Smithsonian博物館收藏有下麵這枚距今2500年前的螺紋玉環。哈佛大學的Peter Lu發現這些紋飾與阿基米德螺旋線驚人地吻合。他在《科學》上發表了自己的觀點:“these grooves follow the exact mathematical form of the Archimedes spiral, demonstrating the ability of ancient craftsmen to interconvert two types of motion precisely, in order to fashion the jade rings. The close conformity to this mathematical form confirmed that these craftsmen must have had a precision compound machine (as opposed to a simple machine) in 550 BC, predating Archimedes by several centuries.”