11. The wooden disc wheel from Steenwijk, ca. 2280–2130 BCE

The wooden wheel found near Steenwijk dates from approximately 2800 to 2130 B.C. It is one of the oldest known wheels in this region.

Back then, a wheel was a rare and valuable item. It was part of a cart that people used to transport heavy loads. Making one required a great deal of time and craftsmanship.

That is precisely why researchers believe this wheel was not simply discarded. It was found intact and shows no signs of significant wear. This suggests that it was left behind intentionally.

The site, a fen, is significant in this context. In prehistoric times, such wetlands were often regarded as special or sacred places. People believed that there, one could come closer to other worlds.

By leaving something valuable in such a place, people weren’t just giving it up for nothing. It could have been an offering, for example, to ask for help or to show gratitude.

We don’t know the exact reason, because there are no written sources from that period. However, researchers consider the idea of a deliberate, meaningful act to be the most likely explanation.

This wheel, for example, shows just how important even everyday objects could be in the lives of prehistoric people.

The next listening spot is Roswinkel's "Bolletje Wol."