On this day in 1902 Greek archaeologist Valerios Stais discovers the Antikythera mechanism, an ancient mechanical analog computer.
On this day in 1902 Greek archaeologist Valerios Stais discovers the Antikythera mechanism, an ancient mechanical analog computer.
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The Antikythera mechanism is an Ancient Greek hand-powered orrery, described as the oldest known example of an analogue computer used to predict astronomical positions and eclipses decades in advance.
This artefact was among wreckage retrieved from a shipwreck off the coast of the Greek island Antikythera in 1901. On 17 May 1902, it was identified by archaeologist Valerios Stais as containing a gear.
The device is at least 2100 year old. Machines with similar complexity did not appear again till the astronomical clocks of Richard of Wallingford and Giovanni de’ Dondi in the 14th century.
Always wandered if this was just a prototype on a ship to be presented to someone important and then it got lost after which the maker never made another.
Imagine what kind of technological and other advances this would bring at that time until now.