Antikythera Mechanism
- Current location
- National Archaeological Museum, Athens
- Discovered
- Antikythera, Greece, 1901
The Antikythera Mechanism is an ancient Greek analog computer used to predict astronomical positions and eclipses. It is considered the world's first known mechanical computer, dating to approximately 100-150 BCE. The device consists of a complex system of at least 30 bronze gears housed in a wooden case roughly the size of a shoebox. When intact, it featured rotating dials and was operated by a hand crank. The mechanism could track the movements of the Sun, Moon, and planets, calculate eclipse patterns, and even determine the timing of ancient athletic games.
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