Spaniards in North America

[10ClarionSt]

Is it true that the horse was unknown in the New World until the Spaniards arrived there with horses? Is it also true that the wheel had not been invented in the New World and was introduced by the Spaniards?

[jno]

apparently nobody used wheels - but funnily enough archaeologists have uncovered wheeled toys in Mexico, which suggests they knew the principle but did not get around to doing anything with it. Some discussion of it here

Horses originally evolved in North America but died out and were re-introduced by the Spaniards. The Incas used llamas, which are not great as beasts of burden. See here

[Chessman]

Following on from jno, generally speaking, until fairly recently, inventions only came about when something was needed, neccessity-invention, the Aficans for example, never had the wheel until it was taken there by the white man, they were herd followers, and so never needed it.