Which invention is credited to the Sumerians?

• A. The plow.
• B. The sail.
• C. The wheel.
• D. The alphabet.

Answer: (C)

The wheel represents a turning point in ancient technology that originated in Sumer and transformed daily life. Sumerians developed the potter’s wheel in Mesopotamia around the mid-to-late 4th millennium BCE, a breakthrough that streamlined clay work and set the stage for even more advanced uses. Soon after, the wheel was adapted for transportation, enabling carts and chariots that boosted trade, farming efficiency, and movement across the region. Because this technology is most closely and uniquely tied to Sumerian innovation—and it had a profound, wide-reaching impact—it stands out as the invention credited to the Sumerians. The other options either arise in different places or cultures, or do not reflect a unique Sumerian invention in the same clear way.