The Antikythera Mechanism

[Graeme1858]

More than 21 centuries ago, a mechanism of fabulous ingenuity was created in Greece, a device capable of indicating exactly how the sky would look for decades to come -- the position of the moon and sun, lunar phases and even eclipses. But this incredible invention would be drowned in the sea and its secret forgotten for two thousand years.

[Thefatkitty]

Indeed a fascinating device; I watched a different documentary on it a number of years ago. Makes you wonder what other knowledge was "lost".

Thanks for the post!

[helicon]

Very interesting thanks.

[gregl]

A friend of mine made one out of Lego.

[AntennaGuy]

A friend of mine made one out of Lego.

You mean... this one?

[Graeme1858]

I never realised the ancient Greeks had Lego.

[KingClinton]

I saw a recent discussion where it was asked why only one was ever produced?
Surely something like this would have been duplicated for use by other Greek astronomers? Why have we never found anything remotely close to it.

[Graeme1858]

They were made in Pompeii.

[KingClinton]

They were made in Pompeii.

[Gfamily]

I saw a recent discussion where it was asked why only one was ever produced?
Surely something like this would have been duplicated for use by other Greek astronomers? Why have we never found anything remotely close to it.

The quality of the work is very indicative that making these mechanisms was a mature technology for the time.
Indeed, Cicero writes of mechanisms that may have been like an Orrery, or a Planetarium, so it seems unlikely that it was unique.

As for the 'no similar device found' - the explanation I've heard from Prof Mike Edmunds (who worked on the Cardiff University team that re-analysed it in depth), is that bronze was a valuable material, so any similar mechanisms that broke or were otherwise not required, would very likely have been smelted down and used to make other items. That said, with the level of workmanship required to make, devices like the Antikythera mechanism were probably never very common, so not that many are likely to have been lost at sea, compounded with the low likelihood that it would also have been found.