THE MYTH OF THE MISSING WHEEL

For a long time, it’s been widely assumed in the West that pre-Columbian civilizations were somehow intellectually inferior because they never developed the wheel. However, archaeological discoveries in Mexico tell a different story. Wheeled ceramic toys, some dating back centuries before European contact, clearly show that the concept of the wheel was known and understood.

These artifacts challenge the narrative that ancient American cultures were unaware of this fundamental innovation. So why wasn’t the wheel used for transportation? Scholars suggest the answer may lie in environmental factors, such as the absence of large draft animals and the rugged geography of much of the area. These findings serve as a reminder that technological progress isn’t always a universal path—and that assumptions about cultural advancement need to be reconsidered.