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The Antikythera Mechanism: A Shocking Discovery from Ancient Greece.

Stanford・68 minutes read

The Eitner Lecture on Classical Art and Culture at Stanford University delves into the Antikythera Mechanism, a complex ancient artifact discovered in Greece, highlighting the advanced knowledge and skills of ancient civilizations. The mechanism's intricate design and purpose challenged conventional beliefs about ancient Greek technology, showcasing the genius of ancient Greek astronomers and engineers.

Insights

  • Lawrence Eitner, a refugee from Nazi atrocities, played a vital role in enhancing Stanford University's Art Museum and Department of Art and Architecture.
  • Dr. Tony Freeth, a mathematician and expert in film and television, delved into the Antikythera Mechanism during the Eitner Lecture, highlighting its intricate gears and inscriptions.
  • The Antikythera Mechanism, initially mistaken for a navigation tool, was deciphered by Albert Rehm as an astronomical device, revealing its connection to Metonic and Saros cycles.
  • The complexity of the Antikythera Mechanism's gears challenges conventional beliefs about ancient Greek technology, showcasing the advanced knowledge and skills of ancient astronomers and engineers.

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Recent questions

  • What is the Antikythera Mechanism?

    The Antikythera Mechanism is a complex ancient artifact discovered in 1900 near the island of Antikythera during a sponge fishing expedition. It is an astronomical device with precise gears and inscriptions, initially mistaken for a navigation instrument or astrolabe. The mechanism's intricate design and purpose challenged conventional beliefs about ancient Greek technology, showcasing the advanced knowledge and skills of ancient civilizations in tracking astronomical phenomena accurately.

  • Who is Lawrence Eitner?

    Lawrence Eitner was a distinguished expert on French romantic painting and a scholar who significantly contributed to Stanford University's Art Museum and Department of Art and Architecture. He fled Nazi atrocities and is honored through the Lawrence Eitner Lecture on Classical Art and Culture presented by Stanford University's Department of Classics.

  • What is the significance of the Antikythera Mechanism?

    The Antikythera Mechanism's significance lies in its ability to accurately track astronomical phenomena, highlighting the advanced knowledge and skills of ancient civilizations, particularly Greek astronomers and engineers. The mechanism's intricate design challenged conventional beliefs about ancient Greek technology, showcasing the genius of ancient astronomers in developing such a complex astronomical device.

  • Who is Dr. Tony Freeth?

    Dr. Tony Freeth is a mathematician and expert in film and television who is the speaker for the Eitner Lecture on the Antikythera Mechanism. He focuses on the mechanism's intricate design and functioning, shedding light on its significance in ancient astronomy and technology.

  • How was the Antikythera Mechanism discovered?

    The Antikythera Mechanism was discovered during a sponge fishing expedition near the island of Antikythera, leading to the first major underwater archaeology project. The mechanism, with its precise gears and inscriptions, was initially mistaken for a navigation instrument or astrolabe before being identified as an astronomical device through deciphering inscriptions by Albert Rehm.

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Summary

00:00

Eitner Lecture: Antikythera Mechanism and Ancient Astronomy

  • The Lawrence Eitner Lecture on Classical Art and Culture is presented by Stanford University's Department of Classics, honoring Lawrence Eitner, a distinguished expert on French romantic painting.
  • Lawrence Eitner, a scholar who fled Nazi atrocities, significantly contributed to Stanford's Art Museum and Department of Art and Architecture.
  • Dr. Tony Freeth, a mathematician and expert in film and television, is the speaker for the Eitner Lecture, focusing on the Antikythera Mechanism.
  • The Antikythera Mechanism, discovered in 1900, is a complex ancient artifact with precise gears and inscriptions, considered a remarkable find from Greece.
  • The discovery of the Antikythera Mechanism was made during a sponge fishing expedition near the island of Antikythera, leading to the first major underwater archaeology project.
  • The Antikythera Mechanism, initially mistaken for a navigation instrument or astrolabe, was later identified by Albert Rehm as an astronomical device through deciphering inscriptions.
  • Rehm's research notebooks revealed the mechanism's connection to astronomical cycles like the Metonic and Saros cycles, crucial for understanding its functioning.
  • Ancient astronomy involved observing the movements of celestial bodies like the sun, moon, and planets along the ecliptic, leading to the development of devices like the Antikythera Mechanism.
  • The Antikythera Mechanism's intricate design and purpose challenged conventional beliefs about ancient Greek technology, showcasing the genius of ancient Greek astronomers and engineers.
  • The Antikythera Mechanism's significance lies in its ability to track astronomical phenomena accurately, highlighting the advanced knowledge and skills of ancient civilizations.

17:29

Ancient Astronomers and the Antikythera Mechanism

  • Ancient astronomers observed movements opposite to stars, defining the zodiac with 12 signs like Virgo and Libra.
  • The Metonic Cycle, lasting 19 years, aligns the moon's phases and positions with stars.
  • Rehm identified the Antikythera mechanism as an astronomical calculator using Bronsky wheels.
  • Epicyclic gears, a complex form of gearing, were used in the mechanism for advanced calculations.
  • Derek de Solla Price studied the mechanism, noting 20 preserved gears and proposing epicyclic or differential gear systems.
  • X-rays revealed 27 gears in the main fragment, showcasing the complexity of the mechanism.
  • Price's gear system calculated ratios for lunar cycles, including the Metonic and sidereal cycles.
  • Epicyclic gears were used to calculate differences between lunar and solar orbits, determining moon phases.
  • Price's complex gearing diagram was criticized for being overly complicated, violating the principle of simplicity.
  • Price's architectural model of the mechanism included dials for calendars and zodiac, with a twin dial system at the back.

