ANCIENT CALCULATOR

The Antikythera Mechanism.

December 1st, Athens Greece: Scientists have finally unraveled the mystery of an ancient device found on the sea floor 100 years ago. The device, called the Antikythera Mechanism was found at the depth of 164 foot, inside the wreck of a 2000 year old Roman Ship, located between the southern mainland of Greece and the Island of Crete. The Mechanism is estimated to have been built in Rhodes between 140 and 100 BC.

After more than 100 years of studying the extremely encrusted and corroded Mechanism, modern scientists, utilizing the latest X-Ray scanning technology, have been able to decipher the inscriptions and markings on the device and determine its original purpose: it is an Astronomical Calculator and/or Navigational Device. Taking information and measurements from the original Mechanism, modern scientists have re-constructed some models of the Mechanism to experiment with. The overall size of the Mechanism is approximately 8 by 10 by 8 inches. The Mechanism is operated via a hand crank.

The earliest known devices of this complexity, in the Western World, only date back to the Middle Ages (5th through 16th Centuries).


Here is a LINK for more information and pictures.