Ancient Technologies: The Antikythera Mechanism

Computers make everyone's life easier, form numerical calculations to information sources on the internet. The first computer was original attributed to be built in the 1830's and was used for basic numerical calculations, much like modern day calculators, only a lot larger, and very heavy. From those humble roots we have evolved to the point at which we are at today, but what if we would have had computers back in the times of ancient Rome? What if I told you that they existed in those ancient times, would you believe me? Well you should because ancient technology recovered from a Roman ship wreck has proven that these modern day machines as we think of them may not be so modern after all.

Off the coast of the Greek island of Antikythera there was a wreck discovered and from this wreck all of science was changed forever. A sponge diver had accidentally discovered the wreck after begin blow off course by a large storm just before the turn of the century of 1900. Several large bronze statues were brought to the surface, but the true treasure from this wreck lay still undiscovered. After the initial dive a strange anomaly was discovered by an archeologist named Valerious Stais. He noticed that a heavily encrusted rock actually contained what appeared to be a gear like structure.

This gear was actually part of a much larger machine that has come to be known as the Antikythera mechanism. It is in fact a basic analog computer that was used to calculate the relative position of the stars planets and other heavenly bodies for any day of the year at any given time. This computer can be set forward and set backwards, and runs accurately even compared to the advanced programs that astronomers use today.

The mechanism's wooden frame was completely destroyed during the wreck but the information that we can gather from it comes from models reconstructed from top researchers from around the world using the pieces of this puzzle we have currently found. The mechanism has at least 37 gears, 30 of which have been recovered and the other seven completely destroyed. However it is thought that the Antikythera mechanism may have as many as 70 or more separate gears. This proves the complexity of this device as compared to many other technologies of the day.

What amazes the scientific community is how accurate this device appears to be. Complex computer software has been designed to do exactly what this machine can, and it was designed hundreds of years ago. The computer design may be analog rather then digital like modern computers but the concept is the same. You input information and receive information back. You put in a specific date, and you get a description of every heavenly body that was known of at the time.

This is only one of the many discoveries that has come to light in recent years that proves to us that where we are today as a civilization was actually rivaled in the past by other great civilizations. In the Mayan world there were pieces of jewelry discovered that at first appeared to be insects, but it is now thought that they are actually early models of flying devices. Ancient maps have been unearthed that are so accurate that scientist to this day have no idea about how they were designed and Leonardo Devin chi had plans and designs mapped out on how to construct and operate what appears to be primitive robots. All this shows how much we have underestimated our ancestors, and how much we can learn by diving into their ancient technologies and civilizations.