Ancient road transport devices: Developments from the Bronze Age to the Roman Empire

doi:10.1007/s11465-015-0358-6

Front. Mech. Eng.

2016, Vol. 11

Issue (1) : 12-25 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11465-015-0358-6

REVIEW ARTICLE

Ancient road transport devices: Developments from the Bronze Age to the Roman Empire

Cesare ROSSI^1,^*(

),Thomas G. CHONDROS²,Kypros F. MILIDONIS²,Sergio SAVINO¹,Flavio RUSSO³

1. Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples 80125, Italy
2. Mechanical Engineering & Aeronautics Department, University of Patras, Patras 26500, Greece
3. USSME Consultant, via Lamaria 137, Torre del Greco, Napoli, Italy

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Abstract

The development of transportation systems has significantly enhanced the welfare and modernization of society. Wooden vehicles pulled by animals have been used for land transportation since the early Bronze Age. Whole-body gharries with rigid wheels pulled by oxen appeared in Crete by 2000 BC or earlier. Horses originating from the East were depicted in early Cretan seal-rings of the same period. The two-wheeled horse-drawn chariot was one of the most important inventions in history. This vehicle provided humanity its first concept of personal transport and was the key technology of war for 2000 years. Chariots of Mycenaean and Archaic Greece with light and flexible four-spoked wheels acting as spring suspensions were depicted in vase paintings. The development of this vehicle incorporated the seeds of a primitive design activity and was important for engineering. The Trojan horse since 1194 BC and the helepolis since 700 BC were the first known machines on a wheeled base transported by horses or self-powered. Ancient engineers invented bearings lubricated with fat, and Romans introduced the ancestors of ball bearings for their wagons and carts. The historic evolution of wheeled transportation systems, along with early traction, suspension, and braking systems, is presented in this paper. Analytical and numerical methods are incorporated to analyze the most conceivable loading situations of typically reconstructed wheeled transportation systems in ancient times. Traction requirements both for horse-driven machines and the power for internal motors are also analyzed. This study can serve as a basis for further development of detailed reconstruction of transportation systems in antiquity.

Keywords transportation wheel spoke cart axle bearing

Corresponding Author(s): Cesare ROSSI

Online First Date: 02 December 2015 Issue Date: 02 March 2016

Cite this article:

Cesare ROSSI,Thomas G. CHONDROS,Kypros F. MILIDONIS, et al. Ancient road transport devices: Developments from the Bronze Age to the Roman Empire[J]. Front. Mech. Eng., 2016, 11(1): 12-25.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fme/EN/10.1007/s11465-015-0358-6
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fme/EN/Y2016/V11/I1/12

Fig.1 A two-horses drawn chariot with 4-spoked wheels and lubricated wheel bearings in Thebes, Egypt, manufactured around 1500 BC [9]

Fig.2 Egyptians wheel manufacturers, Thebes, 1475 BC [9]

Fig.3 (a) Race-track and the turning point; (b) the Achaean chariot with charioteer

Fig.4 A two-horse drawn Scythian cart with spoked wheels and lubricated wheel bearings of the 5th century BC [9]

Fig.5 Forces acting on a wheel when obstacles are negotiated

Fig.6 The traction configuration of the reconstructed Trojan horse [12]

Fig.7 Fast private cart with folding top [4]

Fig.8 Barrel cart for liquid transportation [4]

Fig.9 Cart used to transport dignitaries [4]

Fig.10 Sleeping wagon [4]

Fig.11 Parallel cuts into rock in Malta [4]

Fig.12 Rails in Pompeii [4]

Fig.13 Reconstruction of the railed cargo [4]

Fig.14 Detail of braking mechanism [4]

Fig.15 Supports for suspension belts [4]

Fig.16 Detail of suspension joint with axle [4]

Fig.17 Virtual reconstruction of a Celtic roller bearing [4]

Fig.18 Assyrian bas relief showing a siege tower, found in the period from 865 BC to 860 BC [4]

Fig.19 Scheme of the mechanical device used to apply the motor torque to the wheel axle, and the counterweight motor [15]

Fig.20 Virtual reconstruction of a capstan with rope transmission [4]

Fig.21 Scheme of the capstan [4]

Fig.22 Working principle of the tread wheel; adapted from [4]

Fig.23 (a) Counterweight motor of Heron’s self-propelled automata [6]; (b) mechanism to change direction [6]

Fig.24 Helepolis with counterweight motor simulated by Working Model 2D

1−Velocity of the helepolis; 2−Stress on the pulley system; 3−Velocity of the counterweight; 4−Displacement of the helepolis; 5−Model of the helepolis

Fig.25 Simulation results at (a) constant counterweight velocity and (b) controlled counterweight velocity

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