What water-lifting machine did Leonardo da Vinci design based on a helical screw?

Leonardo da Vinci designed versions of Archimedes’ screw for lifting water.

An Archimedes’ screw uses a helical surface inside a tube or cylinder. As the screw rotates, water is carried upward along the spiral. Leonardo studied and drew screw-based lifting devices as part of his investigations into hydraulics, irrigation, and mechanical power.

The underlying principle was not Leonardo’s original invention. The device is traditionally associated with Archimedes of Syracuse, who lived in the third century BCE. Leonardo’s contribution was to analyze, adapt, and represent the mechanism in Renaissance engineering studies. Calling the device Leonardo’s screw would therefore be misleading.

Screw pumps remain useful because they can move water continuously and handle relatively shallow lifting efficiently. Leonardo’s drawings show how ancient mechanical knowledge continued to influence later inventors. His versions also connect to his wider work on canals, drainage, and the controlled movement of water.