The Antikythera Mechanism: The Dial Of Destiny From Ancient Time
25th Oct 2024In the 21st century, technology is not surprising. But what if we told you about a technology that came to us from Ancient Greece and which, even by today’s standards, can be considered an engineering masterpiece? We are talking about the Antikythera mechanism, found over 120 years ago at the bottom of the Aegean Sea among the wreckage of a sunken Roman merchant ship.
What is special about the Antikythera mechanism? It is called the first analogue computer, and it still amazes scientists with its level of complexity and precision. Who created this unique device, and for what purpose? In this article, we will go on a fascinating journey in the footsteps of one of the most mysterious artefacts of the ancient world, which proves that, without ancient technologies, there would be no modern ones.
What Is The Antikythera Mechanism?
The Antikythera mechanism is the world’s first mechanical solar system, calendar, planetarium, and astronomical clock all rolled into one. The device has not survived to this day in its original form, but through careful study of its fragments, reconstructions and, later, computer modelling, scientists have been able to establish how it looked and worked.
The device included a set of over 30 metal gears, placed in a rectangular wooden case, approximately 32 x 17 x 6 cm in size, and protected by bronze plates. On the front panel were two main dials. One showed the zodiac calendar, and the other the Egyptian calendar. The hands of these dials indicated the position of the Sun and Moon in the Zodiac. The back panel also had two dials. The upper one showed the Metonic cycle, and the lower one the Saros (a period used to predict eclipses).
What Could The Antikythera Mechanism Predict?
The mechanism could show the position of the Sun, Moon, and five planets of the Solar System known at that time (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn), taking into account their orbital ellipticity, determine the phases of the Moon, solar and lunar eclipses, and even the dates of events important to the Greeks — the Olympic Games, festivals of the gods, etc. In addition, the Zodiac calendar and the Egyptian calendar displayed on the front dials made it possible to track time in different chronological systems, and the Metonic 19-year cycle — to coordinate the solar and lunar calendars.
How Did The Antikythera Mechanism Work?
The device was operated manually with a rotating handle. When the handle was turned, numerous gears began to move, setting the hands on the dials in motion. The gear teeth were hardened, and the actual gear sizes were ideally optimised to minimise friction, ensuring the necessary strength to allow uninterrupted device use and operation without bearings.
Each detail was made with amazing precision and meticulousness, like a clock mechanism that was invented much later. Almost every detail had a complex system of openings and markings. On the surviving fragments, scientists managed to decipher 2,000 letters, including 500 words. However, according to researchers, the descriptions could have taken up about 20,000 symbols. A real antique analogue computer!!
Still can’t imagine, what is the Antikythera mechanism? Watch Indiana Jones: The Dial of Destiny movie to see it in all its glory. In the movie, it was called ‘Archimedes’ Dial,’ but the film creators do not hide the fact that they were inspired by the ancient Greek artifact. But how did scientists get their hands on it and how did we learn everything we know about it today?
Antikythera Mechanism History
The artefact’s history dates back to the Hellenistic era (2nd-1st century BC). This period was a time of great scientific and cultural achievements, and the Antikythera mechanism is one of the most obvious examples. It has been studied for over a hundred years, never ceasing to amaze researchers with its execution complexity, which makes us rethink modern views on the development of ancient technology. But let’s discuss everything in the right order.
How Old Is The Antikythera Mechanism?
The device is believed to have been invented between 205 and 100 BC, meaning it could be over 2,300 years old!! It is not known for certain who created the Antikythera mechanism, but it is unlikely to have been Archimedes, as claimed in the Indiana Jones: The Dial of Destiny movie. Archimedes lived about a hundred years earlier. And although Cicero’s works mention a similar invention, there is not a word about the Archimedes Antikythera mechanism in the surviving works of Archimedes himself.
It is much more likely that Hipparchus of Nicaea had a hand in creating this amazing device. This outstanding Greek astronomer and mathematician lived around the same time (190 – 120 BC) and spent most of his life on the island of Rhodes, which is considered one of the possible places where the unique device could have been created.
