Who invented spinning tops and whipping tops?

King Tut Spinning Top. In 8th century BC, the ancient poet Homer sung of tops in the Iliad. Fagles translates one passage as: "Ajax caught up [a stone] and struck Hektor above the rim of his shield close to his neck; the blow made him spin round like a top and reel in all directions. read more

The whipping top was more popular in Europe. It is spun by hitting it with a lash or whip. Mechanical springs are used in some tops to wind up the top and let it go spinning when the spring is released. read more

The culture with the longest recorded history of top-spinning, however, is China. China. The spinning top in China is almost as old as the civilization itself. In 1926, a top found in Shanxi Province was believed to be over 4,000 years old. Known as "Tsa Lin," early tops were made of a variety of easily acquired materials: wood, nuts, bamboo and stone. read more

Some tops can be thrown, while firmly grasping a string that had been tightly wound around the stem, and the centrifugal force generated by the unwinding motion of the string will set them spinning upon touching ground. The top is one of the oldest recognizable toys found on archaeological sites. read more