History of the invention of the wheel

Image: Martians

The wheel is one of the most important inventions of the history of mankind. Its creation made society advance rapidly in many aspects, such as agriculture. It is an invention that has been important at key moments in history, both in the most classical cultures, and in the invention of certain machines during the industrial revolution. For this reason, in this lesson from a TEACHER we are going to talk about the history of the invention of the wheel.

Index

1. Wheel origins
2. The evolution of the wheel and its use in society
3. Wheel applications

To understand the history of the invention of the wheel, it must be taken into account that not all the wheels that have been throughout history are the same, some have been used for the transport, others were created to be used in pottery tasks, and others have been components of machines, therefore it cannot be generalized thinking of the wheels as an instrument with a only use.

The first thing to know about the wheel is that it is an anonymous invention, that is, no one knows who its creator was, we can only know where the first vestiges exist of its use, but it is impossible for us to know the brilliant mind that created it and who began to use it.

The origin of the wheel is difficult to know, since it is lost in time. Probably the invention of the wheel took place late Neolithic. Their first function was not transportation, but they were used for pottery. And its shape was that of a simple stone disc with a hole in its center.

It would take many years for the first wooden wheel that we have evidence of was created. The oldest wheel that we know is the one found in the city of Ljubljana, Slovenia. This wheel is estimated to be around 5,200 years old, being the oldest physical wheel ever found.

Even so, thanks to archeology we also have evidence of the use of the wheel as transport in civilization Sumerian, around 3500 a. C. This can be seen in the Banner of Ur, a Sumerian work in which horse-drawn chariots can be seen.

Image: Pelandintecno

Later, the Mesopotamians began to give a common use to the wheel. Its functions were both for the transport of goods, and for pottery. Its use was transmitted to the Egyptians, who improved the wheels by adding spokes, and forming part of the fearsome chariots of Egyptian combat, which gave a tremendous advantage in the military campaigns that the Egyptians had with the peoples of around.

The use of the chariot passed to Europe, where the Greeks improved the wheels, giving it a use similar to the Egyptian and Mesopotamian. From there the use of the wheel passed to India, and a little later to China.

Over time the Roman empire. They began to create a wide variety of wheels, as well as for the trade as for war. His great influence, due to his many conquests, caused much of the known world to start using Roman wheel models.

On the other hand were the peoples of America, which in most cases they did not use the wheel. This shows that not all peoples needed the wheel to evolve, since both the Aztecs and the Incas formed fantastic civilizations without the help of the wheel. It should be taken into account that in these areas there were no animals so large that they were used in the agriculture, so the absence of necessity meant that the invention of the wheel was not so important.

We can say that in the history of the invention of the wheel there is not a single civilization that should take all the credit. All the civilizations that have been named helped the wheel evolve, and it will end up being one of the most important inventions in human history.

The invention of the wheel corresponded to a need. Thanks to this instrument, it was possible to advance in activities that were of great importance for the human being. The use of the wheel was varied, but you can see three activities essential where it was vital to evolution:

• Pottery: The first use of the wheel. It was used to turn clay in the manufacture of ceramic pots. These vessels were used to store water and food, something basic in the life of the prehistoric people.
• Transport: The use that everyone thinks of when talking about the wheel. Thanks to this, carts and wagons were built through which goods and people could be transported.
• farming: Thanks to the wheel, the use of animals in agriculture was improved. Less work was required to get the food.

Although these are the main applications, they are not the only ones. So we can understand how important the invention of the wheel was to the world. Which makes it without a doubt one of the best inventions in history.

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