The shadoof is a mechanical irrigation tool developed over 4,000 years ago in the Fertile Crescent. It resembles a seesaw and is used to draw surface water. It can pump up to half a gallon per second and has revolutionized small-scale irrigation. Its cheap construction and ability to be operated by hand has led to its continued use in remote areas.
A shadoof is a mechanical irrigation tool that was first developed in a part of western Asia called the Fertile Crescent more than 4,000 years ago. It is still used to draw water in many parts of the world that don’t have easy access to electric water pumps. This tool is also known as a shaduf, dhenkli, picottah, swape or counterpoise-lift.
In many ways, a shadoof resembles a seesaw. A sturdy pole, often made of wood or bamboo, is suspended from a vertical structure so that the fulcrum is about a fifth of its length. A heavy counterweight made of rocks and debris in a bucket, basket, or animal hide is suspended from the short side of the post, and a rope and bucket are tied to the end of the long side. Leverage exerted by the length of the pole allows the operator to pull down on the rope to lift the weight and fill a bucket with water, and the counterweight brings the full bucket back up. A gentle, rhythmic rocking motion dumps water from the bucket into an irrigation ditch or ditch near the long end of the shade.
A shadoof is only used to pump surface water, as the length of its mechanical process does not allow it to lift water from deeper than about 10 feet (about 3m). While limited in the depth it can access, it is capable of pumping a remarkably large volume, up to about half a gallon (about 2 liters) per second. In India, the shortage of shadows in pumping from the depths has been circumvented by an innovation known as picottah or dhenkli, in which several shadows are mounted in series, one above the other. This allows the water to be lifted to a considerable height by manpower with only minimal loss of efficiency.
The invention of the shadoof is believed to have revolutionized agriculture in the ancient world by dramatically improving the efficiency of small-scale irrigation. Its importance was so great in the Fertile Crescent that the image of a shadoof was impressed on a Sargonid seal dating back to 2000 BC Some archaeologists believe that ancient civilizations with knowledge of the shadoof, such as the Egyptians, Sumerians and Babylonians, may have used them to move the immense blocks used in the construction of their monuments. Despite the age of technology, its cheap construction and ability to be operated by hand has led to its use on remote Indian and Egyptian farms well into the 21st century.
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