Image courtesy of Rien van de Weijgaert (Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, Groningen, the Netherlands (For more images, visit http://www.astro.rug.nl/~weygaert/antikytheramechanism.html).
The Antikythera Mechanism is one of the most important archeological artifacts ever found. Researchers have labeled it the world’s first mechanical computer. It is thought to have been used for tracking the cycles of the solar system and to prevent sailors from losing their way during travel from Alexandria to Athens. It dates to the 2nd century B.C.
It has taken researchers more than 100 years, with the help of a high-end digital imaging system, to unravel the mysteries of the Antikythera—but did they?
A Greek diver first discovered it in the Mediterranean around 1900. The Antikythera was found among the remains of an ancient shipwreck. In 2006, it was confirmed to be the remains of a fully functional mechanical computer.
The 2,000-year-old computer was re-created by some modern-day scientists. They have revealed what they consider to be the true workings of the device. The mechanism is a geared device consisting of 30 gears in a highly complex arrangement.
Some scientists also refer to the Antikythera as the “moon computer,” as it was possibly used to calculate the astronomical cycles of heavenly bodies—in other words, to calculate the movement of stars and planets. Not all scientists agree with this, however, pointing out that the law of gravity had not yet been discovered in the 2nd century. Humans at that time did not yet understand how and why the heavenly bodies moved.
This device is currently on exhibit at the Greek National Archaeological Museum in Athens. Researchers from the Antikythera Mechanism Research Project have collected more than one terabyte of data, which include digital photographs, surface imaging and 2/3D X-rays.
Last year, the Antikythera Mechanism Research Project held a major symposium and discussed the mechanism and its place in the history of science, technology and ideas.
The team has also been able to decipher more inscriptions, revealing that the ancient civilization that constructed the mechanism had a great deal of knowledge about the solar system. The device also stands witness to the extraordinary mathematical and engineering capabilities of the ancient Greeks. Scientists note that their research is far from complete, and the consensus is that the Antikythera mechanism has not revealed all of its secrets yet. Only time will tell.
