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This article is the first installment of a series which will cover the history of human
transportation. Modern man
has become dependent upon, and to a large degree takes for granted, a very
sophisticated transportation system. We forget that two generations ago - a very
short period of time in the historical time-frame - land transportation was difficult,
time consuming, and hard. Travel today is something we do easily. In our
grandparents time it was much different. Most traveling was over short distances,
as the roads were bad. Come now on a
journey in which we will learn, and maybe come away somewhat more appreciative
of what we have. We will start by exploring the most basic of all our transportation modes - walking. Unlike most of the other revolutions in travel, walking cannot have a precise date attached to it as the date when the first hominid in history stood upon its legs and walked upright. Scientists have not determined exactly when this occurred, or even an exact geographic location. This will probably never be known, as fossil records are incomplete, and the tremendous amount of time which has passed since it occurred. The oldest hominid fossil found to date which walked upright is the famous 'Lucy' , discovered by American paleontologist Donald Johnson in East Africa, near the Red Sea. Lucy has been dated to about four million years old, and her species may not be the first hominids which walked upright. All agree walking is fundamental to our development into the beings we are today. Scientists tell us the ability to walk has to do more with the curvature of the spine than any other physical characteristic. The human spine has a distinct 'S' curve to it that makes walking upright comfortable and natural to the human. No other animal has this physical feature. Apes can walk upright, but not for long periods of time. The ape is not comfortable doing so, scientists tell us. So walking upright is a uniquely human achievement among Earth's creatures. What has this meant for humans? All other creatures need all four limbs to travel from place to place. Walking upright freed our hands for other purposes - fashioning the tools and weapons needed for self-protection and procuring food. Some scientists feel this was crucial to the development of our brains. Physically weak, slow, and lacking natural weapons compared with the other creatures inhabiting our world, our hands and brains provided an equalizing force enabling us to survive in a cruel and un-forgiving world. Walking remained the primary mode of land transportation for millions of years. Travel was slow and limited to the distance a person could walk in a day. While walking, close watch had to be kept for predators seeking a meal and enemies lurking, waiting to attack. Feet were unprotected for most of this time. The first shoes were probably developed by the ancient Egyptians, and consisted of papyrus reeds woven together, and held to the foot by thongs. Not very comfortable or fashionable by today's standards, but an improvement over walking barefoot on stony ground. Walking remained an important means of transportation into relatively modern times. My grandfather often told about his teen years in the early 1900's, walking behind a horse all day plowing or planting crops. Wanting to go to a dance on Saturday night, he would ask his father if he could borrow the horse to ride. He was always told "The horse worked all day pulling a plow. It needs to rest. If you want to go to a dance, you can walk". This, I was told, was a pretty common response. If you wanted to go somewhere, you walked. Today we don't walk enough. Walking is done for pleasure, or exercise, not as a primary means of transportation for long, or even short, distances. Hiking trails, treadmills, and other exercise equipment has been developed to correct this need. Many cities are adopting "Rails to Trails" programs in which old rail lines are converted to hiking trails. Indeed, walking, or hiking, is the ideal exercise as most everyone can do it, be you young or old. It raises the heart rate and stimulates the body. After all, we humans have been walking for millions of years of history, now is not the time to stop! |