Who Invented the Wheel?

Determining the exact inventor of the wheel is impossible due to the limitations of historical records and the long prehistory of the invention. However, there's strong evidence suggesting the wheel emerged in Lower Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) in the 4th millennium BC.

The Sumerians, a prominent civilization in this region, are credited with the earliest known use of the wheel. Initially, they employed solid wooden discs inserted onto rotating axles for carts and possibly agricultural implements. Later, they developed lighter wheels with hollowed-out centers, demonstrating their technological advancements.

It's important to note that evidence of early wheel usage has also been found in other parts of the world, including:

• Europe: Evidence of wheeled carts from around 3500–3350 BC has been discovered in Eastern Europe.
• India: Indus Valley Civilization (3300–1300 BC) remnants suggest the use of spoked wheels in their model carts.
• China: Archaeological findings point to the use of wheeled vehicles in China around 2800 BC.

Therefore, while the Sumerians of Mesopotamia are widely credited with the invention of the wheel around 4000 BC, it's possible that similar discoveries were made independently in other regions around the same time.