petroglyph in question. “If a connection with Capricornus is accepted, a Graeco-Roman date for the petroglyph’s production may be possible. Furthermore, the creature’s outstretched tail possibly indicates a period earlier than the second century CE, when the Roman loop-tailed version of Capricornus became popular. It should be noted, however, that it has been proposed that Egyptian knowledge of the zodiac could have come directly from Mesopotamia, rather than via Hellenistic Greece.” (Evans et al. 2024)

Evans et al. discuss whether the possible origin of the symbol could be Mesopotamian or Graeco-Roman and note that if it was Mesopotamian the goat-fish could predate the Graeco-Roman Period. Their conclusion, however, is that it is more likely to have been created between the first century BCE and the end of the first century CE. One major clue that led them to this conclusion is the presence of Greek script carved on a nearby petroglyph panel.

NOTE: Some images in this posting were retrieved from the internet with a search for public domain photographs. If any of these images are not intended to be public domain, I apologize, and will happily provide the picture credits if the owner will contact me with them. For further information on these reports you should read the original reports at the sites listed below.

REFERENCES:

Evans, Linda, Fred Hardtke, and Wouter Claes, 2024, The Goat-Fish of El-Hosh: An Unusual Petroglyph Identified, The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology Online. Accessed online 20 November 2024.

Oster, Sandee, 2024, First ever goat-fish petroglyph reveals Egyptian  understanding of zodiac symbols, 19 November 2024, Phys.org. Accessed online 20 November 2024.

2025 C.R.A.P. AWARD - PETROGLYPHS OF INDIAN TEMPLES AND STUPAS IDENTIFIED AS VIMANAS (PREHISTORIC FLYING MACHINES):

Hypothetical vertical section of a vimana. Drawing by T. K. Ellappa, Bangalore, India. 12 February 1923. Image from Wikipedia. Note - the little T-shapes in the blue cups at the top are the propellers which will provide the lift to make it fly.

It is time again for the RockArtBlog coveted annual C. R. A. P. (Certifiable Rock Art Prevarication) award, and do I have a really deserving recipient this year? Not to a particular person, but for an area of fringie writing using twisted and convoluted beliefs to turn petroglyphs of stone temples into flying machines. I am talking about the hokum surrounding modern “theorists” about Vimanas, the flying machines from the annals of ancient writings in India, and modern websites pushing these beliefs.

One characteristic of many of these websites is that they are anonymous, it is difficult to find an actual person’s name to associate with it. The writing is credited to “the editorial team,” although some sites originating in India have the author’s name on them.

Hypothetical illustration of a vimana. Illustration from theancientzen.com.

Another characteristic is exaggerated fringie hype about things like interstellar visitors, antigravity, and technologically advanced civilizations back during the Paleolithic or Neolithic ages. I want to reiterate that I am not attacking writings from India about vimanas any more than I would attack the bible because Ezekial saw the wheel. I am giving the C.R.A.P. award to the people who tell us that petroglyphs of stupas and Indian temples are actually the flying machines. You are entitled to believe whatever you want, but, as I have said before, RockArtBlog has a responsibility to call out outright lies when found.

I am going to pass on a number of the most egregious claims and statements to illustrate how ridiculous this can get, but I am not going to identify any particular internet site. If you want to find this garbage for yourself you can go online and do so, but I will not give them the publicity.

Indian warriors observing a vimana. Internet image, public domain.

“According to Ancient Indian history – one of the most extensive on the planet – their ancient sacred texts called the ‘Vedas’ speak of incredible flying ships that visited our planet over 6000 years ago. Throughout history, many common myths and legends mention incredible flying machines and how ancient people traveled great distances through the air: the flying carpets of ancient Arabia, Ezekiel’s wheel, Solomons’ ability to travel from one place to another and the magical chariots or ‘vimana’ mentioned in ancient Indian and Chinese texts.”

An Indian temple. Internet image, public domain.

According to another writer “The propulsion of vimanas is perhaps the most mysterious aspect, with some texts hinting at mercury vortex engines and other forms of advanced technology. For instance, references to a mercury-driven energy source can be found in the Sanskrit texts, which some interpret as evidence of sophisticated engineering concepts. The descriptions suggest a combination of mechanical and potentially non-mechanical propulsion methods that go beyond the simple combustion processes familiar to modern aircraft engineering.” This so-called mercury vortex engine is related to a plasma or ion drive sometimes used on modern satellites and spacecraft.

