One machine that helps impact architecture would be the crane. The Greeks invented the crane in around 500 B.C. Before cranes, they used ramps which limited materials that men could carry. Cranes were invented to help with lifting heavy materials to high places, such as bricks, blocks, and wood. The crane uses two elements: a pulley and a winch. The major benefits of a crane are scale, form, and speed of architecture. The crane lowers the cost of using ramp systems. The use of a crane spread rapidly. Today, cranes are used to build skyscrapers in large cities. This type structure helps support high populations in the city by building architecture upward. Cranes can lift heavy steel to build more buildings. The architecture is much stronger and taller.