Study suggests wheel was invented by copper miners in Carpathian Mountains 6,000 years ago

A new study suggests that the wheel may have been invented by copper miners in the Carpathian Mountains around 6,000 years ago. This research uses structural mechanics to explore the wheel's evolution and its potential origins. Previously, theories about the wheel's invention included Mesopotamia and northern Turkey. The new model indicates that innovations in wheel technology arose from the needs of miners, leading to a design that improved transport efficiency. The study outlines three key innovations: grooved rollers, a wheelset, and independent wheel movement. These developments likely emerged in response to the mining environment, but the researchers acknowledge that other civilizations may have independently created the wheel.