It is well known that many ancient civilizations used astronomy to track the days and months. But could any have created a machine that predicts the movements of the cosmos with computer-like accuracy? In the case of the  Greeks, the answer is remarkably, yes.

In 1901, a group of deep-sea divers discovered a Roman shipwreck (dated to around 70 B.C.) near Antikythera, a small island off the southern coast of Greece. Among the treasures was a small rusted machine that once contained a complex array of cogs and wheels. The purpose of this mysterious device, dubbed the Antikythera mechanism (pronounced anti-ki-THEER-a), proceeded to baffle scientists for the better part of the 20^th century. Some even speculated that it came from an alien spaceship or that it might have been used for time travel.

But recent developments in X-ray tomography – a system of imaging that uses waves of energy to reveal sophisticated, 3-dimensional views of a target – have allowed scientists to capture detailed images of the Antikythera. They now believe it was created between 150-100 B.C., and used to predict a wide range of calendar events, from solar and lunar eclipses to the 4-year cycle of the Olympic games. Its elaborate design — aspects of which were not to be seen for at least the next thousand years – is particularly stunning. Some of the most intricate parts even rival those of 18^th-century clockmakers!

Clearly, when it came to engineering, the ancient Greeks were also ancient Geeks.

For a more detailed view of the Antikythera mechanism, including 3D models of what it might have originally looked like, check out this amazing video:

Filed under: Computer, e-News, Explore Engineering

Tags: Engineering in History, Gadgets, Museums