Similar to and Archimedes screw and different. The spiral pump creates compressed air pockets and does not require mechanical lifting to the height of the output. The ancients did not have airtight poly pipe.
There may be lots of ways to build a diaphragm pump here is the simplest I have seen so far.
http://myweb.cableone.net/bcanderson/Boatz/Bilgepump/Bilgepump.html