The Antikythera mechanism is an ancient mechanical calculator designed to calculate astronomical positions. Some regard it as the the first known mechanical computer, dated to about 150-100 BCE. Technology of similar complexity is not seen in the archaeological record until almost a thousand years later. It was found submerged in 1901 inside the Antikythera shipwreck, between Kythera and Crete off the Greek island of Antikythera.
From the largely eroded remains several reconstructions have been attempted. The latest, as seen in the following video, is the only one to incorporate all known functions of the original.
The amount of readable text was doubled in 2006 by the The Antikythera Mechanism Research Project thanks to modern methods of high resolution X-ray tomography. Prior transcriptions were able to be corrected while new translations provided insight into the original purpose of the machine.
We are living in the future, people.
As well as the past.
