Hundreds of intricately carved stone balls the size of tennis balls or larger have been discovered across Northern Scotland, Ireland and England.

Some fruits look like protruding structures that do not follow any symmetrical rules. Other blocks have complex geometries, with lines and circles carved on their surfaces. Most of the blocks were spherical, while others were shaped like starfish, with protruding legs. They date to 3000-2600 BC and may have been created by the Picts, a confederation of Celtic-speaking people.

The rocks have complex geometric shapes. (Photo via Pinterest)

Why did ancient people carve intricate geometries onto spheres made from all these types of stones? The spheres found in the grasslands near the Neolithic stone circles make it even more mysterious. Why were they placed near these ancient circles? That’s the question posed by Hugh Newman, author, megalithic researcher, and explorer.

One of the particularly famous complex spheres called Towie was found in Aberdeenshire. It is believed to be more than 5,000 years old, nearly three inches in diameter and covered with extremely intricate whorls. According to the National Museums of Scotland, it may have been a weapon and a symbol of power. If so, how were they left in the fields? And why are so few spheres damaged or chipped?

Orbs in grass fields near mysterious Neolithic stone circles. (Photo via Pinterest)

According to the Museum’s website: “The sphere was probably owned by a well-off Neolithic farmer. It can also be a weapon of choice, fired from a catapult and capable of delivering a painful blow to the target’s head. Can also be a symbol of strength, a weapon of power! It is decorated with sacred symbols similar to those engraved on the stone passage for the dead in the tomb at Newgrange, in the Boyne Valley of eastern Ireland.”

Even more surprising, when Newman crossed the vast ocean to the South American country of Bolivia, he still saw a sphere almost identical to the one in Scotland.

Newman questioned: “Do they really have any connection to these stone circles? There must be something related. This really makes me very curious, because if it’s not relevant, then why do they put them in the fields?”

Stone spheres with similar textures have been found in different places. (Photo via Pinterest)

Examining their location in fields may reveal some to have farming-related uses, with the hypothesis that magnetic fields or natural energies are at work. On the other hand, there is a theory that the beautifully carved stones may have been given as gifts to the gods in the hope of a good harvest.

Spherical stones, spiral carved stones and other striking geometric shapes are also found, but not only in Scotland. At Tiwanaku – Bolivia, a location more than 6,000 miles away from Scotland, similar carved stone blocks were also found. At Lake Titicaca, Newman found a stone ball with six sides that closely resembled one of the stone balls in Scotland. It is on display at the Tiwanaku Museum in La Paz, Bolivia.

Spherical metal objects dating back 6,000 years were also found near the Dead Sea in the treasure trove of Nahal Mishmar. They are made of bronze and are considered a symbol of the Sun. So could the stones in Scotland also represent the Sun or Moon?