On the study of wheeled transport in Iran and Mesopotamia in the III-II millennia BC
The development of wheeled transport is widely discussed in the scientific literature (Nagel, 1966; Littauer, Crouwel, 1979; Kovalevskaya, 1977; Gorelik, 1985; Novozhenov, 1994; Nefedkin, 2001). There is a number of early evidences of the use of chariots from the territory of Sumer and Southwestern Iran in the late IV-II millennia BC. These are images on vessels and cylinder seals, clay and metal models, parts of chariots in different archaeological contexts. Of special interest are wagons with bronze nails pinned along the treads of solid disk wheels. It is possible to restore leather straps on treads, a kind of wheels protectors which served to prevent wear and increased riding comfort. This design is due to the fact that the chariot marked the high social rank of its owner. The earliest evidence of reinforcing bindings are mainly concentrated in Southern Mesopotamia and Susiana. Later (in the II-I millennia BC) they are known in a wide area from Anatolia (Gordion) to Bactria (Oxus treasure) and Egypt. This design element was not used in the carts of Pit-grave (Yamnaya), Catacomb, Novotitarovka and Sintashta Bronze Age cultures of the steppe zone of Eastern Europe, which indirectly indicates the polycentric of the emergence of wheeled vehicles.