They propose that these stones, likely used as spindle whorls, represent an early form of rotational technology that could have influenced the development of later inventions, including the potter’s wheel and the cart wheel. These perforated stones ...

More information: 12,000-year-old spindle whorls and the innovation of wheeled rotational technologies, PLOS ONE (2024). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0312007 Provided by Public Library of Science

The wheel was likely invented around 6,000 years ago, but a new analysis of curious rocks from Israel suggests that wheel-like technologies existed even earlier.

The archaeological site of Nahal Ein Gev, located in Israel’s Jordan Rift Valley, has long been recognized as an ancient center of technological innovation. Now, researchers have unearthed yet another fascinating technology,

Israeli archeologists use models based on their find to spin flax into yarn, indicating these pebbles were used as a version of a spinning wheel.