# Ancient Computer



## Rosemary (Dec 3, 2006)

Ancient Greeks built an astronomical computer that remained the world’s most sophisticated device for 1000 years

  The remnants of a broken wooden and bronze case containing more than 30 gears were uncovered from a shipwreck in 1901.

  The inscriptions were deciphered and some of the movements recreated of the *Antikythera Mechanism *to find a highly advanced astronomical computer.

  It was revealed in Nature Magazine that the device could track heavenly bodies precisely.  It was built about 150-100 BC. It could follow the movements of the moon and the sun and predict eclipses.

  Greek astronomer Hipparchos was know to have developed a theory to explain the Moon’s irregular motions across the sky.

    This device is a mechanical realisation of this theory.  

Antikythera Mechanism Links

_And we thought we were clever _


----------



## Curt Chiarelli (Dec 3, 2006)

Hi Rosemary:

Yup, our forebears we're a much cleverer lot than we give them credit for. In the same vein, a few weeks ago Brian had posted a thread about Roman wagon suspension. 

Due to our vanity and a false sense of technological superiority, we like to think of our ancestors as somehow mentally deficient.

Sentiments like that really grind my gears the wrong way. The worst variety of such idiotic theories promulgate that our major technological feats of the ancient world were accomplished by extraterrestrials!

Great thread and links Rosemary. Thanks for posting them!


----------



## j d worthington (Dec 4, 2006)

Rosemary: Yes, I recall seeing (on the Discovery Channel, as I recall) a program that dealt with three or four such things, the Antikythera Device (as the called it) being one; very fascinating stuff, indeed. Thanks for the link.


----------



## Pointfinder (Dec 4, 2006)

Hope that thing doesn't crash as often as my pc.


----------



## j d worthington (Dec 4, 2006)

Pointfinder said:


> Hope that thing doesn't crash as often as my pc.


 
No ... but it crashes for a_ lot_ longer!


----------



## Hiro Protagonist (Feb 11, 2007)

The Greeks were simply intelligent.  History shows that mankind is getting more and more stupid.  Smarter than we give them credit for is correct, but we never give them credit for being smarter than us, which they were.

​


----------



## iansales (Feb 11, 2007)

Hiro Protagonist said:


> History shows that mankind is getting more and more stupid.



It does? Are we talking about the same planet?


----------



## Talysia (Feb 11, 2007)

Absolutely fascinating.  It just goes to prove that the ancients certainly knew much, much more than some people give them credit for.


----------

