The Antikythera Mechanism

In 1901, Greek divers found a wreck off of the island of Antikythera which was stuffed with treasures of ancient Greece. Among them, was an inconspicuous lump of corroded metal which researchers have discovered to be one of the incredible marvels of the ancient world: the Antikythera Mechanism.

Thanks to the revelations of recent three-dimensional X-ray tomography, scientists say the instrument's complex gears predicted solar eclipses, lunar eclipses, and the four-year cycles of the Olympiad, forerunner to our modern Olympic Games.

In a recent article in Nature, the authors explain many of the new discoveries about the mechanism, including its probable cultural antecedents, perhaps in the area of Syracuse. The device outstrips anything that scholars imagined since it combines cosmic predictions with human cultural activities--the cycles of the Olympiad.

To view or read more:

• Video feature on the mechanism from Nature
• The article in Nature--"Calendars with Olympiad Display and Eclipse Prediction on the Antikythera Mechanism"
• Homepage of the Antiklythera Mechanism Research Project
• New York Times article, "Discovering How Greeks Computed in 100 B.C."