The Archimedes Screw is an invention that revolutionized irrigation and water removal. It was invented by Archimedes in the third century B.C. The device was made up of a large screw enclosed in a cylindrical pipe. It is set at about a 45 degree angle. The screw would then turn, generally by a hand crank, and water would be raised through the pipe (as shown in the video below). It was originally used for piping water out of ships, and then for irrigation. This invention is still used today especially in sewage treatment plants and for raising materials such as sand and grain.