ЁЯФ╖ Introduction
Have you ever imagined that 2000 years ago, when people used to travel on horse-drawn carriages, there existed a device that could calculate the motion of planets, solar and lunar eclipses, and time with as much accuracy as today’s digital clock or computer does?
This is the secret of the Antikythera Mechanism тАУ which is considered the world’s first mechanical computer today, and which was discovered in the sea near Greece.
ЁЯФ╖ What is Antikythera Mechanism?
The Antikythera Mechanism is an ancient gear-based device that was built about 2000 years ago, i.e. in 100 BC. It was used to calculate astronomical events:
Planetary positions
Prediction of solar-lunar eclipses
Phases of the moon
Date of the ancient Olympic Games
This device was box-shaped, inside which there were more than 30 complex gears made of bronze.
ЁЯФ╖ How and where was this device found?
In 1901, some Greek divers descended into the wreckage of an ancient ship in the depths of the sea near an island called Antikythera. They found some statues and metal pieces there.
Gradually the secret was revealed that that piece of metal was not an ordinary thing, but a device that could do calculations like today’s computers.
ЁЯФ╖ The technology behind it
The Antikythera Mechanism had gears that rotated at different speeds and angles. These gears were rotated by hand, and they showed:
the solar year,
the lunar year,
the movement of the planets and
even the eclipse cycle.
This device was so complex that no other technology comparable to it came to Europe 1500 years later.
ЁЯФ╖ Who would have used it?
It is believed that this device was used by ancient Greek astronomers, such as:
Hipparchus тАУ who calculated the orbit of the moon.
Ptolemy тАУ who gave the geocentric theory of astronomy.
Some historians believe that this device may have been associated with the Library of Alexandria.
ЁЯФ╖ Why is the Antikythera Mechanism called a computer?
The word “computer” means тАУ a machine that can do logic and calculations on an input.
The Antikythera Mechanism:
Input = given by turning a handle
Processing = complex gears
Output = dates, eclipses, lunar phases
That is, it was a mechanical computer тАУ without electricity!
ЁЯФ╖ Does it match modern technology?
Yes, when scientists did its 3D scanning and CT scan, they were surprised to see that:
Its gear structure is as complex as that of modern watchmaking instruments.
It has a Differential Gear System, which was rediscovered in the 19th century.
Its accuracy is up to 99.9%.
ЁЯФ╖ Mystery and controversy
Was this device alone, or were there other devices that are now lost?
Was this knowledge only in Greece or also in India, Egypt and Mesopotamia?
Was this civilization much more advanced than before?
Many researchers believe that history needs to be rewritten.
ЁЯФ╖ Mention of such devices in India?
Astronomical calculations are also described in Indian texts such as Vedas, Vedanga Jyotish and Surya Siddhanta.
Although physical evidence of such devices is scarce in India, it can be concluded that ancient science was quite developed around the world.
ЁЯФ╖ Conclusion: Did people make computers even 2000 years ago?
The Antikythera Mechanism proves that ancient humans were not just savage cavemen, but were:
astronomers
mathematicians
and amazing engineers.
This device is not only a wonder of science, but it also inspires us to understand history not just from books, but also from discovery and science.
