What water-lifting device did Leonardo da Vinci design using a long screw inside a cylinder?

Leonardo da Vinci designed and studied versions of Archimedes’ screw, a device that lifts water through a rotating spiral inside a cylinder.

The principle long predates Leonardo and is traditionally associated with Archimedes of Syracuse, who lived in the third century BCE. A helical surface traps water and carries it upward as the screw turns. Leonardo’s notebooks contain detailed mechanical studies of screws, pumps, and methods for raising water.

Leonardo was interested in improving hydraulic machines for canals, drainage, irrigation, and engineering works. His drawings examine the relationship between the screw’s angle, casing, and rotation. These studies belong to his broader investigation of machines rather than representing the invention of the basic screw itself.

The device is sometimes confused with a water wheel. A water wheel extracts energy from moving water, while an Archimedes’ screw generally uses mechanical energy to move water upward. Modern versions remain useful for low-head pumping and wastewater treatment.