Pottery wheel The wheel is said to be the simplest yet the most useful invention of man. We use the wheel in almost every mechanical contraption even in this modern day and age. Even our language has been enriched with quotes and references to the wheel. But when it comes to practical usage, the one invention that has remained true to the original, while immensely shaping and charting the course of history, has been the humble pottery wheel. But in case you assumed that the pottery wheel is a relatively new invention, used by hobbyists, you are sadly mistaken. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth as the pottery wheel is probably the oldest invention of man. The ancient Mesopotamians are the people credited with first making use of the pottery wheel. They are also credited to be the people who generously spread this invention throughout the world. And in doing so, they created one of the most enduring instruments of craft known to man. The first generation of pottery wheels were operated by hand. The potter balanced the wheel on a simple, central axis and turned it round and round till sufficient centrifugal force was formed. Once this force was formed, a lump of clay would be thrown on to the center of the pottery wheel and molded. By using such a simple pottery wheel, the Mesopotamians and several other civilizations produced pots, jars, vases and even dishes that have become enduring symbols of their high degree of accomplishment in not just the arts, but also in commerce and trade. And although thousands of years have passed, the basic pottery wheel continues to remain the same. In fact, in some of the lesser developed regions of the world, the pottery wheel has undergone almost no change from the time the Mesopotamians used it. But change was inevitable, even for the humble pottery wheel. The second generation of potty wheels therefore improved on the first. They used a kind of a foot operated pedal to turn the wheel around. This greatly increased the speed and consistency of the spin while also freeing up their hands to create more elaborate and intricate pots and vessels. The industrial revolution was the next change agent in the life of the pottery wheel. Several inventors of the period (it is difficult to say with any certainty who exactly it was) were credited with creating the foot operated treadle to create the motion of the pottery wheel. This is the design that has come into the modern age. The modern age has altogether eliminated the need to mechanically move the wheel by making it electrical. Nowadays, all the potter has to do is to lump the clay at the centre of the wheel, start it up and begin molding the clay into the desired shape. Professional pottery wheels also come with various speed settings to further control the centrifugal forces generated by the spinning of the pottery wheel. Like I said, the pottery wheel is the one invention of ancient man that has survived almost unchanged to this day. And each time I see the potter go at the clay on his wheel, I never cease to be amazed.