 “The Vaimānika Śāstra, an early 20th-century Sanskrit text on aerospace technology, makes a claim that the vimānas mentioned in ancient Sanskrit epics were advanced aerodynamic flying vehicles, similar to a rocket capable of interplanetary flight as backed up by the ancient alien theory. Revealed in 1952 by G. R. Josye, the texts contain 3000 shlokas in 8 chapters which Shastry claimed were psychically delivered to him by the ancient Hindu sage Bharadvaja. The propulsion of the Vimanas According to Kanjilal (1985) is by a “Mercury Vortex Engines”, a concept similar to electric propulsion. However, many people argue that a far greater, more accessible and ‘free’ power source was available to the ancient Vimana craft. It is noteworthy to mention that a couple of years ago, Chinese researchers discovered ancient Sanskrit documents in Lhasa, Tibet, dating back thousands of years. The ancient texts were sent to the University of Chandigarh for translation. The results were shocking. According to Dr. Ruth Reyna the translated texts, allegedly are ‘blueprints’ for the construction of interstellar spaceships.”

“According to the translated documents, the propulsion system designed for the spaceships was based on antigravitational technology, and based on a system analogous to that of ‘laghima,’ the unknown power of the ego that exists in man’s physiological makeup, ‘a centrifugal force strong enough to counteract all gravitational pull.Interestingly, according to Hindu Yogis, the mysterious ‘laghima’ force is what enables people to levitate. Dr. Reyna explained that ‘on board, these machines which were called ‘Astras,’ the builders of the crafts could have sent a detachment of men to any planet. The manuscripts, however, do not mention how interplanetary communication was achieved, but they do mention a trip from the Earth to the Moon, though it is unclear whether the trip was just planned or actually carried out.’”

Petroglyph of an Indian temple or shrine misidentified as a vimana. Internet image, public domain.

Wikipedia’s analysis gives some insight to the subject. “The Vaimānika Śāstra was first committed to writing between 1918 and 1923, and nobody is claiming that it came from some mysterious antique manuscript. The fact is, there are no manuscripts of this text before 1918, and nobody is claiming that there are. So on one level, this is not a hoax. You just have to buy into the assumption that 'channeling' works. ... there is no exposition of the theory of aviation (let alone antigravity). In plain terms, the VS. never directly explains how Vimanas get up in the air. The text is top-heavy with long lists of often bizarre ingredients used to construct various subsystems. ... There is nothing here which Jules Verne couldn't have dreamed up, no mention of exotic elements or advanced construction techniques. The 1923 technical illustration based on the text ... are absurdly un-aerodynamic. They look like brutalist wedding cakes, with minarets, huge ornithopter wings and dinky propellers”

Petroglyph of an Indian temples or shrines misidentified as vimanas. Internet image, public domain.

So, what we actually have, is real petroglyphs of temples or stupas of India and southeastern Asia being purposely misidentified as phony ancient steampunk antigravity flying machines, and for this reason RockArtBlog awards the 2025 C.R.A.P. (Certifiable Rock Art Prevarication) award to the unnamed purveyors of this garbage.

NOTE: Some images in this posting were retrieved from the internet with a search for public domain photographs. If any of these images are not intended to be public domain, I apologize, and will happily provide the picture credits if the owner will contact me with them. 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS - 2024.

 

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS 2024

From RockArtBlog   

Image created by DALL-E-2.

 

 Have a very Merry Christmas,

A Happy New Year's Eve, 

and all the best in 2025.

A NEW ROCK ART DISCOVERY IN THE NORTHERN SINAI – AND ANOTHER DONKEY:

Petroglyph cave at Wadi al-Zulma, North Sinai, Egypt. Image provided by Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities.

A recent discovery in the northern Sinai Peninsula of Egypt contains rock art of a style unknown throughout the rest of the Sinai. “An archaeological mission from the Tourism and Antiquities Ministry discovered an ancient cave featuring a unique and diverse collection of carvings at Wadi al-Zulma, North Sinai, the ministry announced on Saturday. The head of ministry’s Egyptian Antiquities Sector, Ayman Ashmawy, explained that the archaeological cave is located at the beginning of one of Wadi al-Zulma’s tributaries within a mountainous area of limestone that is difficult to reach – about 90 kilometers southeast of the city of al-Qantara Sharq, and 60 kilometers east of the Suez Canal.” (Al-Youm 2020) Although the team members are calling this a discovery, once again I have to point out that its location and rock art had been known by many other people.

