The wheel of Mesopotamia and 2000 BC ancient Wheels

THE BEGINNING

The wheel was first invented by the Sumerians in the 5th millennium, excavated in Uruk, a Sumerian city. But they were not attached to vehicles at first – in fact, the wheel was first made in the form of a potter’s wheel. Also, contrary to popular belief, the wheel was not inspired by rolling logs – in fact, there is no actual proof as to that humans have ever used rolling logs.

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The wheel of mesopotamia

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THE BLUEPRINTS

The true ‘wheel’ that was placed on a moving vehicle was first created from one round tree-trunk each, with “tires” made of strips of copper or bronze, causing them to become much heavier and bring down the speed. Once the Egyptians figured that if the inside of the wheel was hollow they would be lighter yet stronger, they started making them with three pieces of wood with wooden strips keeping them together, carving out the inside of the wood to create a much lighter and stronger wheel. They soon started to create spokes wheels in 2000BC. However, tires didn’t improve much until 1845, when pneumatic tires were invented.

ADDING THEM TO VEHICLES

Soon, people realized that wheels could be attached to a cart and the cart attached to animals. People created chariots in around 3000BC, which were pulled by powerful and mighty war horses. People started creating artwork based on war scenes – this created the first picture of the wheel, made in 3500BC. People also started inventing things where the wheel was crucial – waterwheels, cogwheels, spinning wheels. Some future inventions would have been useless without the design of the wheel as well – propellers, jet engines, turbines.

Who would have thought

this ONE LITTLE INVENTION

would lead to so many others?

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ITS IMPORTANCE TODAY


Today, the wheel is a very important legacy the Mesopotamians have left us. They are almost everywhere, the design used to create many other things. Without wheels, we would not have the rubber tires, and cars wouldn't have even been thought of. The design of airplanes would have also failed and everyone would still be walking around, living in huts because lots of construction machines would not be able to work because they would not move, and there would be no way of moving around the machines either.

Without wheels, we’d probably still be living like this.

Thank god we aren’t.