The Antikythera Mechanism
Oldest known analogue computer, predicting astronomical events and Olympic cycles.
It is the oldest known example of an analogue computer, capable of predicting astronomical positions and eclipses decades in advance, as well as tracking the four-year cycle of athletic games similar to an olympiad.
- Number of known gears
- 30 meshing bronze gears (with possible debate about a 31st or 32nd)
Lore & Background
It was found as a lump of corroded bronze and wood, later separated into three main fragments and then 82 separate fragments. Initially considered prochronistic, it was later recognized as an astronomical calculator by German philologist Albert Rehm.
Reader's Guide
The Antikythera mechanism represents a pinnacle of Hellenistic engineering and astronomical knowledge. Its complexity—with 35 meshing bronze gears enabling predictions of lunar and solar positions, eclipses, and the Moon's irregular orbit—was unmatched until the 14th century in western Europe. The device's construction relied on theories of Hipparchus of Rhodes, and its calendar on the Metonic Spiral suggests origins in Corinth or its colonies. The mechanism's discovery revolutionized understanding of ancient technology, demonstrating that sophisticated analogue computing existed over 2,000 years ago.
Did You Know?
- The mechanism could track the four-year cycle of athletic games similar to the ancient Olympic Games.
- The mechanism was not treated upon removal from seawater, resulting in deformational changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Antikythera Mechanism?
It is a hand-cranked bronze device from ancient Greece that modeled the movements of the Sun, Moon, and planets. Built sometime in the 2nd century BC, it stands as the earliest known analogue computer ever recovered.
What could The Antikythera Mechanism actually predict?
Its network of 35 meshing bronze gears let a user forecast the positions of celestial bodies and solar or lunar eclipses years in advance. It also tracked the four-year cycle of Greek athletic competitions, working much like a mechanical almanac.
Why is The Antikythera Mechanism considered so important to the history of science?
It predates any other known geared computing device by roughly a millennium, proving that Hellenistic engineers had already mastered analog computation. Its existence fundamentally reshaped what scholars assumed ancient Greek science was capable of.
More in Ancient Mysteries 1-22
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