What mechanical device did Leonardo da Vinci design to raise water from a lower level?

Leonardo da Vinci studied and designed versions of the Archimedes’ screw, a device for raising water from a lower level.

An Archimedes’ screw consists of a helical surface arranged around a shaft inside a tube or trough. When the screw rotates, pockets of water move upward along the spiral. Leonardo drew and investigated this ancient principle as part of his broader work on hydraulics and machines.

The device was not invented by Leonardo; it is traditionally associated with Archimedes of Syracuse, who lived in the third century BCE. Leonardo’s contribution was to study, adapt, and represent mechanical versions of established hydraulic ideas. This distinction prevents a common mistake: calling every machine in his notebooks an original invention.

Screw pumps remain useful for moving water, wastewater, grain, and other materials. Their main advantage is steady lifting with relatively simple motion, although they are generally suited to moderate lifting heights rather than extreme pressure. Leonardo’s hydraulic studies connected classical engineering knowledge with Renaissance experimentation.