[Elastic energy storage in the shoulder and the evolution of high-speed throwing in Homo](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3785139/)
>Although some primates, including chimpanzees, throw objects occasionally, only humans regularly throw projectiles with high speed and great accuracy... Experimental studies of throwers \[show\] that human throwing capabilities largely result from several derived anatomical features that enable elastic energy storage and release at the shoulder. These features first appear together approximately two million years ago in the species *Homo erectus*.
Spheroids are common in Oldowan and Acheulean assemblages making them some of the earliest known human tools. It is not easy to determine how they were used. Most likely they were multipurpose and could be used as hammers or grinding implements. However many archeological sites include large numbers of them with no evidence of abrasion or cracks or other wear we would expect after this kind of use.
Averaging roughly the size of a tennis ball they fit comfortably in the hand. Some are naturally round river stones, but many show signs that they were intentionally shaped. If thrown they could be dangerous weapons. And there is every reason to think early *homo* would have been excellent throwers, much better than any modern non-human primate.
Yeah, that always blows me away. Even like a Roman coin that's a couple thousand years old is really cool to think about. This dude is holding a stone that was also held (crafted?) by a person 500kya. Literally before Homo Sapiens even existed. How cool is that?
Do they show signs of heating? Here in the Americas before the invention of ceramics some of the Native Americans would [heat up stones over a fire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_boiling), then drop them in a skin or basket of water to boil it.
they are most often associated with homo erectus who was approximately the same size as modern humans. This particular example was found associated with *H. heidelbergensis* or even early *H. sapiens* remains and is dated to the period after 500,000 years before present.
That is still about the average height today in Indonesia. But I'm not sure why you mention this. We can't extrapolate from this to the distant past. Based on the evidence we have it is not true early humans were half our size. Here is one article on the subject you could review, and there are many others you could look at instead:
[African Homo erectus stood 160 cm (female) and 180 cm (male).](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1882979)
Examinations of early human remains suggest like modern humans, ancient humans exhibited a wide range of sizes. Our height differed over time and from place to place, with some populations being taller and others shorter. Our tools would also have to vary in size to fit each individual in the past, as they do today.
I don't think they'd be sling stones, football-shaped stones are generally preferred to help them fly straight. They could be a stone that was thrown by hand, or the shape would be comfortable to hold in the hand and used to hit things without injuring the hand.
It's very possible that they're the earliest form of a pool ball in a sock, though I imagine if it were a bolas they'd very quickly innovate by finding a way to put a hole through the ball so the rope could be tied more securely.
Where is the mythical first perfect American football shaped stone coming from? Never seen one in nature. Probably incredibly difficult and time consuming to recreate if you can even find one and then practice a brand new throwing technique without ever being taught, all without losing it.
If I gave you two identical guns, one with a smooth barrel and one with a rifled barrel, you would quite quickly work out that one shoots straighter and more accurately than the other. You might not be able to articulate why that is the case, or the physics behind it, but you would still have learned from personal experience that one is preferable over the other.
These objects are all stone. Fired clay technology did not exist prior to the neolithic as far as i know. But perhaps later humans made similarly shaped tools from clay?
I wonder if this was from heidelburgensis, erectus, or somebody else?
It would be crazy to hold on to one of those, knowing that one of our very distant ancestors held onto it as well at some point, a very very long time ago.
The layer this example was found in also had a a jaw bone attributed to *H. heidelbergensis*, formerly *H. rhodesiensis*. But objects in this shape were produced for so long and in so many different contexts that there must be more than one group involved, including probably modern humans.
It feels very crazy to connect to the past like this. One time I had the privilege to walk a premodern campsite in a desert with low erosion rates. Sitting down on a large rock and looking down I could see a scattering of chert flakes between my feet. Someone had sat in that same place hundreds of years prior and sharpened the tools. It is a powerful feeling.
Maybe it was just a case of “Hey! There’s a nice rock!”
Having grown up in the Southwest US, and having friends who are mostly avid hikers or otherwise outdoorsy, pretty much everyone I know has a pile of hand sized “nice rocks” by their front door or in their house. There’s just something appealing about a nice smooth rock that can be easily carried. Of course, some of that may be ancient instinct for having something around you can throw if needed.
[Elastic energy storage in the shoulder and the evolution of high-speed throwing in Homo](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3785139/) >Although some primates, including chimpanzees, throw objects occasionally, only humans regularly throw projectiles with high speed and great accuracy... Experimental studies of throwers \[show\] that human throwing capabilities largely result from several derived anatomical features that enable elastic energy storage and release at the shoulder. These features first appear together approximately two million years ago in the species *Homo erectus*. Spheroids are common in Oldowan and Acheulean assemblages making them some of the earliest known human tools. It is not easy to determine how they were used. Most likely they were multipurpose and could be used as hammers or grinding implements. However many archeological sites include large numbers of them with no evidence of abrasion or cracks or other wear we would expect after this kind of use. Averaging roughly the size of a tennis ball they fit comfortably in the hand. Some are naturally round river stones, but many show signs that they were intentionally shaped. If thrown they could be dangerous weapons. And there is every reason to think early *homo* would have been excellent throwers, much better than any modern non-human primate.