Donkey petroglyph,
Wadi al-Zulma, North Sinai, Egypt. Image provided by Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities.

Donkey. Internet image, public domain.

This donkey image, at Wadi al Zulma in the northern Sinai desert of Egypt, is located roughly 450 miles from the donkey at Karahan Tepe in Turkey that I wrote about previously, and it is undated as of yet. This suggests that we need to be very careful about any implications of cultural similarities, although these themes are very similar.

“The age of the cave drawings is still unknown, but Aymen Ashmawi, head of the ancient Egyptian antiquities sector at the Ministry of Antiquities explained the scenes carved inside the cave are completely different from those found in South Sinai, having a special artistic style that resembles raised relief in execution.” (Bartek 2020)

Petroglyph at Wadi al-Zulma, North Sinai, Egypt. Image provided by Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities. This appears to be an older image of a quadruped, with a newer ostrich carved over it appropriating the front leg.

Superimposed petroglyphs at Wadi al-Zulma, North Sinai, Egypt. Image provided by Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities.

I will go farther than Ashmawi’s statement that they “resemble raised relief in execution.” I would classify many of these petroglyphs as low reliefs. The lines are fairly deeply carved, and then the inner edge of the line is rounded off to provide a more natural looking portrayal.

Ibex petroglyph at Wadi al-Zulma, North Sinai, Egypt. Image provided by Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities.

“The Director General of the North Sinai Antiquities and head of the archaeological mission working on the cave Hisham Hussein explained that most of the carvings are within the cave’s inner walls and depict animals such as donkeys, camels, deer, mule and mountain goats.” (Al-Youm 2020) The relatively deep carving, unlike simple scratching, suggests that the artists were there for relatively long periods of time. This allowed them to take more care in accuracy and appearance.

Quadruped petroglyph at Wadi al-Zulma, North Sinai, Egypt. Image provided by Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities.

“According to a Tourism and Antiquities Ministry statement, the cave is 15 meters deep and 20 meters high. The ceiling is made of limestone, and the cave is filled with large amounts of animal waste. Ashes found inside the cave indicate it’s continuous usage by locals as shelter, where they might have stayed with their flocks during rain or winter.” (Al-Youm 2020) Given ashes indicating continuous usage for shelter there must also be fragments of charcoal that may be radiocarbon dated, although the animal waste suggests that the stratigraphy of much of the deposit has probably been stirred up by the hoofs of livestock. Perhaps careful excavation next to a wall would yield better stratification of deposits.

Given that the team stated that the cave had been used by locals with their flocks, they certainly cannot claim credit as the first discoverers of the rock art.

NOTE: Some images in this posting were retrieved from the internet with a search for public domain photographs. If any of these images are not intended to be public domain, I apologize, and will happily provide the picture credits if the owner will contact me with them. For further information on these reports you should read the original reports at the sites listed below.

REFERENCES:

Al-Masry Al-Youm, 2020, Photos: Archaeologists uncover ancient cave in North Sinai, 26 April 2020, Egypt Independent, https:www.egyptindependent.com. Accessed online 27 November 2024.

Bartek, Jan, 2020, Remarkable Ancient Animal Engravings Discovered In Unknown Cave In Sinai, 1 May 2020, https://www.ancientpages.com. Accessed online 27 November 2024.

 

A DONKEY IMAGE FOUND AT KARAHAN TEPE:

Excavation at Karahan Tepe, Turkey. Image from easternturkeytour.org.

A charming petroglyph of a running wild donkey has been discovered at the site of Karahan Tepe. "Karahan Tepe is an archaeological site in (the) Sanliurfa Province in Turkey. The site is close to Gobekli Tepe and archaeologists have also uncovered T-shaped stelae there and believe that the sites are related. According to Daily Sabah, 'The excavations have uncovered 250 obelisks featuring animal figurines' as of 2020. Additiionally, the site may be the earliest known human village, predating the construction of Gobekli Tepe, dating to between 9,000 - 11,000 BC." (Wikipedia) The "Daily Sabah" is a Turkish newspaper that is published in the English language. Other publications give the total number of obelisks as 266. Given the stylistic resemblances between Gobekli Tepe and Karahan Tepe this relationship would seem to be obvious.

