Who built the Antikythera Mechanism, and Why?
In 1900, the wreck of an ancient large ship was found just off the coast of the Greek island of Antikythera.
This wreck was full of artifacts, including bronze and marble statues, pottery, glassware, and jewellery, together with equipment used to run a large trading vessel. The wreck was dated to approximately 65 BC.
The most surprising item recovered was a geared analogue computer, which analyses revealed included a wealth of astronomical data, allowing predictions of the movements of stars, the Sun and Moon, eclipses, and events such as the original Olympic Games..
Nothing remotely as advanced has ever been found from the period, leading to many speculations as to who made the mechanism, and for what purpose..
One fragment of the Antikythera Mechanism
It is now apparent that the Antikythera Mechanism was made by the Phoenicians, and was used by them as a GPS, a Global Positioning System which allowed them to work out the longitude of their ships.
The full story is in CM608: The Antikythera Wreck was a Phoenician Ship and the Antikythera Mechanism was its GPS.
Item: LT240717.
Perth, Western Australia.
Last update 2025 Nov 30.
