The 'Antikythera Mechanism' Is Likely The Oldest Mechanical Computer, And She Could Track The Olympics

A larger-than-life team of academic "superheroes" are delving deep into the treasure trove that is Item 15087. These archaeologists, astronomers and historians have spent the last decade on this quest, slowly deciphering the secrets Item 15087, also called the "Antikythera Mechanism," holds. Over 2,100 years old, the Antikythera Mechanism is, to our knowledge, the oldest mechanical computer. According to
the Washington Post
, the Antikythera Mechanism was uncovered from the shipwreck at Antikythera, Greece, in 1901.

"In this very small volume of messed-up corroded metal you have packed in there enough knowledge to fill several books telling us about ancient technology, ancient science and the way these interacted with the broader culture of the time," the report said, quoting Alexander Jones, a historian of ancient science at New York University's Institute for the Study of the Ancient World.

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"It would be hard to dispute that this is the single most information-rich object that has been uncovered by archaeologists from ancient times."

What Is It?

The report said the Antikythera Mechanism "was a complex, whirling, clockwork instrument comprising at least 30 bronze gears bearing thousands of interlocking tiny teeth. Powered by a single hand crank, the machine modeled the passage of time and the movements of celestial bodies with astonishing precision. It had dials that counted the days according to at least three different calendars, and another that could be used to calculate the timing of the Olympics."

The Post further said, "Pointers representing the stars and planets revolved around its front face, indicating their position in relation to Earth. A tiny, painted model of the moon rotated on a spindly axis, flashing black and white to mimic the real moon's waxing and waning."

Derek de Solla Price, a polymath physicist and science historian at Yale University, said, "Nothing like this instrument is preserved elsewhere. Nothing comparable to it is known from any ancient scientific text or literary allusion."

Take a look at this brief documentary about the discovery below:

Posted In: NewsTopicsTravelMediaGeneralAlexander JonesAntikythera MechanismDerke de Solla PriceItem 15087New York UniversityWashington PostYale University
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