Antikythera Device
By Spooky | December 21, 2007
In 1901 divers working off the isle of Antikythera found the remains of a clockwork device that is estimated to be around 2,000 years old.
After over 2,000 years under the sea, the device is corroded and crumbling, its dials and gear wheels stuck together with alluvial deposits. But we can see from photographic and x-ray evidence, the workings of the device and reconstruct a good idea of the appearance of the original object.
The device resembles a clock; a box with dials on the outside, and a great many gears inside. In its former glory, it would have had the appearance of a 18th century time piece. It is widely accepted that this is an ancient mechanical device used for calculating the position of astronomical objects with great accuracy.
Michael Edmunds of Cardiff University who led the study of the mechanism said: “This device is just extraordinary, the only thing of its kind. The design is beautiful, the astronomy is exactly right. The way the mechanics are designed just makes your jaw drop. Whoever has done this has done it extremely carefully.”
Mystery surrounds the creator of this device, although many believe that the Greek astronomer, mathematician and philosopher Geminus is responsible. He was a resident of Rhodes at the time the device was manufactured, and Rhodes at the time was the centre of astronomical research.
Another mystery of the device is the technology involved. It was previously thought that this complexity in gears was only achievable in the 18th century. The Antikythera Device shows that the ancient Greeks had no difficulty in constructing mechanisms as complex as epicyclical gears and calculate the ratios necessary for motion.
The device is displayed in the Bronze Collection of the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, accompanied by a reconstruction made and offered to the museum by Derek de Solla Price.
References
Did you like this post? Let others know! Add it to:
Del.icio.us
· Digg it
· StumbleUpon
· YahooMyWeb
· Spurl
· Furl
· Technorati
Topics: Europe |