Who Discovered The Antikythera Device?
The discovery dates back to April 4, 1900. That was the day when a Greek diver named Lykopantis discovered a sunken ancient ship containing a large number of ancient artefacts on the bottom of the Aegean Sea near the island of Antikythera. The ship was believed to have been heading from the island of Rhodes to Rome. In the first century BC, the established time period of the vessel, Rome controlled much of the Mediterranean, and ships often transported goods between different parts of the Roman Empire.
The salvage of historical treasures began in November 1900 and lasted for almost 11 months. The “catch” was incredibly rich. From a depth of 60 meters, divers raised bronze and marble statues of Apollo, Hermes, Odysseus, Diomedes, Hercules, a bronze lyre, the remains of several beautiful sofas with bronze ornaments in the form of lions and ducks, coins, jewellery, ceramics, and unique glassware. All the found items were transferred to the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. The Antikythera device fell apart into three pieces when it was pulled out of the sea. Besides, due to long contact with seawater, it was heavily covered with corrosion and a thick layer of marine sediments, so it was not immediately identified.
It was only on May 17, 1902, that archaeologist Valerios Stais, while studying pieces of bronze that were thought to be fragments of statues, suddenly discovered that some of them were fragments of a complex mechanism. Thus began a long study history of one of the most unique antique artifacts, given to us by the ancient Greeks.
Antikythera Device Research
What happened to the Antikythera Mechanism when it was discovered in 1902? Almost immediately, it was subjected to careful study to understand its purpose and functions.
The first detailed examinations ruled out the object’s resemblance to an astrolabe (an ancient astronomical measuring instrument based on the principle of stereographic projection) — the mechanism looked much more advanced than any known astrolabe. However, more accurate data was obtained only after the mid-20th century, using X-ray studies, as well as thanks to the antikythera mechanism reconstruction of Price (1959) and Wright (2002).
In 2006-2008, a joint Greek-British project to study the mysterious artefact used a new photography technique, PTM (Polynomial Texture Mapping), which made it possible to read about 95% of the inscriptions contained in the mechanism.
In 2010, Apple engineer Andrew Carol used LEGO to create an Antikythera mechanism replica based on Price’s reconstruction.
In 2021, a research team from University College London deciphered the working principle of the device’s gear train and created its first working model.
In July 2024, astronomers from the University of Glasgow used statistical modelling techniques developed for analysing gravitational waves to establish the likely number of openings in one of the device’s broken rings. The results of the study were published in the Official Journal of the British Horological Institute.
Research is still ongoing, continuing to expand our understanding of the workings and purpose of this ancient technological marvel.
What Is The Mystery Of The Antikythera Artifact In Greece?
The main mystery is how the ancient Greeks were able to create such a technically complex device. The level of technology used in this mechanism was not achieved in Europe until the Middle Ages, which raises questions about potentially lost knowledge and technology.
Indeed, most of the antiquity inventions have not survived to this day. However, their trace in history remains, and the Antikythera mechanism example allows us to confidently say that the foundation for the present-day technical progress of humanity was laid in ancient times. And as long as the hands on the dial of fate are spinning, our civilisation will keep developing.
References and Additional Information:
- Antikythera Mechanism https://www.worldhistory.org/Antikythera_Mechanism/
- Antikythera mechanism, world’s oldest computer, followed Greek lunar calendar https://www.livescience.com/archaeology/antikythera-mechanism-worlds-oldest-computer-followed-greek-lunar-calendar
- Calendars with Olympiad and Eclipse Prediction on the Antikythera Mechanism https://web.archive.org/web/20130927141324/http://www.antikythera-mechanism.gr/system/files/Antikythera_Nature2008_submitted.pdf
- Antikythera Mechanism: The ancient ‘computer’ that simply shouldn’t exist – BBC REEL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqlJ50zDgeA
- New Antikythera mechanism analysis challenges century-old assumption https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/07/antikythera-mechanisms-calendar-ring-likely-tracked-the-lunar-calendar/
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