Running wild donkey figure, Karahan Tepe, Turkey. Image from  anatolianarchaeologyy.net.

“The ongoing excavations at Karahan Tepe, led by Professor Dr. Necmi Karul, have revealed a remarkable new find: a depiction of a running wild donkey carved onto a stone laid on the floor of an ancient structure. This depiction, approximately 20 centimeters in length, is notable not only for its size but also for its dynamic portrayal, which reflects the artistic skills of Neolithic people. ‘The donkey figure found is a figure about 20 centimeters long, placed right next to the grinding stone,’ Dr. Karul told the correspondent. Rather than its dimensions, the fact that it is mobile and depicted in proportion to the stone on which it is carved is again an indication of the skill of the artists of this period.” (Radley 2024) I would not call a paving stone set in the floor mobile, but this is merely a detail.

Running wild donkey figure, Karahan Tepe, Turkey. Image from  anatolianarchaeologyy.net.

“The period of domestication and distribution of the donkey (Equus asinus) in Turkey occurred around 5000 to 7000 years ago. They are thought to have their origins from the Nubian (Equus africanus africanus) and Somalian (E. a. somaliensis) ass, both of which are subspecies of the African wild ass. The African wild ass lived in the deserts and other arid areas of the Horn of Africa, in Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia. However, it formerly had a wider range that extended into Egypt.” (Milligan 2024) This timeline does not seem to fit the estimated dates of occupation for Karahan Tepe (ca. 11,000 – 9,000 BCE) unless it was occupied for two thousand years or more, which is not backed up by estimations for the occupation dates there.

Running wild donkey figure, Karahan Tepe, Turkey. Image from  anatolianarchaeologyy.net.

 “According to Dr. Karul, the wild donkey motif is the first of its kind discovered at Karahan Tepe, adding a new dimension to our understanding of animal iconography and the relationship between humans and their environment during this perion. He explained that the animals depicted in the iconography of the era generally fall into two categories, those with an erie, imposing presence, often seen on obelisks, and more commonly consumed animals, such as birds, gazelles, and wild donkeys. The latter were animals that people lived with, consumed, and were surrounded by, compared to the more fearsome creatures. ‘The depiction of the wild donkey in motion, carved onto the base of a grinding stone is particularly notable as it is the first time we have encountered such a moving wild donkey motif.’” (Radley 2024)

Closeup of running wild donkey figure, Karahan Tepe, Turkey. Image from anatolianarchaeologyy.net.

Once again we seem to have discrepancy because pictures very clearly show the stone that the donkey is carved onto next to a grinding stone, not on its base. These discrepancies of date and location are mere details (errors of reporting) however, compared to the very early and wonderful depiction itself which we can confirm in the photographs.

NOTE: It is even possible that the small, factual discrepancies between reports could have resulted from differing interpretations during translation from an original report in Turkish.

REFERENCES:

Milligan, Mark, 2024, Donkey depiction discovered at Karahan Tepe, 22 August 2024, Heritage Daily online, https://www.heritagedaily.com. Accessed online 17 October 2024.

Radley, Dario, 2024, Running wild donkey figure discovered at Karahantepe, 31 August 2024, Archaeology magazine online, https://archaeologymag.com. Accessed online 17 October 2024.

Wikipedia, Karahan Tepe, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karahan_Tepe. Accessed online 23 October 2024.

15,800 YEAR OLD IMAGE OF PALEOLITHIC AGE NET FISHING:

Fish in a net, engraved-plaquette, Gonnersdorf, Germany. Illustration from archaeology.org.

By far the earliest depiction of catching fish with a net has been discovered on a stone plaque at Gonnersdorf, Germany. “Scientists from the Leibniz Zentrum für Archäologie and Durham University have examined a collection of 406 engraved schist plaquettes found at the Magdalenian site of Gönnersdorf in Germany. The ancient engravings provide valuable insights into the fishing techniques and tools used by Paleolithic peoples, and how these practices were translated into visual culture through the depiction of nets characterized by interlaced diamond-shaped and square meshes.” (Prostak 2024)

Drawing of fish in a net, engraved plaquette, Gonnersdorf, Germany. Illustration from archaeology.org. Blue lines represent the fish, black lines are the net.

