Home > Antikythera mechanism

The wreck was discovered in 1900 at a depth of about 40 m (140 feet), and many statues and other works were retrieved from it by sponge divers. On May 17 1902 archaeologist Spyridon Stais noticed that one of the pieces of rock had a gear wheel embedded in it.

The mechanism is the oldest known surviving geared mechanism, made from bronze in a wooden frame, and has puzzled and intrigued historians of science and technology since its discovery. The most commonly accepted theory of its function is that it was an analog computer designed to track the movements of heavenly objects. Recent working reconstructions of the device support this analysis. The device is all the more impressive for its use of a differential gear, which was previously believed to have been invented in the 13th century AD.

The late Professor Derek De Solla Price , a science historian working at Yale University, published an article on the mechanism in Scientific AmericanScientific American is one of the oldest and most serious popular-science magazines. Founded by Rufus Porter, Scientific American has been published monthly since August 28, 1845. Among science periodicals, Scientific American (informally abbreviated to S in June 1959Events January-February January 1 Cultivars of plants named after this date must be named in a modern language, not in Latin. January 1 Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when forces of Fidel Castro advance January 2 CBS Radio cuts four soap operas: Bac while the device was still only partially inspected. In 1973Events January events January 1 United Kingdom, Ireland, and Denmark enter the European Economic Community now known as the European Union January 3 Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) sells the New York Yankees for $10 million to a 12-person syndicate led or 19741974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). Events January-February January 5 Dungeons & Dragons officially released. February 4 Patricia Hearst, the 19 year old granddaughter of publisher William Randolph Hearst, is kidnapped he published an analysis based on gamma rayThis article is about electromagnatic radiation. For the power metal band, see Gamma Ray (band Gamma rays (often denoted by the Greek letter gamma, γ) are an energetic form of electromagnetic radiation (see Electromagnetic spectrum) produced by radi imaging by Greek archaeologists. He claimed that the device had been built by a Greek astronomer, Geminus of RhodesThis article is about the Greek island of Rhodes. For other uses, see Rhodes (disambiguation). Rhodes Greek (Rodos), is the largest of the Dodecanese islands, and easternmost of the major islands of Greece in the Aegean Sea. It lies approximately 11 miles. His conclusion was not accepted by experts at the time, who believed that the Ancient Greeks had the theoretical knowledge but not the necessary practical skills.

A partial reconstruction was built by AustralianAustralia is the sixth-largest country in the world (geographically), the only one to occupy an entire continent, and the largest in the region of Australasia. Australia includes the island of Tasmania, which is an Australian State. Its neighbouring count computer scientist Allan George Bromley ( 1947Events January January 1 British mines nationalized January 1 Nigeria gains limited autonomy January 1 The Canadian Citizenship Act went into effect January 3 Proceedings of the United States Congress are televised for the first time. January 10 United Na- 2002) of the University of Sydney and Sydney clockmaker Frank Percival. This project led Bromley to review Price's X-ray analysis and to make new, more accurate X-ray images that were studied by Bromley's student, Bernard Gardner, in 1993.

Later, a British orrery maker named John Gleave constructed a working replica of the mechanism. According to his reconstruction, the front dial shows the annual progress of the Sun and Moon through the zodiac against the Egyptian calendar. The upper rear dial displays a four-year period and has associated dials showing the Metonic cycle of 235 synodic months, which equals 19 solar years. A synodic month is the period between two new moons. The lower rear dial plots the cycle of a single synodic month, with a secondary dial showing the lunar year of 12 synodic months.

Another reconstruction was made in 2002 by Michael Wright, mechanical engineering curator for the Science Museum in London, working with Bernard Gardner of Sydney.

The original mechanism is kept in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens.

The Antikythera mechanism, not described in any surviving source, shows that our knowledge of ancient technology is very incomplete.