Chapter 4 Archimedes and the Water Screw 200 BCE

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Thousands of years ago, mechanical irrigation first made it possible to grow food in times of low rainfall. Without irrigation, the great civilizations of ancient Egypt, China, and Mesopotamia could not have risen. There were many types of ancient irrigation technologies, including dams, canals, and human- or animal-powered pumps. One of the first really useful pumps was called the water screw.

Re-creating the Invention That Made the Desert Bloom

Archimedes, the great mathematician of ancient Syracuse, was said to be something of an oddball. Apparently, he would become so involved with whatever ...

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