Inventions & Discoveries · Tools and materials
Spinning wheel
The spinning wheel is a device in which a hand- or foot-turned wheel drives the spindle that spins fibres into thread or yarn; its origin is disputed, and some scholars hold that Chinese dictionaries of the 2nd century CE mention it. Others place its invention in India or the Middle East, where evidence points to it being known by 1030; the earliest clear illustration was drawn in Baghdad in 1237. It spread from the Middle East to Europe by the 13th century and raised the productivity of thread-making more than tenfold.
On the inventions tree
- First known
- 2nd century CE
- Where
- China
NoteIts origin is disputed: Kuhn and Cheng argue for China, where dictionaries of the 2nd century CE mention it; others place it in India, or in the Middle East, where it was known by 1030.
See also
Cite this entry
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Spinning wheel. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/spinning-wheel
- MLA
- “Spinning wheel.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/spinning-wheel. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Spinning wheel.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/spinning-wheel.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Spinning wheel’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/spinning-wheel (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