First c. BC Antikythera Mechanism Further Deciphered.

Hi-tech CT and tomography scans reveals further details of the celestial computer including a handy dial indicating the 4 yearly timing of the ancient version of the Olympic Games.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Antikythera Mechanism was recovered in 1901 by sponge divers off the Greek island of Antikythera from a 1^st Century  BC Roman wreck.

It was taken to the National Archaeological Museum in Athens where after some months it split apart, revealing internal gearwheels.

I saw the mechanism as a teenager in 1974, which was about the time that serious scientific research began in order to understand the construction and purpose of the mechanism.  Erich von Däniken popularized the mechanism in the 70s by proposing that it originated via alien visitors in his book ‘Chariots of the Gods’.

The Antikythera Mechanism was in fact a kind of portable planetarium computing device arranged in a carriage clock-type, case.  The find consists of 4 main and 15 smaller fragments originally containing at least thirty bronze gearwheels with precise, 1.5 mm triangular teeth.  Studies have shown that the tooth counts of the surviving gears can be explained in terms of calendar cycles calculated from common multiples of solar and lunar cycles.  The device was capable of predicting movements of the Earth, Moon, Sun and the timing of eclipses.

The mechanism dimensions are c. 13″ x 7″ x 4″  with opening front and back panels revealing dials and output data for whichever date was selected by mechanical winder. The device design exhibits astonishing sophistication, e.g. it corrected for subtle irregular lunar variations, using epicyclic gearing theory.  In addition to the date and the positions of the sun and the moon in the zodiac, it is also likely that the device predicted the position of some, or all of the 5 known planets (wandering stars) at the time.

Recent work has revealed details of internal inscriptions, despite two thousand years under water.  The researchers used a 12 ton, HP polynomial texture mapping machine as well as Microfocus X-ray CT techniques in order to detect the engraved script within the now corroded together, mechanism. 

By carefully analysing the  CT scan slices with sophisticated software, many internal inscriptions have been painstakingly deciphered. This work has led to knowledge regarding specific calendar calculation methods e.g. the 19 year Metonic cycle vs the 76 year Callippic cycle as well as the discovery of a new ‘Olympiad dial’.  The ancient Greeks held four primary, inter-regional athletic events, at rival Cities in honor of specific patron deities; these games were often referenced when indicating important dates. The olympiad dial displayed which Pan-Hellenic games would be held in any given year, e.g. the ancient Olympic Games, held every 4 years in Olympia.  

There have been several citings of such machines in ancient texts but until recently it was not imagined that the design and manufacture of such a device was so advanced. No comparable mechanism was seen again for c. 1000 years.

Abstract of paper by by Tony Freeth, Alexander Jones, John

M. Steele & Yanis Bitsakis

See Comprehensive Supplementary Information on the paper

See also Essence of the Antikythera Mechanism by Tatjana van Vark

Guardian article + video of London curator’s authentic model.