“The ~15,800 year-old Magdalenian site of Gönnersdorf, in Germany, has produced 406 engraved schist plaquettes which have been extensively studied in the past. The introduction of advanced imaging technologies, notably Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI), has now precipitated a re-evaluation of these artifacts, uncovering nuanced depictions of fishing practices previously unrecorded for the Upper Palaeolithic. Our investigation harnesses RTI to elucidate fine engraving details on the plaquettes, revealing depictions of fish and accompanying grid motifs. The analytical process enabled by RTI has exposed an intricate link between the grid patterns and fish figures, showing that they were a deliberate combination portraying the use of fishing nets. This discovery posits a significant departure from earlier interpretations of the site’s iconography, which predominantly emphasized more naturalistic representations of fauna. Furthermore, these findings illuminate aspects of Magdalenian cultural praxis, suggesting that representations of aquatic life and fishing technologies were not merely utilitarian in nature but were embedded within a broader symbolic framework. This study enhances our comprehension of Magdalenian peoples’ interaction with the aqueous milieu, revealing a sophisticated symbiosis between ecological adaptation and artistic expression.” (Robitaille et al. 2024)

Salmon figure, Abri du Poisson Cave, France. Internet image, public domain. The rectangular lines are saw cuts remaining from an illicit attempt to remove the carving.

Illustrations of fish have been discovered in a number of the Paleolithic painted caves of Europe, and elsewhere such as Lortet, Mas d’Azil, and Abri du Poisson.

 “Unlike the more celebrated sites known for their vivid fish depictions, Gönnersdorf’s abstract and minimalist style offers a fresh perspective on the socio-cultural dynamics of Magdalenian communities. Fishing with nets, deriving from a broad spectrum economy, reveals the diversity, adaptability and creativity of prehistoric communities, showcasing their proficiency in utilizing a variety of fishing techniques to sustainably exploit aquatic resources.” (Prostak 2024)

Ancient bone fish hooks have been discovered, as well as barbed harpoon points carved from bone, antler, or ivory.

“Prehistoric fishing deployed a diverse range of technologies and techniques, including various strategies for obtaining fish that can be summarised as active fishing, which requires direct human involvement with or near the fishing equipment, passive fishing, involving trapping methods, or a combination of both,” said Dr. Jérôme Robitaille of the Leibniz Zentrum für Archäologie and colleagues. Some methods were developed for individual catches, such as angling, while others were refined to maximize yields through the use of collective nets and traps. The selection of a particular method was influenced by the target fish species, as well as the distinct habitats and terrains where specific aquatic resources thrived. Although evidence for fishing in the Upper Plaeolithic (20,000 to 14,500 years ago) is not abundant, there is sporadic direct and indirect evidence of several fishing techniques, such as barbed points or harpoons, bows and arrows, traps, and fishing nets.” (Prostak 2024)

While we did know that Paleolithic peoples had cordage, and we knew that they ate fish from bones found in excavations, this is probably the first illustration of net fishing from that period. In a way this makes them more human and relatable. Imagine them sitting around their fire telling lies about the one that got away.

NOTE: Some images in this posting were retrieved from the internet with a search for public domain photographs. If any of these images are not intended to be public domain, I apologize, and will happily provide the picture credits if the owner will contact me with them. For further information on these reports you should read the original reports at the sites listed below.

REFERENCES:

Nitzsche, Christina, 2024, Oldest depictions of fishing discovered in Ice Age Art: Camp site reveals 15,800 year old engravings of fish trapping, 7 November 2024, Phys.org, https://phys.org/news/2024. Accessed online 7 November 2024.

Prostak, Sergio, 2024, 15,800 Year Old Engraved Plaquettes Shed Light on Paleolithic Fishing Techniques, 11 November 2024, https://www.sci.news/archaeology. Accessed online 11 November 2024.

Robitaille, Jerome, et al., 2024, Upper Palaeolithic fishing techniques: Insights from the engraved plaquettes of the Magdalenian site of Gonnersdorf, Germany, 6 November 2024, Plos, https://journals.plos.org. Accessed onlne 7 November 2024.

1.4 MILLION YEAR OLD STONE SPHERES?

Limestone spheroids, Ubeidiya, Israel. Illustration from phys.org.

This column is not about rock art, per se, but a fascinating phenomenon found at early hominin sites. Carefully manufactured stone balls or spheres. These discoveries come from a number of Acheulean sites spread over much of the world.

