Carved stone balls are a curious type of artifact found at a number of locations in Scotland They date from the late Neolithic period around 4 000 years ago They are round in shape they were carved from several types of stone most are about 70 mm in diame

Essay topics:

Carved stone balls are a curious type of artifact found at a number of locations in Scotland. They date from the late Neolithic period, around 4,000 years ago. They are round in shape; they were carved from several types of stone; most are about 70 mm in diameter; and many are ornamented to some degree. Archaeologists do not agree about their purpose and meaning, but there are several theories.

One theory is that the carved stone balls were weapons used in hunting or fighting. Some of the stone balls have been found with holes in them, and many have grooves on the surface. It is possible that a cord was strung through the holes or laid in the grooves around the ball. Holding the stone balls at the end of the cord would have allowed a person to swing it around or throw it.

A second theory is that the carved stone balls were used as part of a primitive system of weights and measures. The fact that they are so nearly uniform in size – at 70 mm in diameter – suggests that the balls were interchangeable and represented some standard unit of measure. They could have been used as standard weights to measure quantities of grain or other food, or anything that needed to be measured by weight on a balance or scale for the purpose of trade.

A third theory is that the carved stone balls served a social purpose as opposed to a practical or utilitarian one. This view is supported by the fact that many stone balls have elaborate designs. The elaborate carving suggests that the stones may have marked the important social status of their owners.

Carved stone, a curious type of artifact, archeologists found in Scotland. The reading passage discusses the possible meaning or uses of that curve ball. However, the lecture claims that the suggestions made in the reading are unconvincing.

First, according to the reading, the curved stone might have used as weapons as they have holes and grooves on its surface, and cord which allows one can to throw it. In contrast, the lecture refutes the idea. The lecture claims as the balls did not show the sign of wear, and it might not have been used as a weapon. In addition, if used as weapon, it would have some crakes on the surface or brock into pieces. This idea clearly contradicts that the ball was used as a weapon.
Second, the lecture asserts that although the stone ball's size was invariable, it might not have been used to weigh system. Since the ball consists of different types of stone, their mass is different so that ball could not measure weight.
Third, the text argues that since the stone balls had elaborate design and intricate curving, it might have social purpose or values. However, the lecture points out that the intricate carving pattern was simple enough, which means a simple social status. In addition, the high ranked people in the neolithic period were buried with their possessions. But no curve stone was found in any of the graves on prestigious people of that time, which illustrates that the stone ball might not have any social status.

Votes
Average: 8 (2 votes)
Essay Categories

Comments

Transition Words or Phrases used:
but, first, however, if, second, so, third, in addition, in contrast

Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments

Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 9.0 10.4613686534 86% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 8.0 5.04856512141 158% => OK
Conjunction : 8.0 7.30242825607 110% => OK
Relative clauses : 12.0 12.0772626932 99% => OK
Pronoun: 19.0 22.412803532 85% => OK
Preposition: 25.0 30.3222958057 82% => OK
Nominalization: 2.0 5.01324503311 40% => More nominalizations (nouns with a suffix like: tion ment ence ance) wanted.

Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 1224.0 1373.03311258 89% => OK
No of words: 254.0 270.72406181 94% => More content wanted.
Chars per words: 4.8188976378 5.08290768461 95% => OK
Fourth root words length: 3.99216450694 4.04702891845 99% => OK
Word Length SD: 2.35652861354 2.5805825403 91% => OK
Unique words: 135.0 145.348785872 93% => More unique words wanted.
Unique words percentage: 0.531496062992 0.540411800872 98% => OK
syllable_count: 369.0 419.366225166 88% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.5 1.55342163355 97% => OK

A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 5.0 3.25607064018 154% => OK
Article: 10.0 8.23620309051 121% => OK
Subordination: 2.0 1.25165562914 160% => OK
Conjunction: 3.0 1.51434878587 198% => OK
Preposition: 5.0 2.5761589404 194% => OK

Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 14.0 13.0662251656 107% => OK
Sentence length: 18.0 21.2450331126 85% => The Avg. Sentence Length is relatively short.
Sentence length SD: 33.5090606084 49.2860985944 68% => OK
Chars per sentence: 87.4285714286 110.228320801 79% => OK
Words per sentence: 18.1428571429 21.698381199 84% => OK
Discourse Markers: 4.85714285714 7.06452816374 69% => OK
Paragraphs: 4.0 4.09492273731 98% => OK
Language errors: 0.0 4.19205298013 0% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 3.0 4.33554083885 69% => OK
Sentences with negative sentiment : 5.0 4.45695364238 112% => OK
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 6.0 4.27373068433 140% => OK
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?

Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.174873043991 0.272083759551 64% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.068125159983 0.0996497079465 68% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.0898207108166 0.0662205650399 136% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.119593395659 0.162205337803 74% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0474732931564 0.0443174109184 107% => OK

Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 10.3 13.3589403974 77% => Automated_readability_index is low.
flesch_reading_ease: 61.67 53.8541721854 115% => OK
smog_index: 3.1 5.55761589404 56% => Smog_index is low.
flesch_kincaid_grade: 9.1 11.0289183223 83% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 10.38 12.2367328918 85% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 8.13 8.42419426049 97% => OK
difficult_words: 58.0 63.6247240618 91% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 7.5 10.7273730684 70% => OK
gunning_fog: 9.2 10.498013245 88% => OK
text_standard: 10.0 11.2008830022 89% => OK
What are above readability scores?

---------------------

Rates: 80.0 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 24.0 Out of 30
---------------------
Note: the e-grader does NOT examine the meaning of words and ideas. VIP users will receive further evaluations by advanced module of e-grader and human graders.

Transition Words or Phrases used:
but, first, however, if, second, so, third, in addition, in contrast

Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments

Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 9.0 10.4613686534 86% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 8.0 5.04856512141 158% => OK
Conjunction : 8.0 7.30242825607 110% => OK
Relative clauses : 12.0 12.0772626932 99% => OK
Pronoun: 19.0 22.412803532 85% => OK
Preposition: 25.0 30.3222958057 82% => OK
Nominalization: 2.0 5.01324503311 40% => More nominalizations (nouns with a suffix like: tion ment ence ance) wanted.

Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 1224.0 1373.03311258 89% => OK
No of words: 254.0 270.72406181 94% => More content wanted.
Chars per words: 4.8188976378 5.08290768461 95% => OK
Fourth root words length: 3.99216450694 4.04702891845 99% => OK
Word Length SD: 2.35652861354 2.5805825403 91% => OK
Unique words: 135.0 145.348785872 93% => More unique words wanted.
Unique words percentage: 0.531496062992 0.540411800872 98% => OK
syllable_count: 369.0 419.366225166 88% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.5 1.55342163355 97% => OK

A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 5.0 3.25607064018 154% => OK
Article: 10.0 8.23620309051 121% => OK
Subordination: 2.0 1.25165562914 160% => OK
Conjunction: 3.0 1.51434878587 198% => OK
Preposition: 5.0 2.5761589404 194% => OK

Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 14.0 13.0662251656 107% => OK
Sentence length: 18.0 21.2450331126 85% => The Avg. Sentence Length is relatively short.
Sentence length SD: 33.5090606084 49.2860985944 68% => OK
Chars per sentence: 87.4285714286 110.228320801 79% => OK
Words per sentence: 18.1428571429 21.698381199 84% => OK
Discourse Markers: 4.85714285714 7.06452816374 69% => OK
Paragraphs: 4.0 4.09492273731 98% => OK
Language errors: 0.0 4.19205298013 0% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 3.0 4.33554083885 69% => OK
Sentences with negative sentiment : 5.0 4.45695364238 112% => OK
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 6.0 4.27373068433 140% => OK
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?

Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.174873043991 0.272083759551 64% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.068125159983 0.0996497079465 68% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.0898207108166 0.0662205650399 136% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.119593395659 0.162205337803 74% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0474732931564 0.0443174109184 107% => OK

Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 10.3 13.3589403974 77% => Automated_readability_index is low.
flesch_reading_ease: 61.67 53.8541721854 115% => OK
smog_index: 3.1 5.55761589404 56% => Smog_index is low.
flesch_kincaid_grade: 9.1 11.0289183223 83% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 10.38 12.2367328918 85% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 8.13 8.42419426049 97% => OK
difficult_words: 58.0 63.6247240618 91% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 7.5 10.7273730684 70% => OK
gunning_fog: 9.2 10.498013245 88% => OK
text_standard: 10.0 11.2008830022 89% => OK
What are above readability scores?

---------------------

Rates: 80.0 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 24.0 Out of 30
---------------------
Note: the e-grader does NOT examine the meaning of words and ideas. VIP users will receive further evaluations by advanced module of e-grader and human graders.