The Roman Water Machine

This machine is a replica based on evidence of a bucket chain mechanism found in London and dated to the early second century A.D.

The machine is one possible interpretation of a mechanism that may have driven the excavated bucket chain. The original bucket chain was discovered at the bottom of a deep well (eastern well) during excavations at 20-30 Gresham Street in London. It is believed that the water from the well supplied the Roman bath house at Cheapside, around 400 metres away.

Built by the Museum of London, and McCurdy & Co. in 2002, the water machine became the focus for a Time Team special which is still being repeated. The machine was donated to the ATC by the museum of London in 2010.

We have modified the main drive wheel with fruit-wood "shoes" that bear the weight of the chains. We have also installed a counter on the windlass gear to record the volume of water moved.

[OUigot]

Lol! The guy was the only one pushing, 3 girls were just holding the bar.

[DelK]

It´s mellowed nicely; when Time Team first built it there was a lot of stark new wood and iron. It was impressive to see how the archaeologists managed to piece together the design from a few pieces of timber and some heavily-rusted scraps of iron. Now it looks superb, as if it were hundreds of years old  : )

[Sean_Coyne]

The teeth in the cogwheels would likely have been made from hornbeam, as it's also used in wind and water mills as well as cart axles.

[ZackWilliamsPANCAKE]

Reminds me of that scene in Conan The Barbarian...

[RCAvhstape]

In time, Conan would come to have his own kingdom, but that is another story...

[Fauzanarief-ni]

I got random recommendation from YT, still cool thou

[charlesdjones]

And that my friends is how Evian water is bottled.

[konrad]

The girls: That is hard work!
The guy: *dies from pushing this thing all by himself*

[tjwoosta]

Now use a windmill or water wheel to turn it.

[bobfrog]

I'm surprised it didn't come preassembled.

[WellWaterBoyProducts]

So, that's how they did it.  Interesting!

[joshuaochoa]

Can I use this Video for my school project?

[juanitolua]

Is this the same thing in Kingdom of Heaven movie? Where Balian kinda pump water in the well?

[cazek]

I believe that they would’ve used a water drill

[moofymoo]

just imagine how many people lost their jobs when modern water pumps were invented.

[michaelvinci]

I can't find a diagram or a look-alike nowhere on Roman crane this crane you could remove and take it apart and put it back up somewhere else with wooden pins.. please help with site link if found??

[gurnamsingh]

Same method we saw in india 30 year ago.

[kangakid]

Well if you want running water...you have to pay for it

[orange]

Wow I can just imagine the romans lifting in place the 80 ton blocks of granite, oh wait sorry my mistake I mean 80 pound buckets of horse plop.

[lquinn]

Do they have to wear those kind of clothes and act that way?