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Long ago man became mobile, and with that mobility came the need to move objects, as well as themselves. In ancient times, just like today, man stood before objects and puzzled over how to get them where they needed to be. Whether that object is a pillar or a refrigerator the goal is the same, to move it. So, how does one go about moving large objects when we are not so big ourselves? Simple machines offer some solutions. We will take a look at levers, wheels and axles, pulleys, inclined planes and wedges, to see how they helped then and still may help today.

First we have levers, which can be used to pry and lift heavy objects. In ancient Egypt levers were used to move and lift obelisks which weighed in excess of 100 tons. It doesn't take much to see how they might help move a rock out of your garden or lift a trunk to the back of a truck. Second is the wheel and axle combination, gears like you would find in a clock, and bicycle wheels are prime examples in use today. In times past this system was used to lower buckets into and out of wells, and anchors into and out of the water, as well as fishing nets. Pulleys have much in common with the wheel and axle combination,the difference is that the wheel will have a groove in which a rope, belt or chain can run in. Pulleys are used to lift and pull objects like sails on a ship, or heavy objects from street level to a window like a window washers scaffolding. Next we have the inclined plane or in simpler terms, the ramp. Inclined planes were used in ancient times when moving large blocks of stone up the incline a pyramid, just as we use it today to load heavy furniture and appliances into the back of a moving van for hauling. Lastly we have the wedge which can be used to seperate objects such as splitting wood, or for lifting an object out of place or even wedging it in place. It seems the key with the ancient movers was to get things started, just as it is today, and from there momentum will assist.