An interesting device from ancient Greece called the Antikythera Mechanism has an unknown purpose. This object, discovered in 1901 by divers near the Greek island of Antikythera, continues to astound people. This article explores what exactly the Antikythera Mechanism was actually used for.
A guide to the stars
It is believed by many historians that the ancient Greeks used this clever contraption to keep track of the calendar year. The prevailing belief is that it was a version of a very sophisticated sky calculator. It was essentially a tiny computer from the second century BCE that was composed of gears and dials.
Special events in the sky like solar and lunar eclipses could be predicted by the Antikythera Mechanism by manipulating it in certain ways. It even revealed to them where in the zodiac the sun and moon were hanging out. In this manner, they were able to plan their large gatherings, religious festivals, and possibly even the planting of their crops.
Looking to the sky for answers
Gazing up at the sky was a big deal in those times, with some of history's greatest thinkers relying on space events to base their philosophies on. They held the belief that events in the sky were connected to their gods and held particular significance.
In that sense, having an Antikythera Mechanism was like having the power to predict such events. The prevailing theory is that the Antikythera Mechanism probably helped the Greeks schedule important events and make sure everything happened at the right time.
Impressive ancient technology
Unfortunately, this is just a theory and more research is required before we can confirm that the Antikythera Mechanism was used for the aforementioned purposes.
Still, the Antikythera Mechanism was surely ahead of its time—it may have not played music or taken pictures like our gadgets today, but it sure was a smart tool for the ancient Greeks to navigate their world in harmony with the sky above.