“Acheulean tools were produced during the Lower Paleolithic era across Afriica and much of West Asia, South Asia, East Asia and Europe, and are typically found with Homo erectus remains. It is though that Acheulean technologies first developed about 2 million years ago, derived from the more primitive Oldowan technology associated with Homo Habilis. The Acheulean includes at least the early part of the Middle Paleolithic. Its end is not well defined, depending on whether Sangoan (also known as “Epi-Acheulean”) is included, it may be taken to last until as late as 130,000 years ago. In Europe and Western Asia, early Neanderthals adopted Acheulean technology, transitioning to Mousterian by about 160,000 years ago.” (Wikipedia)

Spheroid sites in Israel including Ubeidiya. Illustration from royalsocietypublishing.org.

A publication authored by Antoine Muller of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem recently presents his team’s analysis of a number of limestone spheroids retrieved from an Early Acheulean site in Israel known as Ubeidiya dating to ca. 1.4 million years ago. “Excavations at the Early Acheulean site of ‘Ubeidiya have yielded a large number of stone balls offering a unique opportunity to conduce quantitative and objective three-dimensionsl (3D) analyses to explore how and why these curious artifacts were made. ‘Ubeidiya is situated in the Dead Sea Rift Valley, at the northern margin of the Red Sea – East African Rift System. Dated to ca 1.4 Ma, the site presently constitutes the oldest evidence of the Acheulean outside of Africa. Its geographical position in the southern Levant makes it a key site for exploring the first Acheulean hominin forays out of Africa.” (Muller et al. 2023)

Known spheroid sites worldwide. Illustration from royalsocietypublishing.org.

Muller and team performed a detailed analysis of the stone spheres to investigate whether they were intentionally created stone balls, or if this was essentially an accidental result of their being used as hammerstones.

Limestone spheroids, Ubeidiya, Israel. Illustration from phys.org.

“If spheroids represent hammerstones or percussors, then they should become both smoother and more spherical. If spheroids represent expedient cores, then we expect to see some pattern in the removal of scars. This pattern could take the form of scars of regular size, orientation or distribution over the surface. The spheroids may even become smoother during a final stage of battering attempts to remove flakes. However, we do not expect them to become more spherical. While even random flaking can mimic intentional artifact shaping, this strategy is unlikely to approach anything as unnatural as a true sphere. Due to the limits on the fracture mechanics of flaking that govern detachable platform angles, the high-angled flake removals necessitated by a spherical form would require much more effort and shaping than is involved in expedient flaking.” (Muller et al. 2023) In the end the Muller paper does not give a conclusion as to why these (or any other) stone spheroids were laboriously created.

A large number of stone spheres were also recovered from Qesem Cave, of roughly the same age as the Ubeidiya site, also in Israel.

Fremont figure at Balanced Rock, Nine Mile Canyon, Utah. Photograph Peter Faris, 1993.

On 4 April 2021 I published a column on RockArtBlog titled “The Enigmatic Figure at Balanced Rock, Utah – Bolas, Juggling or Rattles” in which I mentioned that some have interpreted the stone balls found in Fremont cultural contexts might have been used to create bola or boleadero, the implement commonly associated with South American gauchos. The Fremont culture is roughly dated to a span the ran from AD 1 to AD 1301 and has no connection to the Acheulean period at all so this is just a coincidence.

Fremont stone sphere. Illustration from Madsen, 1989.

“For a long time stone balls commonly found at Fremont village sites were thought to be part of a game, but recent work suggests that they may have been used with metates.” (Madsen 1989:33) and “Some stone balls, such as this highly polished specimen from the Old Woman site, suggest a use other than as a grinding tool.” (Madsen 1989:66) I also concluded that the Balanced Rock petroglyph was likely carrying a rattle, not a boleadero so this throws no light on the frequent occurrence of stone balls at Fremont sites at all. As I said above, this is just a coincidence, but a very interesting one.

NOTE: Some images in this posting were retrieved from the internet with a search for public domain photographs. If any of these images are not intended to be public domain, I apologize, and will happily provide the picture credits if the owner will contact me with them. For further information on these reports you should read the original reports at the sites listed below.

REFERENCES:

Faris, Peter, 2021, The Enigmatic Figure at Balanced Rock, Utah – Bolas, Juggling or Rattles, 4 April 2021, RockArtBlog, https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/7760124847746733855/1434956800556132596.

Madsen, David B., 1989, Exploring the Fremont, University of Utah Occasional Publications No. 8, Utah Museum of Natural History, Salt Lake City.     

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