​The Antikythera Mechanism

Brian Bondy

I​f you are an Indiana Jones fan, then this last one is worth watching. Not only does it feature the Antikythera Mechanism, but Marion does make a brief appearance, and she is always a pleasure.

Back in the 90’s I first learned about this device, found in 1901 off Greece by some sponge divers, along an ancient wreck. There was a lot found, and at the time, the lump of rust was not that interesting.

Later, upon closer examination, it was found to be nothing less than history changing. If you have seen the Indiana Jones movie, then you know all about it.

Just kidding. The movie doesn’t begin to tell how astonishing it is, but it does make it a lot of fun. Back in the early 90’s when I read an article about it, it was not yet known what it was. With more than 30 precision gears, there was some thought that it may have been a clock of some sort. The mechanism was dated to about 150 BC to 100 BC. Since the first mechanical clocks are generally attributed to Germany in the late 13th century, that makes the Antikythera Mechanism about 1400 years ahead of its time.

If you are familiar with the non-Shakespeare phrase, “Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world”, then you know Archimedes was a pretty smart guy. While that would be a huge understatement, he is the one that gets attributed to designing, if not building, the Antikythera Mechanism.

Unlike the movie, the mechanism is basically a rusty pile of gears and housing. Using CT X-rays, however, a great deal was learned. It turns out that the device is a very complex Horary, an Astrological clock. It predicts eclipses, the passage of celestial bodies through the sky, and other things. It is still being examined and deciphered.

As a big computer geek, I’m facinated by the construction of what can be considered a hand cranked computer. See the movie if you like that sort of thing. If you want to learn more, then check out some of the links below.
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A 7 minute Youtube Video: Antikythera Mechanism: The ancient 'computer' that simply shouldn't exist - BBC REEL

​A fairly recent article: https://greekreporter.com/2022/09/15/antikythera-mechanism-secret/
A brief article about the first mechanical clocks: https://museum.seiko.co.jp/en/knowledge/MechanicalTimepieces01/