The Antikythera: Ancient Greece’s Lost Computer Revealed

The Antikythera mechanism was discovered in 1901 off the coast of the small Greek island of Antikythera (also spelled Antikythira), located in the southern Aegean Sea, between the Peloponnese peninsula, the island of Kythira, and Crete.

The Antikythera mechanism, often hailed as the world’s oldest known analog computer, was discovered in 1901 off the coast of the small Greek island of Antikythera in the Aegean Sea.

Greek sponge divers, led by Captain Dimitrios Kontos, stumbled upon the wreck of an ancient Roman-era cargo ship while searching for sponges at depths of about 45-60 meters.

The ship, which sank around the early 1st century BCE (likely between 70-60 BCE), carried luxury goods including statues, amphorae, and other artifacts. Among the corroded lumps retrieved was a seemingly unremarkable bronze-encrusted object about the size of a shoebox, initially overlooked amid the treasure trove.

The significance of the find remained hidden for over a year until May 1902, when Greek archaeologist and politician Spyridon Stais (or his cousin Valerios Stais, the museum director) noticed a gear-like wheel embedded in one of the fragments while examining artifacts at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. This revelation sparked initial studies, though the device’s true complexity wasn’t understood for decades due to heavy corrosion and fragmentation. X-ray imaging in the 1970s and advanced CT scans in the 2000s by international teams revealed at least 30 precisely cut bronze gears, inscriptions in ancient Greek, and sophisticated mechanisms far ahead of their time.

Antikythera Recreation

Dating to roughly the late 2nd century BCE (around 205-60 BCE, with some estimates pinpointing circa 100 BCE), the mechanism is attributed to Hellenistic Greek scientists, possibly influenced by astronomers like Hipparchus and built on islands such as Rhodes.

It functioned as a hand-cranked astronomical calculator, using epicyclic gearing to model the irregular motions of the Sun, Moon, and known planets, predict eclipses via cycles like the Saros and Metonic, track lunar phases, and even schedule Panhellenic games including the Olympics.

No comparable geared device exists from antiquity, with similar complexity not reappearing until medieval European clocks over a millennium later.

Today, the surviving 82 fragments are housed in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, where ongoing research—including 3D modeling and reconstructions—continues to uncover its secrets.

The Antikythera mechanism challenges assumptions about ancient technological capabilities, demonstrating advanced mathematical and mechanical knowledge that integrated Babylonian astronomical cycles with Greek theories. It stands as a profound testament to the ingenuity of Hellenistic Greece, rewriting our understanding of early scientific instrumentation and inspiring modern fascination with ancient engineering marvels.