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.

A collection of perforated pebbles from an archaeological site in Israel may be spindle whorls, representing a key milestone in the development of rotational tools including wheels, according to a study published November 13,