For over 2 centuries, lay a shipwreck off the coast of the Greek island of Antikythera. First discovered by sponge divers in 1900, various artifacts from vases, coins, jewelry and bronze statues were found alongside the shipwreck, which was then transferred to the National Museum of Archaeology in Athens for storage and analysis. In 1902, archaeologist Valerios Stais discovered something peculiar among the artifacts, initially believing what is now known as the Antikythera mechanism to be some sort of astronomical clock. Scholars refuted the idea stating that the device was prochronistic, too technologically advanced for its time. It was only until 1959 when physicist, historian of science, and information scientist Derek J. de Solla Price deduced that the mechanism was used to calculate the position of the planets and significant stars in the solar system based on the calendar month.
With the desire to learn more about this extraordinary mechanism, a new initiative called the Antikythera Mechanism Research Project was formed in 2005 by an international collaboration of academic researchers.
By using the latest technologies developed by industry-leading X-ray companies, detailed three-dimensional x-rays were developed using microfocus x-ray techniques. The newly acquired data had enabled the researchers to examine a detailed rendition of the mechanism to its finest details ranging from the faded inscriptions to each individual gear teeth.
Estimated to be built in the 200 BCE, the mechanism far exceeds any similar complexity of technology by a millennium. Fitted with 30 or so internal gears inside the main dials, by entering a specific date into the Antikythera Mechanism and turning the dials, a plethora of information is calculated ranging from the accurate positions of the sun, moon, solar system planets, stars, the lunar phase, and even the dates and hours of future solar eclipses. The mechanism is considered to be the very first computer the human race had ever created.
