True potter's wheels, which are freely-spinning and have a wheel and axle mechanism, were developed in Mesopotamia (Iraq) by 4200–4000 BCE. The oldest surviving example, which was found in Ur (modern day Iraq), dates to approximately 3100 BCE. Evidence of wheeled vehicles appeared by the late 4th millennium BCE.

When was the wheel and axle invented?

The wheel was invented in the 4th century BC in Lower Mesopotamia(modern-​​day Iraq), where the Sumerian people inserted rotating axles into solid discs of wood. It was only in 2000 BC that the discs began to be hollowed out to make a lighter wheel. This innovation led to major advances in two main areas.

When and where was the wheel and axle invented?

Historians believe the wheel and axle dates back over 5,500 years and was probably first developed in the Middle East or possibly further north, in Eastern Europe. It's considered one of the six simple machines, along with the lever, pulley, inclined plane, wedge, and screw.