Carved stone ball from Wormit, Fife

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Carved stone ball, Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age, 3,500 -5,500 years ago

Field collection: St Fort Sand and Gravel Quarry, Wormit, Fife

Donated by Mr J Kelman
Museum number 1968-17

Diorite with six projecting discs. Over 425 carved stone balls have been discovered in Scotland, mainly in the northeast.

Their purpose is unknown. Due to the amount of skill and effort needed to create them, carved stone balls are assumed to be ritualistic or symbols of power. They are all a similar size, with varying numbers of projecting discs or knobs.

The majority have not come from archaeological sites, which makes them difficult to date. They probably date to the Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age, 3,500 -5,500 years ago.