The pebbles were tested to see if they would make effective spindle whorls, and the yarn produced using them was superior to yarn produced without. Source: PLOS ONE / Talia Yashuv; Leore Grosman.

12,000 Year Old Spindles: Did We Invent the Wheel in the Stone Age?

The wheel and axle is among the most important invention in human history. It transformed our ability to carry heavy loads, allowing for the large-scale transportation of goods from farmlands to cities. It directly supported the rise of urban centers, and through them the birth of civilization. Traditionally it has been thought that the wheel