Transportation, Rural

Early Rural Transportation

Transportation systems have evolved over the generations as transportation technology has evolved. Prior to [Page 1405]the Agricultural Revolution, the major mode of transportation from place to place was by foot. Early human societies (as well as present-day hunting and gathering societies) typically relied on networks of unimproved paths. Such paths were often as much the product of habit as the product of geographical features, such as bodies of water, ravines, and forests. In many locales in North America, the trail network of the native inhabitants often became the foundation of the modern road system. In many societies, the use of transportation animals, such as the elephant in India, the camel in the Middle East and northern Africa, and horses in central Asia, also encouraged the improvement of some trails.

Also of importance to preagricultural societies, especially to those reliant on fishing, was water transportation. For example, traditional cultures in the Amazon River basin continue to use small craft to traverse the waterways. The use of water transportation has historically led to the development of cultural and economic patterns that follow river systems.

As societies became more complex, transportation technology and the attendant transportation infrastructure evolved accordingly. Early empires frequently developed road systems designed for the dominant transportation technology. The ancient Inca of western South America, who thrived from the early thirteenth century until the Spanish conquest in 1535, developed a road system through the highly mountainous terrain in what is now Peru. Because most transportation involved foot traffic and pack animals, Inca roads typically had steps, which facilitated foot travel but precluded the use of wheels. This was not for lack of knowledge of the wheel, however, as some Inca toys had wheels. In contrast, the Roman Empire built an extensive road system meant to facilitate the use of the chariot, especially in war. In both cases, the builders of the road system improved upon the trails by facilitating inclines, widening the roads, and frequently using stone pavement. Both Inca and Roman roads are still used in some rural parts of the world.

[Page 1406]In rural areas, the arrival of roads was often due to the desire of imperial leaders to control the hinterland and facilitate the movement of armies from one portion of the empire to the other. For rural communities, roads were often both a sign and a mechanism of imperial control over the region, as they allowed distant leaders to control the area. Roads also allowed for improved trade among and between other portions of the empire. As imperial roads were built, the increased trade and cultural exchange often allowed for rural areas to become more like the urban cultural centers.