What machine did Leonardo da Vinci sketch for raising water from a lower level?

Leonardo da Vinci sketched an Archimedes’ screw as a machine for raising water from a lower level.

An Archimedes’ screw consists of a helical surface wrapped around a central shaft inside a tube or trough. As the screw rotates, water trapped between the turns moves upward. Leonardo studied and drew versions of this ancient hydraulic principle while exploring pumps and water engineering.

The device was not Leonardo’s invention. It is traditionally associated with Archimedes of Syracuse, who lived in the third century BCE, although historians debate the exact origins and early uses of the mechanism.

Leonardo’s contribution was his detailed Renaissance study and adaptation of hydraulic machines. His notebooks include many investigations of channels, pumps, mills, and water movement, showing how closely his engineering interests were connected with practical problems.