Invention of the Wheel

Arguably the most important mechanical invention of all time, the wheel has been used by man since nearly the beginning of civilization. Most primitive technologies since the invention of the wheel have been based on its principles, and since the industrial revolution, the wheel has been a basic element of nearly every machine constructed by mankind. The exact time and place of the invention of the wheel has been disputed, but its beginnings can be seen across ancient civilizations.

History

As with much ancient technology and culture, the invention of the wheel is believed to have occurred in Mesopotamia, in the Middle East, anywhere from the fifth to the third millennium B.C., during the Ubaid period. The earliest known use of the wheel, based on clay tablets and drawings, is believed to have been as a potter's wheel. These wheels would have been used to spin clay for potters to form into other useful goods. Thus, the invention of the wheel likely benefited manufacturing even before it did transportation.

Time Frame

The use of the wheel as a technology for transportation probably came about much later--between 3700 and 3200 B.C. Early Mesopotamian chariots and wagons usually included a primitive set of four wheels and two axles. Wheels with spokes emerged in Egypt around 2000 B.C. and found their way to Europe around the same time. These additional developments around the world may or may not have been influenced by inventions in Mesopotamia.

Geography

For any of various speculated reasons, the wheel did not reach Western Asia or India, via the Indus Valley, until the third millennium B.C., and did not reach China until around the year 2000 B.C. It is arguable whether the wheel was developed independently in East Asia or appeared after crossing the continent over the Himalayas. Some have guessed that the wheel may not have reached the western hemisphere until around 1500 B.C., and may not have been fully integrated until the introduction of Europeans to the continent.

Features

The early forms of the wheel were likely made of stone or wood. They were often large blocks of stone fashioned into circular shapes, or flat wooden slabs rounded and cut with holes in the middle for an axle. These wheels were used for toys, transportation, weapons and tools, and for many other purposes.

Significance

The invention of the wheel can certainly not be attributed to any one culture, as many of them seem to have developed it independently. The invention was likely to happen eventually as each culture reached a level of sophistication or interaction, but this simple act of using a rolling apparatus as a tool or form of transportation has transformed the world since its inception. Used in machines and technology ever since, the wheel has allowed the world to reach the level of technology it enjoys in the 21st century.

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