12 Facts About the Mysterious 2000-Year-Old Computer Found in Shipwreck

In 2005, researchers deciphered inscriptions on the Antikythera mechanism revealing it could predict eclipses decades in advance using the 223-month Saros cycle discovered by the Babylonians in the 7th century BC.¹ 

This shocking level of astronomical knowledge and engineering skill from over 2000 years ago makes you wonder – just how advanced was ancient technology really? 

Here are 12 important facts about this ancient “computer” that will leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about the capabilities of our ancestors.

1. Oldest Known Computer

Dating back to around 100-200 BC, the Antikythera mechanism is widely considered the oldest analog computer ever discovered. Its staggering complexity was unrivaled for at least a thousand years after its creation.

2. Future Prediction Capabilities

By utilizing the 223-month Saros cycle and other astronomical cycles known to the Babylonians, the mechanism could calculate the timing of solar and lunar eclipses many years in advance. This predictive power was unprecedented for the era.

3. Ancient Olympics Tracker

The Antikythera mechanism didn’t just look to the heavens – one of its dials kept track of the four-year cycle of the ancient Olympic games and other important Greek athletic events.^(ref) This allowed its users to plan for these culturally significant competitions well ahead of time.

4. Impressive Precision

The mechanism’s gears could model the complex motions of the sun, moon and planets with impressive precision, with only a 1 degree error every 500 years. This level of accuracy was unheard of at the time.

5. Unimaginable Complexity

X-ray analysis has revealed the mechanism contains at least 30 interlocking bronze gears, and is more complex than any device for the next 1000 years until medieval cathedral clocks appeared. Its design was centuries ahead of its time.

6. Mysterious Origins

The exact origins of who built the mechanism and where remain unknown. Theories range from the island of Rhodes, home of astronomer Hipparchus, to the ancient Greek city of Pergamon, location of a famed library second only to Alexandria. The truth remains elusive.

7. Redefining Ancient Knowledge

The sheer existence of the Antikythera mechanism has forced scholars to radically rethink the astronomical knowledge and engineering capabilities of Hellenistic Greeks. It’s a startling reminder of how much ancient wisdom has been lost to time.

8. Babylonian & Greek Synthesis

The mechanism synthesized mathematical and astronomical concepts from both Babylonian and Greek traditions. This reveals a deep cross-cultural exchange of ideas between these ancient civilizations.

9. Potential Lost Sisters

Researchers believe the Antikythera mechanism was not unique and that other examples of this technology may have existed, now lost to the ages. Tantalizing traces in ancient texts hint at the existence of other “computers.”

10. Decades of Imaging

Due to the fragmented, corroded state of the mechanism’s 82 surviving pieces, it took decades of work with cutting-edge x-ray and imaging technology to finally reveal its inner workings and decipher its inscriptions. Unraveling its secrets was a monumental effort.

11. Beyond Stargazing

While the mechanism’s astronomical functions get the most attention, it also served a deeper philosophical and religious purpose – its accurate eclipse predictions and calendar allowed the ancient Greeks to plan important rituals and festivals and maintain social cohesion. The mechanism wove together scientific, cultural, and spiritual meaning.

12. Ongoing Discoveries

Even after over a century of study, the Antikythera mechanism continues to yield new insights and stun researchers with the depth of its ancient engineering. 

In 2022, scientists discovered it used a complex mathematical process developed by the philosopher Parmenides to achieve unprecedented accuracy in its astronomical calculations.^(ref)

What other secrets might still be locked in this ancient marvel, waiting to be discovered? Only time will tell.

Source:
1. PLOS One