# The Physics of Rotating Objects: How Spindle Whorls Might Have Influenced the Invention of the Wheel
Around twelve thousand years ago, in a coastal settlement in the Levant, early humans could have unwittingly set the stage for one of humankind’s most significant inventions: the wheel. Archaeological findings indicate that the principles governing spinning objects, especially spindle whorls utilized in fabric creation, may have planted the seeds for the idea that later gave rise to the wheel. This revelation not only illuminates the path of early technological advancements but also demonstrates how basic tools can lead to significant progress in human society.
## The Find at Nahal Ein-Gev II
In the ancient settlement of Nahal Ein-Gev II, situated near the Sea of Galilee, archaeologists discovered countless roundish, flat stones with tidy holes bored through their centers. These relics, dating back 12,000 years, were classified as spindle whorls—weighted disks designed to accelerate and even out the spinning of thread. The spindle whorl, an essential element of the drop spindle, functions as a flywheel-like apparatus that sustains the spindle’s rotation, facilitating more effective thread creation.
This find marks the earliest recognized evidence of the drop spindle, a technology that significantly transformed textile manufacturing. Nevertheless, the importance of these spindle whorls may go beyond merely spinning thread. Researchers Talia Yashuv and Leore Grosman from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem suggest that the mechanics of the spindle whorl could have foreshadowed the wheel, which made its appearance approximately 6,000 years ago during the Bronze Age.
## The Dynamics of Spindle Whorls and Wheels
At the core of both the spindle whorl and the wheel lies a fundamental yet potent mechanical concept: converting linear motion into rotational movement. In the instance of the spindle whorl, the spindle’s vertical descend becomes a spinning action that twists fibers into thread. Likewise, the wheel and axle assembly transforms linear movement (such as pushing or hauling a cart) into rotational motion, enabling more fluid and effective transport.
As Yashuv and Grosman articulate in their recent study, “Circular objects with a hollow center affixed to a rod constitute one of the most crucial inventions in history.” While the spindle whorl does not directly precede the wheel, it likely acquainted early humans with the notion of connecting a round object to a stick for rotational action. This comprehension probably set the stage for subsequent inventions, including the pottery wheel and, ultimately, the cart wheel.
## An Interconnected History: Spindles and Wheels
The tradition of employing spindle whorls for thread spinning is ancient, with indications that Neanderthals spun fibers up to 50,000 years ago. Initially, spinners twisted fibers by hand, but the advent of the drop spindle, complete with its weighted whorl, enabled swifter and more uniform thread production. The spindle whorl’s capacity to turn vertical motion into rotation rendered it a straightforward yet clever tool for textile crafting.
Although primarily utilized for spinning thread, the mechanical principle of the spindle whorl may have sparked the creation of other rotary devices. Pottery wheels, for instance, function on a comparable principle, utilizing rotational motion to form clay into containers. As time progressed and humans grew more accustomed to the mechanics of rotational motion, they may have harnessed this knowledge for additional technologies, such as the wheel and axle system in carts.
## The Advancement of Rotary Devices
Yashuv and Grosman prudently point out that spindle whorls were not the direct predecessors of cart wheels. Instead, they posit that spindle whorls exemplify an early instance of human experimentation with rotary motion. This trial-and-error approach, alongside other innovations like animal-drawn sledges, eventually culminated in the creation of the wheel.
The notion that rotary devices evolved from prior technologies is not groundbreaking. In the early 20th century, archaeologist Gordon V. Childe proposed that numerous major inventions of the Industrial Revolution were merely new adaptations of substantially older rotary devices. The spindle whorl, pottery wheel, and cart wheel all share a unified mechanical principle and signify steps in humanity’s growing command over rotary motion.
## A Community of Ancient Innovators
The unearthing of spindle whorls at Nahal Ein-Gev II prompts compelling inquiries regarding the technological prowess of the village’s denizens. Although Nahal Ein-Gev II is the oldest location where spindle whorls have been discovered, Yashuv contends that the idea of the spindle whorl likely predates this settlement. The inhabitants of Nahal Ein-Gev II may have simply been the first to produce spindle whorls from stone, leaving a distinct mark in the archaeological narrative.
Notably, the residents of Nahal Ein-Gev II were already adept at boring holes in small objects. Drills
