Antikythera Mechanism

The topic:

The Antikythera Mechanism is a piece of ancient technology, an astronomical calculator that could predict the timing of various celestial phenonmena and track particular events in the ancient world, like the Panhellenic Festivals. It was discovered in a shipwreck in 1901, but was not well understood until recently with the aid of new x-ray and imaging technologies. Research into the Antikythera Mechanism remains active, and new aspects of the machine continue to come to light. For a brief, not-too-technical introduction to the Antikythera Mechanism, see Freeth's 2009 article. You may use the articles below and any articles linked on the Antikythera Mechanism Research Project website for your assignments.

Discussion Questions

1. What is the nature of the Antikythera Mechanism?
2. What are the basics of how the Mechanism was operated?
3. What are some of the events the Mechanism can track, and how are they significant?
4. What does the Antikythera Mechanism tell us about ancient technology? the ancient world?
5. What are some contemporary parallels (technologies in the ancient world) to the Antikythera Mechanism?

Start with these articles, and the link at the bottom will direct you to further sources.

De Solla Price, Derek J. “An Ancient Greek Computer.” Scientific American Vol. 200, No. 6, p. 60-67. June 1959. http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/SCAMKythera.htm

---. “Gears from the Greeks: The Antikythera Mechanism – A Calendar Computer from ca 80 BC.” Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, New Series, Vol. 64, No. 7, p. 1-70. 1974. Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1006146 (Rather technical, but fascinating if you're willing to take the challenge)

Freeth, Tony. "Decoding an Ancient Computer." Scientific American Vol. 301, No. ?, p. 76-83. December 2009. http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~robins/Decoding_an_Ancient_Computer.pdf

Freeth, Tony, Alexander Jones, John M. Steele and Yanis Bitsakis. “Calendars with Olympiad Display and Eclipse Prediction on the Antikythera Mechanism.” Nature, Vol. 454, p. 614-617. July 31, 2008. (Published article accessible on campus or ask me for a copy.) http://www.antikythera-mechanism.gr/node/192

Freeth, Tony et al. “Decoding the Ancient Greek Astronomical Calculator Known as the Antikythera Mechanism.” Nature, Vol. 444, p. 587-591. November 30, 2006. (Published article accessible on campus) http://www.antikythera-mechanism.gr/node/35

Wright, M.T. "The Antikythera Mechanism: A new gearing scheme." Bull. Sci. Instrum. Soc., Vol. 85, p. 2-7. 2005.

---. "Epicyclic gearing and the Antikythera Mechanism, Part II." Antiquarian Horology, Vol. 20, p. 51-63. 2005. http://hist.science.online.fr/antikythera/DOCS/Epicyclic%20Gearing%20and%20the%20Antikythera%20Mechanism%20pt%202%20A.H.%20Se.pdf (Rather technical, and not the best for Review of Scholarship)

The Antikythera Mechanism Research Project: http://www.antikythera-mechanism.gr/bibliography