Based on ancient texts, it seems that bronze was the preferred material since it lasted longer and was more easily transported.
Force pumps were fairly simple in their construction consisting of a cylinder, a piston, and a few valves.
The valve would close, locking the water into the higher pipe, and then propelling it in a jet stream.
The Greek writer Athenaeus of Naucratis described how King Hieron II commissioned Archimedes to design a huge ship, Syracusia, which could be used for luxury travel, carrying supplies, and as a naval warship.
[2] According to Athenaeus, she was capable of carrying 600 people and included garden decorations, a gymnasium and a temple dedicated to the goddess Aphrodite among her facilities.
The Archimedes' screw is still in use today for pumping liquids and granulated solids such as coal and grain.