We still do not know why these stone balls were created. They date to the late Neolithic or early Bronze Age, between 3200 and 1500 BC.  They are made of various types of rock, such as sandstone or granite. Could they have been made by ancient mathematicians? With Professor Marcus Du Sautoy, Mathematics, University of Oxford. Object number: AN1927.2727

Mummified Child

Ever since it was founded in 1683, the Ashmolean Museum has been a place where academics and researchers come to study and be inspired by the collections.



Take a closer look at the Ashmolean's hidden treasures from the viewpoint of the experts. Academics from across the University of Oxford have chosen an object that relates to their research, revealing a whole world of ideas behind a single artefact. We hope that these specially curated podcasts, created by some of the University of Oxford's greatest minds, will encourage you to seek out your own hidden treasure in our vast collection.



Visit the Ashmolean collection and look out for the purple podcast leaflet and signage in the gallery to find the associated objects. 



We are enormously grateful to Professor Raymond Dwek, CBE, FRS for his generous support of this new podcast project.