Abstract:

Spheroids are one of the least understood lithic items yet are one of the most enduring, spanning from the Oldowan to the Middle Palaeolithic. Why and how they were made remains relatively unknown. Here we seek to address whether they were the unintentional by-product of a percussive task or were intentionally knapped, and if so, were there any goals to their manufacture? We apply novel 3D analysis methods, including spherical harmonics and surface curvature, on 150 limestone spheroids from ‘Ubeidiya to bring a new perspective to these enigmatic artefacts. We reconstruct the spheroid reduction sequence based on trends in their scars and geometry. We find that the spheroid makers at ‘Ubeidiya followed what appears to be a premeditated and formal reduction strategy. During this reduction, the spheroids do not become smoother, but they become markedly more spherical. They approach an ideal sphere, a feat that likely required a mental template and skilful knapping. Acheulean bifaces are currently thought to represent the earliest evidence of hominins imposing a premeditated, symmetrical shape on stone. With evidence of spheroids occurring before the Acheulean, the intentional production of a sphere-like object represents earlier evidence of hominins desiring and achieving intentional geometry and symmetry.