Carts were developed towards the end of the fourth millennium. At first, they were drawn by asses or oxen, which were preferable for transporting heavy loads. The two-wheeled model is called a cart. The merchandise carried in four-wheeled wagons were protected with a cover. These wagons were pulled by four animals attached to either side of the pole that projected from the main body. As a means of transportation, wagons were slow, going no further than 15 kilometers per day, and could be used only on fairly flat land. Because of these disadvantages, it was more profitable to transport goods on the back of asses, since these animals could travel over uneven terrain and cover a distance of 21 kilometers in a day. However, these loads had to be distributed in bags on either side of their spine, since the saddle pack for carrying goods directly on animals' back was not invented until shortly before our era.
Michel Fortin, Syria, Land of Civilization. Les Éditions de l'Homme, Musée de la Civilisation de Québec 1999.
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