The Wheel - Efficient yet Simple

"A wheel is a circular component that is intended to rotate on an axial bearing." Wheels are found almost every important place. They are visible mostly in transport i.e Vehicles, Bicycles to name a few. The biggest advantage of "the Wheel" is its ability to reduce friction greatly by rolling over any surface. Its one of the most efficient invention ever and there is no doubt that its creation is the reason for a lot of development today. It helps in faster and efficient communication, helps produce electricity, helps in steering (steering wheel), working of engines, and many more areas. Transport is by far is its biggest advantage. Without it we would still be unable to transport large goods or journey fast. We would have had to rely on animals and their bodies as concept of carts would not have been developed. The wheel today is used in countless mechanisms and is like electricity one of the most innovative invention of human history. So now we know its importance. But who did this great innovation and blessed the world with its advantages? Read more to find out.

It all started in 4500 BC. Exact location of its invention is not known but its thought that it was invented in any of the three locations Mesopotamia, the Northern Caucasus or Central Europe. As these were the places where evidences were found of the wheel dating back to a same time. So the question that where was it invented, it still is a mystery. A lot of records of "wheel" are found in several areas of the world ranging from China to Western Europe, most probably not America as it was disconnected and it was known of until Columbus discovered it in 1492. As the evidences are from a lot of locations and a lot in number so they cant be listed here. To learn more about them you may read about it here.

Spoked Wheel

Early Wheels were just round pieces of wood with a hole in between to fit a axle. They were used in variety of ways ranging from ploughing through help of ox to pottery. Later spoked wheels came into being and although some evidences of it coming into existence in 2000 BC it is generally believed its major use was much later. Anyways, these wheels allowed for lighter and swifter vehicles and you can say that this was a major point of ancient scientific development. Wheel although it is a simple concept was found only in the civilizations in the world other than American continent and although the civilizations there i.e Aztecs and Mayans reached a high level of development evidence of wheel has not been found. The time after 2000 BC is the middle bronze age and its the period in which wheel saw a lot of usage. One great example is the horse chariots used in war.

The spoked wheels saw no change after that and the same were used until 1870's when the modern wheel was invented. Tires were invented which had to be filled with air (pneumatic). These are the tires that are commonly used today in bicycles, vehicles, etc.
Wheel was the major component of the industrial revolution and that was the time after which wheel started to really come into our human life on a large scale.

So next time when you use any thing which has wheels in it don't forget these awesome people. :)

Timeline

Bronze Age disk wheel as depicted on the Standard of Ur (ca. 2500 BC)

Classical Greek four-spoked chariot-wheel (as aLinear B glyph), in use from the 15th century BC. Hittite and Egyptian chariots tended to have six spokes, Iron Age Assyrian ones eight.