Allen County Museum
Allen County Museum from A to Z
Y is for...
Yoke: A yoke is a wooden bar or frame by which two draft animals, such as oxen, are joined at the heads or necks for working together. Research tells us that yokes were used in Mesopotamia as early as 3000 BC. The ancient farmers discovered that the use of yokes on a team of oxen increased the power and efficiency of the animals enabling them to more effectively pull a plow or heavy sled. Many American pioneers used yokes, oxen and wagons to transport their families and belongings to frontier settlements.
