What Leonardo da Vinci mechanism used a screw to raise water from a lower level?

Leonardo da Vinci studied and drew Archimedes’ screw, a mechanism that uses a rotating screw to raise water.

The device consists of a helical surface arranged inside a tube or around a central shaft. When the screw turns, water is carried upward from a lower level. Leonardo investigated the mechanism as part of his broader studies of hydraulics, canals, mills, and machines.

The invention was not originally Leonardo’s: ancient Greek tradition associates the screw with Archimedes of Syracuse. Leonardo’s contribution was to analyze, depict, and adapt established mechanical principles in his notebooks.

This distinction matters because Leonardo is often credited with every machine he illustrated. His notebooks include original designs, improvements, and careful studies of earlier devices. The water-raising screw is therefore associated with Leonardo’s engineering work but is conventionally named for Archimedes.