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| The three major fragments--there are many smaller ones! |
The Antikythera Mechanism! For much of my life this particular archaeological find from ancient Greece has been a "bucket list" item for me. If you don't know about this amazing bronze-age analog computer, I recommend you look it up--and prepare to have your mind blown!
Shipmate Jeremy Guyet and I went to the National Archaeological Museum for the specific purposes of making the acquaintance of the Mechanism; we wandered the galleries for nearly two hours, exploring the various periods of Greek, Roman and Archaic artistic expression--mostly through sculpture.
As we explored my mind buzzed constantly with the refrain of "where is
it?". I actually had begun to wonder if perhaps the Mechanism were in
an entirely DIFFERENT museum, or perhaps on-loan somewhere else (an
ultimate irony would be that the Mechanism would be on-display in New
York or D.C.).
Finally, unable to resist, I questioned a Docent as to the Antikythera Mechanism's location--and she told me that the gallery containing it was closed.
Not. Good.
Fortunately, a tiny part of my mind actually believes that the Universe DOES revolve around me and my desires, so as we were about to leave the Museum I just HAD to ask another staff member about seeing the Mechanism; this time the Cosmos smiled upon me as a few minutes later Jeremy and I were being escorted by a curator into the Presence of the Device itself.
And there I was, just inches from the dazzling discovery, made by fishermen diving on a shipwreck off the island of Antikythera in 1901, that has kept many archaeologists (and mathematicians, astronomers, and computer scientists) scratching their heads for a century. Only in recent decades, as technologies have developed that can scan through the sea-growth encasing the gears and dials, have the complexity and elegance of its design been determined.
Built perhaps 2,200 years ago by an unknown craftsman; a computing machine capable of calculating eclipses of the sun and moon with insane precision and accuracy, it appears to be a classroom teaching tool, perhaps one of many, and certainly not a one-off; the craftsmanship and skill demonstrate that this must be only one step in a long line of developmental evolution.
As I say, something I've dreamed of seeing with my own eyes for a very long time. I think I held my breath...I was definitely at a loss for words for some time. I stared into remains of a past un-imaginable only a few years ago; evidence of industry and sophistication never even considered for the ancient Greeks...and felt truly humbled by the experience.
Finally, unable to resist, I questioned a Docent as to the Antikythera Mechanism's location--and she told me that the gallery containing it was closed.
Not. Good.
Fortunately, a tiny part of my mind actually believes that the Universe DOES revolve around me and my desires, so as we were about to leave the Museum I just HAD to ask another staff member about seeing the Mechanism; this time the Cosmos smiled upon me as a few minutes later Jeremy and I were being escorted by a curator into the Presence of the Device itself.
And there I was, just inches from the dazzling discovery, made by fishermen diving on a shipwreck off the island of Antikythera in 1901, that has kept many archaeologists (and mathematicians, astronomers, and computer scientists) scratching their heads for a century. Only in recent decades, as technologies have developed that can scan through the sea-growth encasing the gears and dials, have the complexity and elegance of its design been determined.
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| The three large fragments from their reverse side |
Built perhaps 2,200 years ago by an unknown craftsman; a computing machine capable of calculating eclipses of the sun and moon with insane precision and accuracy, it appears to be a classroom teaching tool, perhaps one of many, and certainly not a one-off; the craftsmanship and skill demonstrate that this must be only one step in a long line of developmental evolution.
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| Note the lines of text in Ancient Greek...Instructions for use? |
As I say, something I've dreamed of seeing with my own eyes for a very long time. I think I held my breath...I was definitely at a loss for words for some time. I stared into remains of a past un-imaginable only a few years ago; evidence of industry and sophistication never even considered for the ancient Greeks...and felt truly humbled by the experience.
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| A modern reconstruction of the Mechanism |
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| And the rear dial layout, based on recent research |
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