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Ancient World
Why Mesopotamia Deserves to Be Called the True Cradle of Civilization
Fact 1 of 274%
Mesopotamians invented the wheel originally for pottery, not for transportation.
A reconstructed early clay shaping wheel.
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The first wheels were horizontal turntables for potters rather than vehicle parts. It took several centuries for someone to tip the design 90 degrees and create a chariot axle.
"3500 BC marked the shift from hand-shaping to mass production."
This innovation eventually revolutionized logistics and warfare across the Fertile Crescent.
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