The Camel and the Wheel (Morningside Books)

Book is a must read if you are concerned at all about Camels and the Old Testament. Yes there is a controversy as Huffington Post continues to misrepresent science to disprove the Bible. Don't use Huffington Post as your news source. They are easy and fun to read but are agenda driven...

I read this book because of an interest in camels but it will be of interest to anyone interested in the history of transportation or urbanization.

Oh, my God. How on earth does this have 4.5 stars? It sounds like a free write, he redacts everything he says, and if I have to read the phrase "this will be discussed in a later chapter" ever again in my entire life I will scream.

Provides information about the camel not readily found elsewhere, and a well-developed theory about how the camel excelled and preempted other modes of transportation in the Middle East.

This book is decent. It is a little more wordy than necessary, but it gets the job done. If you are interested in the relation of camels and wheels or in the history of the camel in the Middle East, then this is a good book, but be prepared for it to be a little dense.

Which came first: the camel, or the wheel? If this is a question that has been digging at you for years, I am pleased to inform you that you have come to just the right place. In the 1975 book, The Camel and the Wheel, author and professor at the University of Columbia, Richard W. Bulliet, tells of his findings regarding the switch in major transportation from wheeled units to the camel in its range from Morocco to Afghanistan (p. 8). In this book, Bulliet covers a wide variety of examples including physical evidence of a lack of wheeled transportation, the geographical and biological trademarks of camels—both one and two humped—and why that is important to their immigration and domestication. After discussing the history of the camel in-depth within many different cultures, some background of the wheel is given, not just in the context of transportation, but also in the sense of practical uses such as mills and irrigation. Bulliet showcases his extensive knowledge of the relationship between the camel and the wheel in his thorough research and love of history.Evidence, or lack thereof, can tell much in the way of the accuracy of historical events. Bulliet offers two categories of evidence that give insight into the lack of wheeled transportation in the Middle East and North Africa. The first of piece evidence is the presence of ancient paintings. While most paintings show depictions of wheeled transportation, evidence shows that the artists responsible for these paintings have likely never actually laid eyes on anything resembling wheeled transportation. The conclusion to be drawn from this is that the artists had no frame of reference for their art (p. 10).Lastly, Bulliet points out that there is only one word before the fourteenth century that identifies wheeled transportation (p. 10). This does not necessarily mean that it did not exist. More likely, wheeled transportation was simply not as common in that time. These two examples show a lack of understanding in regards to the wheeled transportation.When questioning the origin of the domestication of camels, the book of Genesis provides us with some insight. Bulliet reminds readers that in ancient biblical text, around the time of Abraham, camels were used as bribery and a means to trade (p. 35). The story of Sarah and Abraham is used as an example. The Pharaoh of Egypt was recorded using animals, including the camel, to trade with Abraham in exchange for his wife, Sarah. Later in the Biblical text, camels are also shown to provide transportation. Bulliet also mentions that evidence of camel domestication is prevalent (p. 35). But, this evidence has been shot down by a one W. F. Albright, a scholar of biblical history, who claims that the biblical text is inaccurate and is “a product of later priests tampering with early texts in order to bring them more in line with altered social conditions. (p. 36)”. Bulliet later explains that no domestication, from beginning to end, of an animal has ever fully been observed (p. 37). Albright’s argument brings into question the validity of the Biblical text, and encourages readers to dig into their own research.In a later chapter, Bulliet gives five pieces of evidence of the camel’s domestication that may have in fact proven Albright’s theory to be wrong. These pieces of evidence include bronze figurines, a variety of pottery, cords that contain camel hair, and textual writings. While some evidence such as the camel hair is convincing, it is hard to point the pottery and figurines in that specific direction. A lot of the art is unclear and could depict a number of animals such as sheep, donkeys, horses, or dogs. (p. 65). This evidence is hard to decipher because there is so much uncertainty and many different ways to interpret the wide variety of findings.In chapter 8, Bulliet finally addresses the importance of the wheel in context to the book. While the use of the wheel for the purpose of traveling may have been obsolete, its use for other practical purposes such as pottery, milling, irrigation, and a variety of other things were pertinent to the time. This shows that the wheel, while it may have not been used in a use for transportation, had many other uses that actually were technologically advanced. (p. 217)The book concludes with a witty statement: “the wheeled vehicles have at last won their long contest with pack animals, won it despite the grave disadvantages—smog, superhighways, congestion, traffic deaths—that they entail.(p. 259)” These are things that we all have become accustomed to, so this begs the question, what would have happened if the wheel/camel relationship had ended the opposite? Bulliet asks, “Would the European carriage and wagon have replaced the pack camel if the motor car had not? (p. 260)”. The answer to that, Bulliet believes, is yes for two reasons. First, the wheel plays a huge part in Europe’s culture being exported in the age of imperialism. Second, because dessert roads may not have been useable by camel drawn carts (p. 260).The author’s passion for the Middle East shows through in his extensive investigation into the speculations and facts of this book. Bulliet’s ability to communicate his ideas and findings, and his overall desire to educate individuals of this underrepresented part of history stands to tell of his love for what he does. If you are interested in learning about the history of camels and their use in ancient Afghanistan, this book is for you. I would recommend this book only to those who enjoy learning about unique concepts and historical events. The contents are fascinating, yes, but can be difficult to follow if one is not does not have an interest in the journey of the camel. The author did a great job of formatting the book in such a way that each chapter transitions smoothly one to another. The depths of knowledge and the research that were put into understanding the history of the camel and wheeled transportation make for a good read.

Richard Bulliet's, Camel and the Wheel, is a seminal example of social history from the perspective of an animal. In the vein of the French Annales school of Marc Bloch and Ladurie, Bulliet traces the origin of the camel in North America (!), tracks how it got to the Middle East, how it came to be the favourite beast of the Arabs and how it helped to facilitate the lightening Muslim conquests in the 7th century that brought all of North Africa, Spain, the Levant, Iran, and Sind under Muslim control by 711 C.E. Bulliet lays out some surprising discoveries in the realm of camel saddles and explains why they carry the key to the Arab conquests. Significantly, Bulliet posits a brilliant counter-intuitive theory for the disappearance of the wheel from the Middle East for the better part of a millenium--a theory that is no longer even questioned. Readers will find intriguing and superbly documented responses to some of these crucial issues. A veritable historical "who-dunnit", Camel and the Wheel is an entertaining and enlightening read!

An unparalleled intellectual journey covering the drivers of Arabia's economic and cultural development. Unfortunately largely forgotten today.