Archaeology & History

Drag marks of 20,000-year-old 'vehicles' discovered in New Mexico

By T.K. Randall
March 2, 2025 ·  7 comments

An artist's impression of the device being pulled along. Image Credit: Gabriel Ugueto / Bournemouth University While the historical use of animals such as horses to haul around people and supplies has been well documented, archaeologists believe that they have found evidence of an even more primitive way to move heavy things around - wooden "vehicles" dragged by human beings.

Drag marks discovered at White Sands National Park in New Mexico are now thought to have been left by people pulling wooden travois-like vehicles some 20,000 years ago.

These sled-like devices were essentially just wooden frames made from two poles tied together with the item being carried resting at one end and the person pulling it standing at the other.It is thought that young children may have also been pulled along by adults using the device.

"Many people will be familiar with pushing a shopping trolley around a supermarket, moving from location to location with children hanging on," said study lead author Matthew Bennett.

"This appears to be the ancient equivalent, but without wheels."

It is thought that the indigenous peoples of the Great Plains utilized similar wooden frame devices up to as recently as 500 years ago (albeit pulled by dogs or horses rather than humans).

Source: Live Science | Comments (7)

Tags: America, Vehicle