Essay On Wheeled Wheel

Wheel is one of the most important inventions of human history. It has certainly became an essential part of our lives.

In the early period of human civilisation, there were no vehicles. Humans used to carry large objects by themselves. Sometimes, animals were used to carry heavy things. If not carried physically, objects were dragged behind. This was the earliest method of transportation which was slow and exhausting.

Later, wooden logs were used to drag heavy objects. These logs were placed one after another and the object was dragged on top of them. This reduced the effort and time to transport the objects and gave rise to the idea of a wheel.

Wheel was invented 5,000 years ago. It was made up of a single piece of wood. Holes were made

These carts were either animal-drawn or were being pulled by men. The first evidence of wheeled carts and wagons is from Central Asia and also in the Tigris-Euphrates valley in the Middle East. Horse-drawn carriage were introduced much later, followed by a closed coach.

You Know What!
The first animal-drawn vehicle is believed to be from Ancient Near East.

Introduction of wheeled vehicles increased the need for roads. Paved roads were introduced in Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley civilisation. Persian and Roman empires constructed stone-paved roads, in classical antiquity. These roads were used by armies, so to travel long distances in a short period. Tar-paved roads were known to exist in medieval Caliphate.

During ancient times, water transport was the only efficient way to travel long distances. Floating vehicles were also useful when transporting large quantities of material. Use of canoes in transportation
The early man is believed to have carried out seafaring trips around 900,000 years ago. The earliest watercrafts were the dugout canoes cut out from tree trunks. Such canoes were known to be in use, as far back as 7,600 BC. Such transport was often based on muscle power, for example, using

Trade, however, continued to grow in Africa, Middle East, India, China and Southeast Asia. Later Marco Polo reached China from the shores of Venice in 13th-14th centuries.

The Age of Discovery refers to the period of extensive overseas exploration, from the end of the 15th century to the 18th century. In this period, the ship building technology became more advanced. More sturdy ships were built with higher capacity.

Numerous naval expeditions were taken up by European powers to find new trade routes, within this period.

Portuguese discoveries, since 1418, were successful in reaching the Atlantic archipelagos of Madeira and the Azores. One of their major accomplishment is the discovery of a sea route to India in 1498.

Other important expeditions include the trans-Atlantic voyages carried out by Christopher Columbus in between 1492 and 1502. Since 1495, French, English and Dutch were also searching for new routes at the western coasts of North and South America. In the 1730s, Russians conquered the whole of Siberia and Alaska.

The age of exploration continued with English voyagers William Dampier (1652–1715) and Abel Tasman (1603–59). They were able to map the coast of modern-day Australia, along with the help of Captain James Cook