By: Allen Huang

In 1901 scientists explored a Roman-era shipwreck. While exploring the wreckage, they discovered a machine. The machine was broken, and only a third of it was intact, with 82 fragments surviving in total. The machine was dubbed the Antikythera Mechanism. 123 years later, scientists at University College London (UCL) have found the purpose of the oldest “computer” in the world.

There are a lot of challenges when it comes to identifying a machine from 2000 years ago, especially when there is only a third of it to work with. To understand the purpose of the mechanism, UCL scientists had to use X-Ray data and Ancient Greek Mathematical methods to piece the machine together. They then recreated the mechanism with 3D modeling. Scientists hope to someday rebuild the mechanism using modern materials to further understand its purpose.

Originally, the scientists predicted that the hand-powered mechanism was used to predict astronomical events such as solar eclipses. The mechanism has a display of the Sun, Moon, Earth, and four other planets. This gave away the idea of it being involved with astronomy, and scientists have found out that the mechanism is in fact an astronomical calculator.

UCL scientists have also created a display of the mechanism’s gears and other detailed parts. The mechanism is also the first analogue computer to ever be made. It is also known that the mechanism was made out of bronze and gears to move the planets and the moon. The mechanism is thought to have been used to predict cosmic events. However, the reason behind the five planets is because of the limited knowledge of the time concerning how many cosmic bodies there are.

Image Credit by Markus Spiske