Animal-drawn and sail-assisted wheelbarrow
Carretilla de tracción animal y de vela
- Date
- c. 300 CE · confidence low
- Place
- Central China (Henan, Jiangsu)
- Credited to
- Post-Han Chinese peasants
- Field
- Movement
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What it is
A large wheelbarrow with the wheel beneath the centre of gravity, pulled by a mule or donkey and guided by a man from behind, sometimes with a small sail. A cheap cargo vehicle for unpaved roads.
The sail-assisted wheelbarrow is securely documented only from the 16th century, though the animal-drawn version appears in 3rd-6th century sources.
What it led to
- Transport of grain and people on Chinese rural roads until the 20th century
- Combination of animal, human and wind power in a single vehicle
- The astonishment of European travellers who described it in the 16th century
Built on
Made possible
- Sail cart
- Light cargo vehicle