What type of mechanical machine did Leonardo da Vinci design to lift water using screws?

Leonardo da Vinci studied and designed versions of the Archimedes’ screw, a machine for lifting water.

An Archimedes’ screw consists of a helical surface inside a tube or around a central shaft. When the screw rotates, water is carried upward through successive sections. Leonardo investigated the device while studying hydraulics and mechanical power, adapting ancient principles for Renaissance engineering.

The invention was not originally Leonardo’s: ancient Greek tradition associates the screw with Archimedes of Syracuse. Leonardo’s contribution was to analyze, draw, and develop hydraulic machinery in detail. This distinction matters because Leonardo is often credited with inventing devices that he actually improved, documented, or reimagined.