Found within the pyrophyllite deposits of South Africa, the Klerksdorp spheres have sparked curiosity and intrigue.
These small, spherical objects, often with seam-like lines around their middles, resemble miniature ancient cricket balls. Their peculiar appearance has fueled conspiracy theories, linking them to extraterrestrial life or forgotten civilizations.1
The Rise of Conspiracy Theories
During the 1980s, articles emerged suggesting that these spheres were the creations of a “higher civilization” or a “pre-flood civilization” unknown to us. A museum curator even claimed that the spheres rotated spontaneously within a vibration-free display case.(ref)
Pseudo-scientists argued that the spheres were manufactured, despite being discovered in 3-billion-year-old rock formations.(ref) Some even believed them to be evidence of alien existence.(ref)
A Geologist’s Investigation
The sensational claims about the spheres caught the attention of geologist Bruce Cairncross in 2006.(ref)
Amused by articles describing them as “mystery spheres” and a TV program featuring a psychic examining the stones, Cairncross sought a rational explanation.
Geological Formation
Cairncross traced the spheres’ origins to the Dominion Group, a geological formation composed of conglomerate layers topped by volcanic lava. Over time, immense pressure and heat transformed the volcanic rock into pyrophyllite, the casing in which the Klerksdorp spheres were discovered.
The spheres themselves are classified as concretions—spherical, elliptical, or oblate objects made of minerals different from the host rock. These formations are relatively common, with thousands found worldwide.
They frequently occur in fine-grained rocks like pyrophyllite, which facilitate water movement.(ref)
The Science behind the Spheres
Cairncross explained that concretions form through precipitation from an aqueous solution containing minerals that crystallize within the host rock. Their spherical shape results from growth around a minuscule mineral grain in a solution containing iron, calcium, and other elements.
“Because the host rock is evenly textured all around, the concretion grows unrestricted in all directions, as a 360-degree, three-dimensional sphere,” Cairncross wrote. However, he noted that if the liquid moves or the surrounding rock lacks uniform consistency, the shape can become distorted.(ref)
The lines across the spheres are imprints from the host rock, which formed in layers over vast periods, creating the layered effect.
The Rotating Sphere Myth
The mystery of the supposedly self-rotating sphere was also addressed by the curator of the Klerksdorp Museum, Roelf Marx. He clarified that the sphere’s movement was a natural consequence of its round shape and the frequent earth tremors caused by gold mining activities in the area.
The Klerksdorp spheres, once shrouded in mystery and speculation, are now understood as natural geological formations. Through scientific investigation and rational explanations, the veil of conspiracy surrounding these objects has been lifted, revealing their true nature as concretions formed over billions of years.
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Nancy Maffia
Nancy received a bachelor’s in biology from Elmira College and a master’s degree in horticulture and communications from the University of Kentucky. Worked in plant taxonomy at the University of Florida and the L. H. Bailey Hortorium at Cornell University, and wrote and edited gardening books at Rodale Press in Emmaus, PA. Her interests are plant identification, gardening, hiking, and reading.
