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THE ANTIKYTHERA MECHANISM

The Greek civilisation keeps surprising us for its rich legacy and its many legends
and mysteries, which we are still trying to decipher today. One of its fascinating
stories is that of the unique technological device discovered among the remains of

a shipwrecked Roman galley on the Greek island of Antikythera.

he devise’s contemporary depiction al- its gear, it was able to accurately replicate the speed and
ready starts in an intriguing way, because duration of the Moon's movement in its elliptical orbit. It
its discovery occurred completely by also reproduced with great accuracy the orbits of the five
chance, it was a stroke of luck. It happened planets known in antiquity: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter
more than 100 years ago, when a group and Saturn. On the front of the mechanism it had depicted a
of sea sponge hunters decided to try their planetarium with the Earth in the centre and the five planets
fortune on the island of Antikythera, dis- revolving around it.
Tcovering instead the greatest treasure
of Greek pieces among the remains of a Roman galley 2000 More than 2000 years later, verifying the precision demon-
years old. There, on the sandy bottoms where marble and strated by the Greeks regarding all this astronomical knowl-
copper statues rested, was found the –since then called– edge is overwhelming. The idea of mechanising these sci-
Antikythera mechanism, a sort of mechanical computer entific theories into a contraption to ascertain what would
made of bronze about the size of a tablet. happen days, months and years later is simply extraordinary.

GREEK CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY THE MIND BEHIND THE IDEA
After subjecting the device to X-rays and gamma rays, it was The Antikythera mechanism also predicted the exact date
discovered that its interior was extremely complex, since it of the Panhellenic games. And, although those of Olympia
was composed of up to 27 gear wheels. It is a totally anach- were the most prestigious, the Isthmians (in Corinth) ap-
ronistic piece due to its highly advanced system of gears pear much more prominent in the mechanism. This clue was
and mechanical movements by means of which they could essential to track down the device’s creator. After years of
replicate and predict astronomical movements. A true research, experts came to the conclusion that the mind be-
work of technological engineering. hind this incredible contraption lived in Syracuse and was
none other than Archimedes, the brilliant mathematician,
The Antikythera mechanism predicted eclipses with preci- physicist, engineer, inventor and astronomer. A privileged
sion as well as the seasons and the length of the Moon's mind from Ancient Greece that still surprises and amazes
cycles. By means of two of the wheels and various teeth of everybody today.

MG MAGAZINE 75