The Earliest Cranes

A crane is a type of machine that creates a mechanical advantage for moving heavy objects that are beyond the normal capacity of a man.  It can lift and lower objects and move them horizontally to transports heavy materials from one place to another using a hoist or winder, wire chains, and sheaves (wheels or rollers).  A crane is an essential piece of equipment in the construction industry, the transportation industry, and the manufacturing industry.

The invention of the crane has had important implications on the advancement of our civilization.  It is thought that the most powerful hand crane in history could multiply the force it imparted to the operator by 632 times.  When looking at what the Egyptians accomplished with the building of the Pyramid, 50 men were utilized to move a 2.5 ton stone block, which translates to about 50 kg per person.  During the Roman Empire, a Roman crane increased the lifting capacity of a person to about 3,000 kg or 60% higher. 

Historians believe that the Ancient Greeks were the first to invent cranes in the late 600 BC and were powered by men or animals.  Archeologists have discovered distinctive cutting marks on stones from early Greek temples that prove they were lifted by cranes.  These early cranes were made of wood and enabled the Greeks to construct taller buildings. 

The Romans further advanced the development of the crane that allowed for larger and heavier weights to be lifted.  They invented cranes that were powered by groups of men or animals and used extensive pulley and rope systems.  The Roman Polyspastos crane consisted of 3 ropes and 5 pulleys which were worked by 4 men to move 3,000 kg.  

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