INVENTING THE WHEEL

The wheel is one of the most important things ever invented, although no one knows who first thought of it. Originally, wheels helped potters to make perfectly round pots. Then, around 3500 bce, someone had the idea of using them to move people and materials around on land. The wheel completely changed everyday life, making it easier for people to travel, trade, and work.

ROLLER AND SLEDGE

Before the wheel, heavy objects were sometimes transported using the “roller and sledge” method. The sledge was a platform placed on top of a number of round logs. As people dragged the sledge along, others continually moved the last roller to the front. It was hard work, but the load shifted.

POTTER’S WHEEL

The Mesopotamians, who lived in the region known today as Iraq, are believed to be the first people to make wheels, possibly as early as 5000 bce. These wheels were disks of stone or clay used in pottery making. Wet clay was placed on the wheel, which was then turned by hand while the potter shaped the clay into pots or other vessels.

DISK WHEEL

The earliest wheels to be used for transportation were solid disks made from wooden planks. They were attached to simple carts, wagons, and chariots that were pulled by horses or oxen. Travel on these vehicles would have been rough and bumpy.

WHEELBARROW

The wheelbarrow may have been invented either in ancient Greece between the 6th–4th centuries bce or in China during the 2nd century ce. While the Greek wheelbarrow had a wheel toward the front, as many barrows do today, the Chinese placed the wheel in the middle.

PRAYER WHEELS

Prayer wheels are an important part of Buddhism, one of the world’s major religions. These wheels are hollow metal cylinders containing a scroll printed with a mantra (a holy verse or phrase). Buddhists believe that spinning the wheel, or letting it turn in the wind, is the same as saying a prayer out loud.

WHEEL AND AXLE

In most vehicles today, the wheels driven by the engine are attached to cylindrical shafts, or axles. When the vehicle moves, the shafts and wheels rotate together. The axles of the other wheels are attached to the vehicle and move with it. On the earliest vehicles, all the axles were attached to the wheels.

TRAVELING BY ROAD

The use of wheeled vehicles for movement on land began more than 5,000 years ago. These vehicles were usually pulled by animals (although sometimes people did the hauling themselves). There were various types of early carts and wagons, some of which carried passengers and goods while others
were designed for use in warfare.

Early wheeled cart

■■What? Two-wheeled vehicle
■■Who? Unknown
■■Where and when? Mesopotamia, c. 3000 bce

Among the earliest land vehicles were simple two-wheeled carts that were pulled by one or two large domesticated animals such as oxen or horses. They were developed in several different places, especially Mesopotamia (now mainly in Iraq), the Caucasus (a region between Europe and Asia), and Eastern Europe, at around the same time. Later, the use of wheeled carts spread further, reaching Africa and Asia.

War wagon

■■What? Sumerian battle chariot
■■Who? Unknown
■■Where and when? Mesopotamia, c. 2500 bce

The Sumerians, people whose homeland is modern-day Iraq, invented a war wagon with four solid wooden disk wheels. It was pulled by onagers (Asian animals similar to donkeys) and used to carry important leaders into battle. The wagon also provided a platform on which soldiers armed with javelins could stand.

Trade wagon

■■What? Covered wagon
■■Who? Unknown
■■Where and when? Eurasia, c. 2500 bce

Four-wheeled wagons were common across Europe and Asia by 2500 bce. Hitched to teams of powerful animals, they could transport very heavy loads. Such wagons had a protective cover and were ideal for use by people trading goods or riding as passengers.

Egyptian chariot

■■What? Two-wheeled chariot
■■Who? Unknown
■■Where and when? Egypt, c. 1600 bce

Chariots were the racing cars of the ancient world. These small, two-wheeled, horse-drawn vehicles usually carried just two people. The Mesopotamians were the first to develop chariots, but the Egyptians made improvements by using spoked wheels instead of solid wooden ones. This reduced the vehicle’s weight and made it swifter and easier to drive.

Carriage

■■What? Raeda
■■Who? Unknown
■■Where and when? Rome, 2nd century bce

The Romans built a road network across their empire. For traveling, they used the  raeda, a four-wheeled vehicle  pulled by up to 10 horses or mules. This could carry several passengers and their luggage, taking loads of around 750 lb (350 kg) and covering up to 15 miles (25 km) a day.

Coach services

■■What? Stagecoach
■■Who? Unknown
■■Where and when? Europe, 17th century ce

The stagecoach, which first appeared in Britain, provided regular services over set routes between stops like a modern-day  bus. With their shock-absorbing springs, and traveling on improved roads, coaches offered a less bumpy ride than earlier vehicles. Stagecoaches remained an important form of transport until the mid-19th century, when they were replaced by the railways.

In "Smithsonian Invention - A Visual Encyclopedia", DK Penguin Random House, UK, senior editor Carron Brown, excerpts pp. 11-15. Digitized, adapted and illustrated to be posted