▁used ▁to ▁carry ▁heavy ▁loads . ▁The ▁ancient ▁S umer ians ▁used ▁the ▁pot ter ' s ▁wheel ▁and ▁may ▁have ▁invent ed ▁it . ▁A ▁stone ▁pot tery ▁wheel ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁city - state ▁of ▁Ur ▁dates ▁to ▁around ▁ 3 4 2 9 ▁B CE , ▁and ▁even ▁older ▁fragments ▁of ▁wheel - th rown ▁pot tery ▁have ▁been ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁area . ▁Fast ▁( rot ary ) ▁pot ters ' ▁whe els ▁enabled ▁early ▁mass ▁production ▁of ▁pot tery , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁wheel ▁as ▁a ▁transform er ▁of ▁energy ▁( through ▁water ▁whe els , ▁wind m ills , ▁and ▁even ▁t read m ills ) ▁that ▁revolution ized ▁the ▁application ▁of ▁non human ▁power ▁sources . ▁The ▁first ▁two - w he e led ▁c arts ▁were ▁derived ▁from ▁tra vo is ▁and ▁were ▁first ▁used ▁in ▁Mes op ot am ia ▁and ▁Iran ▁in ▁around ▁ 3 0 0 0 ▁B CE . ▁ ▁The ▁oldest ▁known ▁constructed ▁road ways ▁are ▁the ▁stone - p aved ▁streets ▁of ▁the ▁city - state ▁of ▁Ur , ▁d ating ▁to ▁circa ▁ 4 0 0 0 ▁B CE ▁and ▁tim ber ▁roads ▁leading ▁through ▁the ▁sw amps ▁of ▁G last on bury , ▁England , ▁d ating ▁to ▁around ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁period . ▁The ▁first ▁long - distance ▁road , ▁which ▁came ▁into ▁use ▁around ▁ 3 5 0 0 ▁B CE , ▁sp anned ▁ 1 , 5 0 0