A group of archaeologists has discovered a set of strange donut-shaped tools. 12,000 years old at an excavation site in northern Israela new discovery that could shed light on when the first wheels were invented.
These rolling stones are 6,000 years ago to the oldest set of wheels currently known, according to a study published in the journal Plos One.
It is believed that they belonged to Natufian settlementsan ancient culture located in what is now Israel and Jordan. Researchers believe these tools allowed the Natufians to produce early textiles, possibly used for bags or fishing lines by driving a spindle.
Talia Yashuv and the teacher Leore Grosmanfrom the Institute of Archeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, analyzed more than 100 limestone pebbles drilled from the Nahal Ein Gev II excavation site.
Professor Grosman says: “These perforated Natufi stones are actually the first wheels in form and function: a round object with a hole in the center connected to a rotating axle, used long before the appearance of the wheel for transportation purposes.”
“This early use paved the way for future rotational innovations based on the wheel, key advances that revolutionized human technological history, such as the potter’s wheel and the cart wheel that appears 6,000 years ago,” adds Grosman.
“This study not only expands our understanding of technological innovation, but also shows how advanced research tools reveal knowledge about prehistoric craftsunderscoring humanity’s enduring drive for innovation,” the professor said.
The recent discovery marks the earliest known evidence of this rapid spinning technology, predating previously known textile tools by 4,000 years and highlights an important stage in human innovation.
The team also recreated the stones using 3D scanning technology to see if the pebbles could be used as spindles. Yonit Crystal, an expert in traditional crafts, was able to spin textiles effectively, finding that flax. The new discovery has been hailed as “a great piece of analysis.”