Traditional counter levered bucket lift: cigoñal

            The deep well is out of shot to the right. The weight of the full bucket is balanced by the counter-weight making the lift a relatively simple pull of a cord. 

By far the most common type of well (puit) has a small hut over the shaft with a cylinder on an axis that turns and pulls on a chain or rope. The above example is from an area where lever pulls are still common - the Sayago in Spain. This is a zone where ancient walls, bridges, huts, wells and pens are still varied and visible. The example linked below is from Roumania - 2.5 thousand km away. Evidence of this technology is scattered but relatively global with first images (not the same as examples) appearing in Mesopotamia around 5000 ybp. Whilst I do not have a detailed distribution map of this simple mechanical machine, it can be said that isolated islands of similar forms do exist and are easy to explain. The Tatry and the far away Pyrénées both share many species of plant and animal despite being many thousands of kilometre apart. The ecosystems had been continuous in the past, and time has simply changed climatic conditions with the two distinct mountain zones being the last strongholds where the older ecosystems are still competitive. The same broad principle may be seen here with this variety of bucket-pull. This old system of well bucket pull has been largely replaced by a model that employs a metal chain, except in quiet and traditional areas where old ways are still preserved. 

The perforated discs of the Sayago area are not strictly necessary, with the Romanian model counter-levered with what looks like a bag of stones. Residual archaeological evidence may also be naturally atrophied, with perforated discs also employed and reemployed (and broken) for hinged gates and doors in stone walls - further blurring evidence from the past. 

How far back might this simple machine go? I argue that lever was of great importance for man during many of the great ages of prehistory: levering megaliths into motion and position, levering rope tight with 'tension levers' (see past posts and Flickr album from Feb 2017), levering speed into spears with spear throwers, levering force onto stone tools with the addition of handles and so on. Lifting water from the ground using a clear demonstration of an applied lever may have been an important cultural element of the neolithic, with one or two quiet corners still using this charming technology. The efficiency is such that just such a lever system can help a single user to aliment a small irrigation system and the simple mechanism also sits with examples of 'Delou' systems.

AJM 16.08.20

Taken on: July 24, 2020

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sayago

Well

cigoñal

shaduf

cigogne

vilebrequin

bimbalete

shadoof

counterpoise lift

well pole

well sweep

sweep

swape

Jiégāo

桔槹

pozo con Cigüeñal « less

Sets appears in: • Small details of prehistory

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