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Scientists finally unravel purpose behind mysterious ancient Greek stone spheres

‘Most important finding of the study is that the spheres fit two major clusters’

Vishwam Sankaran
Monday 07 November 2022 16:52 GMT
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Calls grow for British Museum to return Parthenon sculptures to Greece

Mysterious stone spheres discovered in ancient settlements in the Mediterranean could be game pieces from the oldest board games ever created, a new study suggests.

A large number of small spherical stone artifacts have been discovered in bronze age settlements across the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean. The exact use of these artifacts has, however, remained a mystery.

Previous studies have found these kinds of spheres at archaeological sites in Santorini, Crete, Cyprus and other Greek Islands, with theories ranging from their use as some sort of sling stones, record-keeping system or pawns.

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