What type of machine did Leonardo da Vinci design to transfer water between different levels?

Leonardo da Vinci designed versions of the Archimedes’ screw to transfer water between different levels.

An Archimedes’ screw consists of a helical surface wrapped around a central shaft inside a tube or trough. As the screw turns, water is carried upward along the spiral and discharged at a higher level. Leonardo studied and drew screw-based water-lifting machines as part of his investigations of canals, drainage, irrigation, and hydraulic engineering.

The device was not Leonardo’s original invention: it is traditionally associated with Archimedes of Syracuse, who lived in the third century BCE. Leonardo’s importance lies in analyzing, adapting, and illustrating the mechanism for Renaissance engineering applications. This distinction prevents a common mix-up between Leonardo’s designs and inventions that originated in classical antiquity.

The screw remains useful because it can lift water continuously with a relatively simple rotating mechanism. Leonardo’s studies show how Renaissance engineers revisited ancient technologies and developed them for new practical settings.