The Antikythera Mechanism is an astronomical calendar calculator recovered in 1900-1 from a wreck off the shore of the Greek island Antikythera and which dates back to 150-100BC when a great storm caused the wrecking of a Roman merchant ship. Sponge divers sheltering from the great storm of 1900 sought haven just off the coast of Antikythera. As the weather returned to normal they couldn’t imagine their luck as they discovered the wreck and recovered a device containing a complex arrangement of at least 30 gears. It is now known to have had the capability to model eclipses and astronomical cycles in great detal and is widely considered to be one of the most important archeological artifacts ever found. When a date was entered via a crank, the mechanism calculated the position of the Sun, Moon, and the location of the 5 planets (naked-eye planets) known to Greek astronomers at that time. You can follow reports on the latest discoveries related to its function and history at The Antikythera Mechanism Research Project.