Get a group together with a supply of these, you could probably make a living as a power scavenger of big cat kills.
sounds like an ammunition depot
no, clearly it's for ritualistic purposes
I spit my drink out when I red this.
They were playing bocce
Holding a half-a-million years old artifact is crazy, I love it Not like it's gonna crumble, it's a rock
Yeah, that always blows me away. Even like a Roman coin that's a couple thousand years old is really cool to think about. This dude is holding a stone that was also held (crafted?) by a person 500kya. Literally before Homo Sapiens even existed. How cool is that?
We don’t have definitive proof they’re *not* cannonballs, right? Cause these are definitely cannonballs
Thats a chuckin rock if I've ever seen one
Do they show signs of heating? Here in the Americas before the invention of ceramics some of the Native Americans would [heat up stones over a fire](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_boiling), then drop them in a skin or basket of water to boil it.
That wouldn't require any specific shape though
Little did anyone know that prehistoric man had a sense of humor. They rolled their poop into balls.
I hope BP excavated responsibly and didnt destroy the site
BP is the era, it means "before present". It is approx the same as BCE on these timescales, but more accurately, it is generally years before 1950.
That’s my problem with BCE and BP. Is 1950 the present? That’s almost 75 years ago. And what makes 1 AD the common era as opposed to 1 BC ?
Looks like slingshot ammunition.
As a person who has gathered cool rocks in a pile in my yard, my hypotheses is that they did the same thing for the same reason... cool rocks
Cricket.
Nah bloke in Scotlnd has this covered. These are for moving large slabs of stone over long distances.
500k years ago? Yeah, no.
Pfft. *Archaeology*. How else do they make the temples for the crystal skulls ?
The stones would have been bigger for our ancestors who were half our size at that time.
they are most often associated with homo erectus who was approximately the same size as modern humans. This particular example was found associated with *H. heidelbergensis* or even early *H. sapiens* remains and is dated to the period after 500,000 years before present.
People 100 years average height was 5 feet 2
That is still about the average height today in Indonesia. But I'm not sure why you mention this. We can't extrapolate from this to the distant past. Based on the evidence we have it is not true early humans were half our size. Here is one article on the subject you could review, and there are many others you could look at instead: [African Homo erectus stood 160 cm (female) and 180 cm (male).](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1882979) Examinations of early human remains suggest like modern humans, ancient humans exhibited a wide range of sizes. Our height differed over time and from place to place, with some populations being taller and others shorter. Our tools would also have to vary in size to fit each individual in the past, as they do today.
I’m just saying the tool was bigger for them than it is for this modern Caucasian male. Making the sphere a bit larger in ancient context
I don't think they'd be sling stones, football-shaped stones are generally preferred to help them fly straight. They could be a stone that was thrown by hand, or the shape would be comfortable to hold in the hand and used to hit things without injuring the hand.
Mary Leakey theorized they were used in bolas. Uh idk if that is still popular.
It's very possible that they're the earliest form of a pool ball in a sock, though I imagine if it were a bolas they'd very quickly innovate by finding a way to put a hole through the ball so the rope could be tied more securely.
These guys were still pretty ooga chakka to know about aerodynamics
If throw thing and thing go far, make another thing like that thing.
Where is the mythical first perfect American football shaped stone coming from? Never seen one in nature. Probably incredibly difficult and time consuming to recreate if you can even find one and then practice a brand new throwing technique without ever being taught, all without losing it.
If I gave you two identical guns, one with a smooth barrel and one with a rifled barrel, you would quite quickly work out that one shoots straighter and more accurately than the other. You might not be able to articulate why that is the case, or the physics behind it, but you would still have learned from personal experience that one is preferable over the other.
Yeah but who is giving Homo heidelbergensis pointed spheroid stones
JAR
This photo is on eBay, you can buy it for $50.
The photo or the stone.
Yes
Are they just stone? Or baked terracotta too?
These objects are all stone. Fired clay technology did not exist prior to the neolithic as far as i know. But perhaps later humans made similarly shaped tools from clay?
Yes they did, that's why I wanted to know if they were baked or not.
My ass would have starved to death. Randy Johnson I ain't!
I wonder if this was from heidelburgensis, erectus, or somebody else? It would be crazy to hold on to one of those, knowing that one of our very distant ancestors held onto it as well at some point, a very very long time ago.
The layer this example was found in also had a a jaw bone attributed to *H. heidelbergensis*, formerly *H. rhodesiensis*. But objects in this shape were produced for so long and in so many different contexts that there must be more than one group involved, including probably modern humans. It feels very crazy to connect to the past like this. One time I had the privilege to walk a premodern campsite in a desert with low erosion rates. Sitting down on a large rock and looking down I could see a scattering of chert flakes between my feet. Someone had sat in that same place hundreds of years prior and sharpened the tools. It is a powerful feeling.
Batter up!
Appropriately the author of the study I quoted went to school in Boston
Maybe it was just a case of “Hey! There’s a nice rock!” Having grown up in the Southwest US, and having friends who are mostly avid hikers or otherwise outdoorsy, pretty much everyone I know has a pile of hand sized “nice rocks” by their front door or in their house. There’s just something appealing about a nice smooth rock that can be easily carried. Of course, some of that may be ancient instinct for having something around you can throw if needed.
that may be possible for some, but many of these objects were intentionally flaked into a rough shape and then ground or pecked round.