34:37

"Antikythera Mechanism: Unraveling Ancient Eclipse Predictions"

  • Michael Wright's research focused on the Metonic Calendar within the Antikythera Mechanism.
  • Price initially suggested a four-year dial, but Wright proposed a more intricate gearing system.
  • The gearing included a gear with 38 teeth and another with 53 teeth, a prime number with significant meaning.
  • Wright's model featured a 5-turn dial over 19 years, with 53-tooth gears canceling each other out.
  • Wright's model also incorporated a Draconitic month dial for eclipse predictions, modifying Price's lunar month model.
  • A new initiative led by Professor Mike Edmonds aimed to gather data on the Antikythera Mechanism.
  • Tom Malzbender's technique for surface imaging and X-Tek Systems' 3D X-ray machine were crucial for data collection.
  • Permission from Greek authorities for the project took nearly five years, despite funding from the Leverhulme Trust.
  • The team obtained 82 fragments from the Antikythera Mechanism, leading to a terabyte of data for analysis.
  • Analysis of a smaller fragment, F, revealed a dial with 223 divisions, indicating an eclipse prediction dial with glyphs representing lunar and solar eclipses.

51:40

Ancient Greek Horoscope Mechanism Predicts Eclipses

  • The combination of omega and rho in ancient Greek horoscopes stands for aura, Greek for hour, followed by di gamma for the number six.
  • The mechanism predicts the hour of an eclipse many years in advance.
  • The index letters on the glyphs are in alphabetical order and likely refer to inscriptions around the dial.
  • The glyphs and index letter system form an ambitious eclipse prediction scheme.
  • The gear with 223 teeth, a prime number, is crucial for turning the lower back dial.
  • The gear E3 with 223 teeth plays a significant role in the mechanism's functioning.
  • The epicyclic gears K1 and K2, with a unique notch, are essential for the mechanism's operation.
  • The gears K1 and K2 turn on slightly eccentric axes, creating a unique motion system.
  • The gear E3 rotates at a specific rate to model the ancient Greek epicyclic theory of the Moon.
  • The 53-tooth gear in the mechanism ensures that E3 rotates at the correct rate to model the Moon's motion accurately.

01:08:03

Ancient Greek Moon Phase Mechanism Discovery

  • The Pin & Slot device models the epicyclic theory of the Moon, with e3 rotating at a specific rate for just under nine years.
  • Price's Metonic gear train calculates the mean sidereal month using a regular pentagon with a hole through it.
  • The gear system consists of gears with 50 teeth each, generating variable motion and transmitting it back onto another gear with 50 teeth.
  • The system changes the period of delivering variation from the sidereal month to the anomalistic month.
  • The gearing at the back of the mechanism was initially assumed to go to the back dials, but a suggestion was made for the output to go towards the zodiac dial at the front.
  • An additional device on the output end shows the phase of the Moon, discovered by Michael Wright, with two gears calculating the difference between the sidereal rotation of the Moon and the annual cycle of the sun.
  • The mechanism includes a conjectural planetary system proposed by Michael Wright, with eight coaxial pointers showing the date, sun, moon, and five ancient planets.
  • Fragment C displays the moon phase device, zodiac and calendar scales, and various fragments indicating the star calendar at the top and bottom of the device.
  • The mechanism's cargo was scattered across the ancient Greek world, suggesting a journey from east to west, possibly to Rome.
  • The mechanism's calendar dial reveals month names repeated around the dial, with some exceptional months linking the calendar to Corinth, and later research suggesting a connection to the Epiros region of northwestern Greece.

01:24:53

Ancient Greek Mechanism: Origins and Uncertainty

  • Paul Iverson suggested the Halieia as a possible origin for the mechanism, held in Rhodes, leading to uncertainty about its creation.
  • The wreck containing the mechanism is dated to around 65 BC, providing a terminus ante quem for its creation in the mid-first century BC.
  • Epigraphic analysis of inscriptions suggests varying dates for the mechanism's creation, with different epigraphers disagreeing on the exact timeline.
  • The Kallippic Cycle, launched in 330 BC, offers a terminus post quem for the mechanism's creation.
  • The mechanism models ancient Greek epicyclic theory of the Moon, attributed to Hipparchos of Nicaea in the 2nd century AD.
  • Recent research pinpointed the full moon of month one of the dial to May 12th, 205 BC, aligning with a mathematical model developed independently.
  • The proposed date of 205 BC for the mechanism's creation is earlier than previous estimates, suggesting a significant advancement in understanding.
  • The Hellenistic Era context places famous scientists and astronomers like Archimedes and Apollonios in the frame for potentially creating the mechanism.
  • The mechanism's intricate gearing, particularly at the back, is well-established, while the planetary gearing at the front remains conjectural.
  • The search for additional mechanisms is hindered by the scarcity of surviving bronze artifacts, with optimism for future discoveries in shipwrecks and ancient texts.

01:42:04

Ancient Greek Moon Mission Technology Discovery

  • The Ancient Greeks could have reached the moon within 300 years if they had understood the power of their technology, as suggested by C Clark.
  • The Antikythera Mechanism, a complex device, is believed to be more than a demonstration tool, possibly a luxury astronomical watch or a mechanical cosmos created by visionary scientists.
  • The Antikythera Mechanism, not a calculating machine, was a significant technological leap for its time, showcasing precision metalworking skills of the Ancient Greeks.
  • The mechanism's intricate design, with thousands of tiny text characters and coaxial tubes, challenges modern engineering principles, prompting further research through experimental archaeology at University College London.
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