Bullock cart
A bullock cart or ox cart is a two-wheeled or four-wheeled vehicle pulled by oxen. It is a means of transportation used since ancient times in many parts of the world. They are still used today where modern vehicles are too expensive or less suitable for the local infrastructure.
Used especially for carrying goods, the bullock cart is pulled by one or several oxen. The cart is attached to an ox team by a special chain attached to yokes, but a rope may also be used for one or two animals. The driver, and any other passengers, sit on the front of the cart, while load is placed in the back. Traditionally, the cargo has been agrarian goods and lumber.
History
The first indications of the use of a wagon are dated to around 4400 BC. The oldest wooden wheels usable for transport were found in southern Russia and dated to 3325 ± 125 BC. Evidence of wheeled vehicles appears from the mid-4th millennium BC, between the North Sea and Mesopotamia. The earliest vehicles may have been ox carts.Australia
In Australia, bullock carts were referred to as bullock drays if they had two wheels, and bullock wagons, if they had four wheels, and they were usually used for carrying large loads. There were also four-wheeled vehicles known as jinkers, which had no tray and were used to carry large tree logs or other large round objects, such as boilers. They were pulled by bullock teams, which could consist of 20 or more animals. The driver of a bullock team was known as a 'bullocky'.Bullock teams were used extensively to transport produce from rural areas to major towns and ports. Because of Australia's size, these journeys often covered large distances and could take many days and even weeks.
Costa Rica
In Costa Rica, ox carts were an important aspect of daily life and commerce, especially between 1850 and 1935, developing a unique construction and decoration tradition that is still being developed. Costa Rican parades and traditional celebrations often include a traditional ox cart parade.In 1988, the traditional ox cart was declared as National Symbol of Work by the Costa Rican government.
In 2005, the "Oxherding and Oxcart Traditions in Costa Rica" were included in UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Indonesia
In Indonesia, bullock carts are used in the rural parts of the country for transporting goods and people, but horse carts are more common. A bullock cart driver is known as a bajingan in Indonesian. In Javanese, the term bajingan holds dual meanings. While commonly used as a colloquial term for a scoundrel or rogue, it also denotes an oxcart coachman.Historically, oxcarts symbolized prestige, often owned by respected figures within villages. However, with the advent of modern transportation, their practical use has largely diminished. Today, many oxcarts are preserved as collectibles, stored in barns by hobbyists who seek to maintain this traditional heritage.