The ancient Greeks used lifting machines to transport and place large stones to build buildings.

But it all started with the Corinthians who created such machines to build ships and lower sarcophagi into the tombs.

The use of these machines began about 150 years before the creation of the first cranes. Specifically, their construction began at the end of the 6th century BC.

Large structures such as the temple of Isthmia and the temple of Aphrodite in Corinth were constructed long before the use of cranes using these machines.

[Source: http://www.greekreporter.com]