Scientists might be closer to learning who invented the wheel after discovering stone spindle stabilizers in Israel that date back 12,000 years. That makes these rolling stones 6,000 years older than the presently known oldest wheels, per a study published recently in the journal “Plos One.”

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,

Researchers have analyzed a collection of donut-shaped, perforated stones an archaeological site dating back about 12,000 years.

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.