They were first made by the ancient Greeks over 3,000 years ago. They spread across Europe and were widely used by medieval times. Separately, the horizontal waterwheel was invented in China sometime in the 1st century C.E. Are these machines still used today?

How was the waterwheel invented?

The first reference to a water wheel dates back to around 4000 BCE. Vitruvius, an engineer who died in 14 CE, has been credited with creating and using a vertical water wheel during Roman times. The wheels were used for crop irrigation and grinding grains, as well as to supply drinking water to villages.

Who made the waterwheel?

Greco-Roman world. The ancient Greeks invented the waterwheel and were, along with the Romans, the first to use it in nearly all of the forms and functions described above, including its application for watermilling.