Was the wheel invented on the banks of the Sea of ​​Galilee 12,000 years ago?

Skills discovered in Ein Gav may be early evidence of wheel-like technology. The study by researchers at the Hebrew University suggests that stones found at an archaeological site in Israel were used as skills for spinning fibers into threads, and represent a significant step in the development of spinning-based tools

The wheel technology was initially used to spin threads into a coil and only later developed into wheels used for travel?

A collection of perforated stones from an archaeological site in Israel may be early evidence of the use of a wheel-like technology, according to a new study published on November 13, 2024 in the journal *PLOS ONE* by Talia Yeshav and Lior Grossman from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The researchers suggest that the stones, which were found at the Nahal Ein Gav II site in northern Israel, were used as skills for spinning fibers, and reflect the early development of spinning-based tools, which enable fibers such as wool or linen to be turned into threads.

Unlike wheel-shaped objects known from the Bronze Age, such as wheels attached to carts, these skills imitate a similar principle of wheel and axle. The spinning tool consists of a round, heavy object that is attached to a rod, which allows it to spin the fibers quickly and efficiently.

The studied stones date back about 12,000 years, a period of transition to an agricultural lifestyle and the appearance of the Neolithic period, long before the development of cart wheels. In this study, digital XNUMXD models were used to analyze the structure of the stones and the holes located in their center, which allow the stones to be described as turning skills. In addition, the researchers experimented by creating replicas of the stones and using different spinning techniques, including supported spinning and tumble spinning, to turn flax fibers into yarn.

The researchers emphasize that this collection of skills may be the earliest example of the use of a wheel-shaped tool, and they see it as an early stage for the development of later rotary technologies, such as pottery stones and cart wheels, which were critical to the development of early civilizations.

"An important aspect of the research is how modern technology allows us to explore the 'fingerprints' of the ancient craftsmen and learn about their innovation, as well as the connection to modern technology," the researchers noted.

for the scientific article

More of the topic in Hayadan:

• Carbon Jerusalem: extensive and accurate dating of the city during the Kingdom of Judah
• What did the settlers on the shores of the Sea of ​​Galilee eat 12 thousand years ago?