X-rays
and advanced photography have uncovered the true complexity of the
mysterious Antikythera mechanism, a device so astonishing that its
discovery is like finding a functional Buick in medieval Europe.
In
1900, some divers found the wreck of a Roman vessel off the Greek
island of Antikythera. Among the other treasures remanded to the Greek
government was an unassuming corroded lump. Some time later, the lump
fell apart, revealing a damaged machine of unknown purpose, with some
large gears and many smaller cogs, plus a few engraved words in Greek.
Early studies suggested it was some type of astronomical time-keeping
device – researcher Derek J. de Solla Price laid the groundwork by
establishing initial tooth counts and suggesting that the device
followed the Metonic cycle, a 235-month pattern commonly used to predict
eclipses in the ancient world.
The
full function and beauty of the Antikythera device remained hidden
until recent studies subjected it to more advanced imaging techniques.
First, it was photographed using a technique that exposed the surfaces
to varying lighting patterns. This created different levels of contrast
that allowed the researchers to read far more of the inscribed Greek
text than was previously possible. Then, x-ray imaging was used to
create full 3-D computer models of the mechanism, which revealed for the
first time some of the more complex and detailed gear interactions. The
Greek National Archaeological Museum's discovery of some boxes filled
with 82 additional mechanism fragments added new information as well.
The findings,
published in Nature,
are probably best described as "mind blowing." Devices with this level
of complexity were not seen again for almost 1,500 years, and the
Antikythera mechanism's compactness actually bests the later designs.
Probably built around 150 B.C., the Antikythera mechanism can perform a
number of functions just by turning a crank on the side.
Using
nothing but an ingenious system of gears, the mechanism could be used
to predict the month, day and hour of an eclipse, and even accounted for
leap years. It could also predict the positions of the sun and moon
against the zodiac, and has a gear train that turns a black and white
stone to show the moon's phase on a given date. It is possible that it
could also show the astronomical positions of the planets known to the
ancients: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.
The
Antikythera mechanism wasn't just a scientific tool – it also had a
social purpose. The Greeks held major athletic competitions (such as the
Olympics) every two or four years. A small dial within the Metonic dial
showed the dates of these important events.
The
true genius of the mechanism goes beyond even the complex calculations
and craftsmanship of a mechanical calendar. For example, the ancients
didn't know that the moon has an elliptical orbit, so they didn't know
why it sometimes slowed or sped up as it moved through the zodiac. The
mechanism's creator used epicyclic gears, also known as planetary gears,
with a "pin-and-slot" mechanism that mimicked this apparent shifting in
the moon's movement. This use of epicyclic gears is far ahead of what
anyone suspected ancient technology was capable of. Scientific American
has
a two-part video about the mechanism and the imaging techniques used in the research.
The
mystery of who built the Antikythera mechanism remains. It has been
linked to renowned ancient inventor Archimedes by the writings of
Cicero, but this particular device was built after Archimedes' death.
Still, the engraved words revealed by the new photos pinpoint the
device's origin to Corinth, or possibly Corinthian colonies. Sicily was
such a colony, and the Sicilian city of Syracuse was Archimedes'
headquarters. The researchers theorize that the Antikythera mechanism is
based on an Archimedian design, and might even have been built by a
workshop carrying on his technological tradition. But if the design has
been "industrialized" in such a way, why have we never found another one
like it? Mysteries remain.
The
complexity of the mechanism shows that ancient humans were capable of
intellectual and engineering feats that boggle our modern minds (and it
puts the lie to all those "ancient astronaut" theories). The upheavals
of war and natural disasters over 2,000 years have probably caused us to
lose many more works and wonders that will never be found.
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X-rays and advanced photography have uncovered the true complexity of the mysterious Antikythera mechanism, a device so astonishing that its discovery is like finding a functional Buick in medieval Europe.In 1900, some divers found the wreck of a Roman vessel off the Greek island of Antikythera. Among the other treasures remanded to the Greek government was an unassuming corroded lump. Some time later, the lump fell apart, revealing a damaged machine of unknown purpose, with some large gears and many smaller cogs, plus a few engraved words in Greek. Early studies suggested it was some type of astronomical time-keeping device – researcher Derek J. de Solla Price laid the groundwork by establishing initial tooth counts and suggesting that the device followed the Metonic cycle, a 235-month pattern commonly used to predict eclipses in the ancient world.Expand
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