What is Shadouf? Where did he come from?

Most foreign words are known to us from the pages of books, from TV screens, from monitors of their own computers. At the same time, the meanings of certain terms can not be fully understood, especially if we are talking about the most ancient times and peoples that existed on the planet several thousand years before our appearance. A lot of riddles - from pyramids to scientific discoveries - left us the world of Ancient Egypt. One of them concerned unusual constructions known as "shaduf". What is shaduf, what it was intended for and how it was used in ancient Egypt, is described in this text.

The emergence of irrigation structures

The first state formations arose during that period of human development, when people gradually refused to hunt and gather and moved to settled agriculture. To drain the wetlands, the organized efforts of hundreds of people were needed.

A large amount of irrigation works could be carried out only in a state with strong state power, with a clearly defined territory and a large agricultural sector in its own economic structure. One of these countries was Ancient Egypt.

Egyptian Inventions

Egyptian scientists are known for amazing inventions, long ahead of their time. For example, all the famous funerary structures of the pharaohs are built according to technologies that seem incredible even for our times, the same mystery is another ancient construction. About what is shaduf, described in detail in surviving papyri, they are mentioned by ancient historians and travelers. For contemporaries coming to Egypt from other lands, such a structure was incomprehensible and surprising.

Description of shadouf

Any shaduf served as a well. He extracted fresh water for the inhabitants of coastal cities and villages. Even the meaning of the word "shaduf" is often interpreted as a "well". But the appearance of this structure strongly resembled a catapult. The long lever was mounted on a solid base. To its free end it was attached empty buckets, which with the help of a pivot mechanism fell into the water. The lever, made of solid wood, could be understood and lowered, drawing fast Nile water, and carrying a container with it to the shore. On the other hand, a bag with sand or heavy stones was attached to the counterweight. So the Egyptians were able to recruit fresh water without much physical effort.

Popularity of invention

The simplicity and convenience of this method of obtaining fresh water were quickly appreciated by travelers who described the features of Ancient Egypt. About that, what is shaduf, neighboring countries quickly learned. This invention has become widespread far beyond the country in which it was created, such wells have been used both in ancient Europe and in the first states of Asia. Even our Slavs knew about what shaduf is. The popular well "crane" in many ways resembles its ancient brother.