12,000-Year-Old “Wheels”? Archaeologists Discover Ancient Technology in Israel
Natufian spindle whorls from 12,000 years ago represent the earliest fast-spinning technology in the Levant, shedding light on humanity’s transition to agriculture and early wheel-based innovations.
Researchers from Hebrew University have uncovered 12,000-year-old spindle whorls—ancient tools for spinning fibers into yarn—at the Nahal-Ein Gev II excavation site in northern Israel. This remarkable find represents the earliest evidence of wheeled rotational technology in the Levant, shedding light on the technological innovations of the Natufian culture during their pivotal shift toward an agricultural way of life.
The study, recently published in PLOS ONE, was led by Talia Yashuv and Professor Leore Grosman from the Computational Archaeology Laboratory at the Hebrew University’s Institute of Archaeology.
Introducing an innovative method for studying perforated objects, based on digital 3-D models of the stones and their negative holes, the authors describe more than a hundred of the mostly-limestone pebbles, which feature a circular shape perforated by a central hole.
Talia Yashuv at the excavation site of Nahal Ein Gev II. Credit: Naftali Hilger
Due to this structure and composition, the authors deduce that the stones were likely used as spindle whorls — a hypothesis also supported by successfully spinning flax using replicas of the stones.
Spindle whorls, round, weighted objects that are attached to a spindle stick, form a similar wheel-and-axle-like device to help the spindle rotate faster and longer, enabling it to efficiently gather up fibers such as wool or flax and spin them into yarn.
Earliest Evidence of Fast-Spinning Technology in the Levant
This discovery marks the earliest known evidence of this fast-spinning technology in the Levant, predating previously known textile tools by 4,000 years and highlighting an important stage in human innovation.
Professor Grosman notes: “These Natufian perforated 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.”
The 3D geometric mesh of a perforated stone, and the experimental artifacts of the study. From a group exhibition at Beit Binyamini ‘XYZT- Material investigations’. Credit: Shai Ben Efraim
This early use paved the way for future wheel-based rotational innovations, key advancements that revolutionized human technological history such as the potter’s wheel and the cart wheel that appears 6,000 years ago.
The Nahal Ein Gev II site, with its permanent structures, lime-plastered burials, and diversified tools, provides a rare glimpse into the end of the Natufian culture and the transition from a hunter-gatherer society to an agricultural one.
The new findings underscore how the technological innovations are an important driving force in the Neolithization processes. This study not only expands our understanding of technological innovation but also showcases how advanced research tools reveal insights into prehistoric craftsmanship, underscoring humanity’s enduring drive for innovation.
