Historically humans have used three natural sources of kinetic energy: wind, water, and tides.

The Ancient World (To 500 C.e.)

Although early humans often inadvertently tapped into the kinetic energy of moving air or water to do things such as separate grain from chaff or float downstream, the deliberate use of kinetic energy to power machinery came only in the historical era.

Only one machine in classical antiquity made deliberate use of the kinetic energy of wind: the sailing vessel. As early as 3000 B.C.E., paintings illustrated Egyptian vessels using sails. By the first millenium B.C.E., the use of sails was common for long-distance, water-borne trade. However, ancient sails worked poorly. The standard sail was square, mounted on a mast at right angles to the ship's long axis. It was effective...