The Antikythera mechanism
- Date of account
- C. second to first century BCE; wrecked around the first century BCE
- Location
- Antikythera, Greece
- Source
- model_recalled_reference
- Record updated
- 2026-10-10
Record summary
The Antikythera mechanism is a corroded geared instrument recovered from a shipwreck found off Antikythera in 1901. Imaging and mechanical reconstruction indicate that it modeled astronomical cycles, including calendrical and eclipse-related phenomena, using sophisticated gear trains. It matters for comparing ancient mathematical texts, instrument making, Hellenistic science, and the relationship between elite knowledge and surviving artefacts. Its exact workshop, user, and full original functions remain uncertain because the mechanism is incomplete and its archaeological context was poorly recorded during the initial recovery.
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