This 2,000-Year-Old Computer Has Captivated the World for Decades. Some Say It Never Actually Worked

125 years ago, divers collecting sponges in the Aegean Sea off the island of Antikythera discovered the remains of an ancient shipwreck. Among the jewels, coins, and ceramic fragments, they found something that caught their attention: What appeared to be a bronze gear. This was part of a larger assembly of gears, which later became known as the “Antikythera mechanism.”

For decades, this artifact remained an overlooked curiosity in the archives of the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. It wasn’t until researcher Derek de Solla Price examined it and studied its structure that he concluded it was an advanced Greek “computer” built sometime between 200 and 100 B.C. After much speculation, a group of Argentine researchers tested the Antikythera mechanism to assess its function as the first computer in history.

The conclusion? It was nothing more than a work of genius.

The main piece.

The first computer. For decades, the world has been fascinated by the mechanism. The lack of understanding about its functionality has led to several hypotheses. However, it was Price who first explored it in depth, creating physical simulations of the complete state of the mechanism.

Derek de Solla Price next to a recreation of the Antikythera mechanism.

According to Price, the Antikythera mechanism was a component of a more complex device. This device consisted of at least 30 bronze gears strategically arranged within a wooden box measuring around 13 x 7 x 3.5 inches. A crank allowed the gears to move and perform their functions.

The goal: stellar movements. According to Price, the Antikythera mechanism functioned as a planetary computer. The device was capable of predicting astronomical positions, lunar phases, and eclipses. As such, it could calculate cycles of the 354-day lunar calendar, schedule dates for sports events, among other applications.

The pieces researchers have found.

Using a series of different disks, the Antikythera mechanism displayed astronomical data and was designed to replicate the irregular movement of the Moon in its orbit. This was achieved through specialized gears that compensated for anomalies in its trajectory. Following the initial discovery, researchers have discovered additional pieces of the mechanism, allowing them to better understand its design and function.

More from Xataka On

Scientists Have Been Trying to Understand How Ancient Egyptians Created Mirrors For Years. It Looks Like They Finally Figured It Out

Limitations. While the Antikythera mechanism was undoubtedly an advanced machine for its time, it had several limitations. Despite the sophistication of Greek astronomers, the mechanism represented the knowledge available at that time. As such, comparing it with later techniques and tools isn’t entirely fair. For instance, the positions of some planets diverge significantly from modern measurements.

This discrepancy is logical and doesn’t detract from the device’s significance. However, two factors limited its accuracy: the mechanical design itself and the quality of the gear manufacturing. Over time, the bronze teeth of the gears could wear down and become less precise. Additionally, gears were produced by hand rather than through mass production, meaning any deviations in their construction would directly impact the accuracy of the calculations.

Previous investigations, such as those conducted by British astrophysicist Mike Edmunds, have noted these accuracy issues.

This is what it was supposed to be used for.

Another representation of the Antikythera mechanism.

Testing. Researchers at the National University of Mar de Plata in Argentina have recently computer-simulated the Antikythera mechanism, concluding that it was likely useless. Their study was published on arXiv.

The simulation built upon previous studies, which considered the impact of irregular triangular teeth and the effects of physical inaccuracies in the mechanism’s construction. The team discovered that while the triangular teeth didn’t negatively affect the mechanism’s operation, they did contribute to gear jamming when the crank was turned.

As a result, researchers say that this would have made the Antikythera mechanism impractical for scientific use, effectively reducing it to a work of genius. However, they also emphasize that their conclusions stem from a simulation based on the information available about the device discovered in 1900. They speculate that the uneven spacing between the gears could be attributed to corrosion rather than intentional design, given the skill required for its construction.

Researchers suggest that the wheels would bind at the slightest misalignment due to their extreme sharpness, wear, or poor balancing from the workmanship of that era.

Room for improvement. Researchers propose several improvements to the gears to address the identified issues. However, they caution against assuming that the “values accurately reflect the mechanism’s original errors.” They add that it’s unlikely that such a complex device would have been created if it was non-functional.

As such, the team emphasizes the need for further research and the development of more refined techniques to better understand the precision and functionality of the Antikythera mechanism. As for its discovery among the remains of a shipwreck, researchers suggest a simpler explanation: It was likely part of the spoils collected for a Roman emperor, possibly Julius Caesar.

The Antikythera mechanism remains a source of speculation and intrigue due to the remarkable achievement of its construction more than 2,000 years ago. However, ongoing studies suggest it was likely of little practical use. Still, researchers agree that its creation was a technological milestone. There’s no denying that.

Images | Gts-tg | Zde| Artistsmarket| Grb16| Tony Freeth/David Higgon/Aris Dacanalis/Lindsay MacDonald/Myrto Georgakopoulou/Adam Wojcik | Mike Peel

Related | Sleeping in Wooden Cabinets Was Common During the Middle Ages. The Big Question Is: Why Did We Stop?