An old bicycle in Budmerice, Pezinok district, in October 2015. (source: TASR)
About 6000 years ago, a man walked along a well-trodden path in the Slovak Carpathian hills. Behind him lay the lands where the Slovak town of Trnava (a wheel is featured in Trnava’s coat of arms) would one day rise, and before him, the ridges of the Little Carpathians loomed. He was pushing something no one had ever seen before – a cart on wheels – carrying the future in his hands. This is the vision presented by American historians and archaeologists, who support a theory that the wheel was first invented in the territory of modern-day Slovakia, writes the Czech public broadcaster.
The invention of the wheel revolutionised almost every aspect of life.
The first archaeological evidence of wheeled carts dates back to the Copper Age, or Eneolithic period, between 5000 and 3000 BC. These discoveries appeared in various locations across Europe, suggesting the rapid spread of this transformative technology. While Mesopotamia is most often credited with the invention of the wheel, where it likely began as a potter’s wheel, other theories have emerged. Some historians suggest it may have first appeared on the Black Sea coast of modern-day Turkey.
Copper mining
However, a more recent hypothesis, proposed by American historian Richard Bulliet, posits the Carpathian region as the birthplace of the wheel.
Bulliet argues that the rise of copper mining in the region necessitated the use of wheeled vehicles to transport heavy loads from deep within the mines. This theory, outlined in his 2016 book and now published as a study in “Royal Society Open Science”, was developed using archaeological finds such as the clay models of carts from the Slovak Carpathians. The delicate wooden artefacts did not survive as well, making the reconstruction of ancient carts more challenging.
The study posits that the evolution from rollers – simple cylindrical logs used to transport heavy items – to wheeled carts was a gradual process, requiring three key innovations. First, grooves were cut into the rollers to prevent loads from slipping. Then came carts with fixed wheels, and finally, carts with wheels mounted on axles, allowing for greater manoeuvrability.
Intriguing perspective
The Boleráz culture, associated with modern Slovakia, may have been the first to use wheeled carts. Carbon-14 dating suggests this culture was active around 3600 BC, lending weight to the Slovak hypothesis. While it remains impossible to definitively claim Slovakia as the birthplace of the wheel, Bulliet’s research adds an intriguing perspective to the debate, exploring the engineering ingenuity of prehistoric Carpathian societies.
The oldest preserved wooden wheel was found in Slovenia.
