Just like in a science fiction story, archaeologists found a huge wristwatch buried deep in the sea, a scientific computer that was built between 70 and 60 BC. The Antikythera mechanism (pronounced as AN-tih-kih-THEER-ə) is the device. It was so advanced, nothing as complex was developed again until the 14th century. Its artifacts seemed way ahead of their time. Around 120 years ago, in Greece, a sponge diver discovered the wreck of a Roman cargo ship, at a depth of 45 meters off Antikythera island. Various bronze and marble statues, unique glassware, pottery, coins, jewelry, and other antiques were retrieved from the site. But what fascinated the archaeologists most from that site was the Antikythera mechanism, which was found in 1901. It has been predicted that the mechanism was being taken from Rhodes to Rome, with other looted treasures. Earlier, the mechanism went unnoticed for two years because museums' staff focused on piecing together the other treasures. Later examination revealed that the mechanism was made up of encrusted and corroded instruments. Only one-third parts of the original device survived. The largest piece was 33 cm high, 17 cm wide, and 9 cm thick, made of bronze mounted in a wooden frame. After decades of work on the device, in 1951, Derek J. de Solla Price, a British science historian, started investigating the mechanism. The device was too fragile to be moved out from the National Archaeological Museum of Athens. So in the 1970s, a research team constructed a microfocus computerized tomographer to study the object, and the first secret was revealed, dozens of gears were hidden within it. The device had several interlocking gears of bronze, a hand crank for turning the geared mechanism, and a display that presented data about the moon, sun, and planets. But it wasn't until 3D x-ray technology that they were able to separate these gears. It also disclosed a user manual that was hidden within the corroded bronze. The Antikythera mechanism is one of the world's oldest known geared devices, an analog astronomical computer.
The discovery of the Antikythera mechanism showed that ancient Greeks achieved technological advancement way before. It is said that the Antikythera mechanism may be a thousand years ahead of its time. The mechanism displayed the ancient Greek cosmos- the sun, moon, and planets in a ring system. The machine has a single input wheel drive, a complex combination of gears, pins, slots, and pointers that help the operator predict the position of celestial bodies, date & time of eclipses. The mechanism can be winded ahead ten years to know the position of celestial objects in the future. The device was originally enclosed in a shoe-box-sized case, and its faces were covered with Greek inscriptions. It came with an instruction manual as these inscriptions indicated the astronomical and calendrical purposes of the mechanism. It has the first known set of scientific dials, whose value was recognized even more when the radiographic images displayed that the remaining fragments had thirty bronze gear wheels with one-millimeter-long teeth. The mechanism had 82 parts, many of which were lost after or before the discovery. A gear that was a part of the planetary display is lost. Many gears did not work in single pieces, scales were incomplete, and only one indicator persisted as a fragment. It has two crown gears, and the rest of them are normal gears that need particular alignment of the axes. The transmission was not uniform for these antique gears. The mechanism astonished researchers because no other machines from the ancient world had such complexity of gears. The mechanism has a large upper dial with a five-turn spiral slot and a moving pointer, and two large dials are at the back. This construction showed the 235 lunations, or synodic months in the Metonic cycle, which is 19 years long and used in replicating calendars. A large lower dial had symbols containing a four-turn spiral displaying the months that would have a solar or lunar eclipse on the basis of the 18.2-year Saros eclipse cycle. A subsidiary four-year dial indicated when the Panhellenic games would occur. The ancient Olympic Games came under this set, marking the beginning of four years when the full moon is closest to the summer solstice. Therefore, it required great expertise to calculate the timing in astronomy and the Antikythera mechanism aptly served its purpose. Reports say that the mechanism was repaired at least once, therefore, it must have been used frequently by ancient people.
The researchers wanted to recreate the device to possibly get to the bottom of several mysteries surrounding it. Despite years of thorough research and debate, researchers were never proficient at completely recreating the mechanism. However, a brilliant group of researchers at University College London (UCL) believe that they've reconstructed the design of the astounding device using 3-D imagery. According to an article published in the open-access journal Scientific Reports, Professor Tony Freeth (UCL Mechanical Engineering) says, “Our work reveals the Antikythera mechanism as a beautiful conception, and it matches the descriptions in the scientific notations engraved on the mechanism itself.” He also added, “It challenges all our presumptions about the technical aptitudes of the ancient Greeks.” Also, no one had ever created a model of cosmos that accommodated all of the physical evidence. Their model recreates each rotating dial and gears to show the movement of the sun, the moon, and the planets across the zodiac on the front face, and also the phases of the moon and eclipses on the back face. A hand coil rotates the gears which move the hands on the dials, through which the user can predict eclipses, and also the passage of heavenly bodies through the sky. Undoubtedly, their paper includes proof that the mechanism produced expected results. They are receiving applauds as all the known features and components have been explained for the very first time. They have also designed a gold-colored computer model of the result: “An elegant ancient Greek mechanical cosmos.” Now that the computer model has been recreated, the researchers want to make physical versions using modern techniques and operate the techniques that could have been used by the ancient Greeks. The mechanism has the importance of providing an encyclopedia of astronomical knowledge to unravel the history of ancient Greek time.
The Antikythera mechanism presents a valuable insight into the history, allowing us to see the ancient Greeks' recorded astronomical knowledge, as well as the wisdom of the ancient Babylonians. Furthermore, it lays evidence of the ancient Greeks' remarkable mathematical and engineering ability. From any perspective, the mechanism’s level of engineering is astounding. The Antikythera mechanism's discovery indicated that the Greeks had achieved the pinnacle of technological skill unfathomable. Literature from around that period makes multiple references to devices similar to this one, recovered in the shipwreck. In his writings, the Roman orator Cicero (106–43 BC) discussed many inventions that were similar to the Antikythera mechanism, which adds to the authenticity of these claims. The fact that devices like the Antikythera mechanism were exceptionally rare and expensive may be one of the reasons why no other devices have survived from antiquity to today. Bronze is a highly valued and recyclable metal. All of antiquity's artifacts have been believed to be lost or destroyed. Metal devices from antiquity are extremely rare to find because, in most cases, such devices were melted down for their metal. Considering all of this, it's reasonable to conclude that the device has only lasted because it was buried at the sea bottom and no one was able to recover it. Our understanding of ancient people and their cultures is not always accurate, which makes this revelation highly crucial for both archaeology and computer science. Modern technology has vastly advanced our understanding of the mechanism in the years since its discovery. This ancient invention provides a different picture of the ancient Greeks, indicating that they were far more advanced than we ever anticipated. The Antikythera mechanism has astounded the scientific community and the rest of the world and has inspired century-long research into how an early civilization fashioned such a masterwork. It's crucial to remember that many previous inventions were technological game-changers when they were first introduced. The Antikythera mechanism is one of the most fascinating scientific stories ever told. The mechanism's existence demonstrates the level of ideas and craftsmanship during classical times. As a result, such findings drive today's scientists and researchers to expand the scope of learning in the evolution of human thought and science. According to the great Arthur C. Clarke, “If the ancient Greeks had understood the competence of the technology they developed, they would have made it to the moon within 300 years and would now be discovering the closest stars”.