What Leonardo da Vinci design uses a screw mechanism to lift water from a lower level?

The water-lifting machine in Leonardo da Vinci’s sketches is an Archimedes’ screw, a helical device that raises water as it rotates.

An Archimedes’ screw consists of a spiral blade inside a cylinder or trough. Turning the screw traps water in pockets and carries it upward. The device is traditionally attributed to Archimedes of Syracuse, who lived in the third century BCE, although similar water screws may have existed earlier.

Leonardo studied and drew screw-based pumps as part of his engineering investigations. His drawings explored practical details such as the angle, housing and power source. Leonardo did not invent the ancient machine, but his notebooks helped document and develop its use in Renaissance engineering. Modern versions still drain fields, move wastewater and transport bulk materials.