▁through ▁pur pos ely ▁built ▁ir rig ation ▁channels ▁and ▁" catch " ▁bas ins . ▁The ▁ancient ▁S umer ians ▁in ▁Mes op ot am ia ▁used ▁a ▁complex ▁system ▁of ▁can als ▁and ▁le ve es ▁to ▁di vert ▁water ▁from ▁the ▁Tig ris ▁and ▁Eu phr ates ▁rivers ▁for ▁ir rig ation . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁arch ae olog ists , ▁the ▁wheel ▁was ▁invent ed ▁around ▁ 4 0 0 0 ▁B CE ▁probably ▁independently ▁and ▁nearly ▁simultaneously ▁in ▁Mes op ot am ia ▁( in ▁present - day ▁Ira q ), ▁the ▁Northern ▁C au cas us ▁( May kop ▁culture ) ▁and ▁Central ▁Europe . ▁Est im ates ▁on ▁when ▁this ▁may ▁have ▁occurred ▁range ▁from ▁ 5 5 0 0 ▁to ▁ 3 0 0 0 ▁B CE ▁with ▁most ▁exper ts ▁putting ▁it ▁closer ▁to ▁ 4 0 0 0 ▁B CE . ▁The ▁oldest ▁artifact s ▁with ▁draw ings ▁dep ict ing ▁whe e led ▁c arts ▁date ▁from ▁about ▁ 3 5 0 0 ▁B CE ; ▁however , ▁the ▁wheel ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁in ▁use ▁for ▁mill enn ia ▁before ▁these ▁draw ings ▁were ▁made . ▁More ▁recently , ▁the ▁oldest - known ▁wooden ▁wheel ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁was ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁L jub lj ana ▁mar sh es ▁of ▁Sloven ia . ▁ ▁The ▁in vention ▁of ▁the ▁wheel ▁revolution ized ▁trade ▁and ▁war . ▁It ▁did ▁not ▁take ▁long ▁to ▁discover ▁that ▁whe e led ▁w ag ons ▁could ▁be