2,000 yr old Ancient AntiKythera Computer by Archaeologous
While touring in Athens, browsing around the magnificent Athens Archaeological Museum, I stumbled across an exhibition that kept me in the museum for the next 6 hours. Yes, I bailed out of my tour. I was seeing the results of the first worldwide underwater expedition.
Here were the exhibits of the treasures found from the maritime trade routes on the eastern coast of the tiny island of Antikythera in approximately 60-50 BC. The lay out of breathtaking jewelry, bronze & marble sculpture and the famous "Antikythera mechanism", which today is touted as the first computer was stupendous. These findings signified the 'then' new phenomenon of art trade which was the first in the history of the Western civilization.
The Antikythera 'mechanism' comprises of 82 fragments of gears, dials, scales, axles and the inscriptions on the surface refer to astronomical and calendar calculations. There are other inscriptions on it's protective plates that contain instructions for it's use.
It is considered to be the earliest preserved portable astronomical calculator/computer displaying positions of the Sun, Moon, and the five planets known then. It was used to predict solar and lunar eclipses, and displayed the dates of the Pan Hellenic games, in various locations. Weren't the ancient Greeks just fantastic?
Many of the treasures were recovered around l900 by the Greek Royal Navy and then continued again in l976 by J. Cousteau and his ship Calypso.
Other helpful links: http://www.archaeologous.com/blog/233/athens-restaurants-goes-calif-ny-archaeologous/
http://www.archaeologous.com/blog/240/top-10-walking-sites-near-acropolis-archaeologous/
