The Antikythera mechanism as an ancient ‘computer’

Record summary

Research and reconstructions in the 1970s and 1980s established the Antikythera mechanism as a sophisticated Hellenistic geared astronomical device, often described in public accounts as an ancient computer. It matters because the artefact is genuinely exceptional while its exact functions, missing components and operating procedures remain partly uncertain. Derek de Solla Price’s work was especially influential, though later imaging and scholarship revised aspects of his reconstruction. The mechanism demonstrates ancient technical capability without requiring anachronistic industrial or extraterrestrial explanations.