Revolutionary Discovery: Archaeologists Unearth the World’s Oldest Handcart—Pre-dating the Invention of the Wheel by Thousands of Years!

Exciting news has come from White Sands, New Mexico. Researchers have uncovered what might be the oldest evidence of people using handcarts, dating back over 17,000 years. This discovery includes fossilized footprints and parallel drag marks, suggesting that Ice Age humans used a simple sled-like device, known as a travois, to move heavy items around. This finding challenges the idea that early societies only carried things on their backs, showing they were already clever in how they transported goods.

Published in the peer-reviewed journal Quaternary Science Advances, this study looked at preserved tracks found in ancient mud at White Sands National Park. Previous discoveries there have already changed our understanding of when humans first entered the Americas. The tracks indicate that prehistoric people were modifying their surroundings by inventing basic transport systems long before recorded history.

During the dig, archaeologists found long drag marks next to human footprints, stretching out for meters before they disappeared beneath layers of sediment. Many child-sized footprints were present, hinting that families worked together to move goods. Some tracks had overlapping footprints and drag marks, suggesting that people retraced their steps multiple times, perhaps to collect more items.

To see if these marks could have been made by a basic sled, researchers conducted experiments in Dorset, UK, and Maine, US. They dragged wooden poles across wet mud and found that the marks they created matched those at White Sands. This supports the idea that early humans used a travois, a simple frame made of wooden poles, similar to how later Indigenous peoples transported their goods across North America.

Imagine a prehistoric shopping cart! While today’s carts might be left in parking lots, their ancient counterparts left only faint drag marks in the mud. These marks suggest Ice Age humans used sled-like devices to transport necessary resources like firewood or meat, long before wheels were invented. This discovery changes our view of early human inventiveness.

Working with Indigenous communities gave researchers additional perspectives on how early transport systems may have functioned. While some drag marks could come from moving logs or firewood, the evidence strongly points to the use of travois. This system of sled-based transport was likely in use for thousands of years, even before horses arrived in the Americas.

This remarkable find serves as a key piece in understanding the development of transport technology. While the first wheeled vehicles appeared about 5,000 years ago in Mesopotamia, the evidence from White Sands indicates that humans had already created effective transport methods much earlier. The travois, though it didn’t have wheels, represents a significant step in how early people moved goods, proving they were resourceful and innovative.

The researchers believe these sled-like devices were easily made from materials at hand, such as branches or tent poles. Whether for moving camps, transporting food, or carrying supplies, this breakthrough showcases that prehistoric humans were skilled problem solvers, always adapting their tools to meet their needs.