[taeric]

Even spinning wheels use a spindle. The question would be why they didn't invent the use of a wheel to help with the spinning portion of the task?

But, yeah, my short dives show the same. It is generally held that carting wheels weren't useful due to lack of draft animals. I just find that reason awkward with how useful manual applications of the wheel are for me. Dolleys and wheelbarrows are the easiest example, of course. But pulley systems in general are super useful. And don't, necessarily, need a draft animal.

[MangoToupe]

> The question would be why they didn't invent the use of a wheel to help with the spinning portion of the task?

They did have spinning pottery wheels, just not load-bearing ones.

[taeric]

So is the claim that they did not invent the wheel pretty strictly for use in carts?

Still seems a little surprising they would not have invented pulleys. They clearly had good experience with ropes.