Brilio.net/en - Despite all the relics and ancient buildings we discover over the past centuries, the lingering mystery about the past civilizations are too dark to be entirely uncovered. We'll probably never fully understand the true splendor and genius of civilizations long gone.
Thankfully, we have many dedicated researchers who keep digging, and keep piecing parts together. One of their most important discoveries, as well as the biggest question marks of those artifacts uncovered from the ancient Greeks is the so-called Antikythera Mechanism.
ALSO READ:
Indonesian tribe Batak has math applied in their sculpturing ornaments
We already know that the Antikythera Mechanism is a sort of ancient analog computer and orrery that allegedly used to predict astronomical positions and eclipses for calendrical and astrological purposes, as well as the Olympiads, the cycles of the ancient Olympic Games. It was discovered in a shipwreck near the island Crete.
Not so long before Easter 1900, a Greek sponge diver discovered the wreck of an ancient cargo ship off Antikythera island which is located to the north-west of Crete in the Dodecanese. Several bronze and marble statues and other artifacts were subsequently retrieved from the site, including the Antikythera Mechanism.
Since its discovery, much of the device has constantly puzzled researchers.
ALSO READ:
The royal mummies of Peru call you to visit their breathtaking home
1. The popular theory says that the mechanism was used as a kind of primitive astronomical computer. It was probably built to track and display the positions of the sun, moon, and planets.
Image via betterachitecture
2. The theory remains the same, but a new research into the device has turned up another interesting aspect: the mechanism may have been used to predict the future.
Image viaonlyinamericablogging
3. Using a more advanced technology, researchers have been studying the incredibly tiny lettering etched on the surface of the machines surviving parts.
Image viavia thegeorgia
4. Among the lettering, they found several references to the color of a future solar eclipse. While more research is of course needed to verify these initial findings, this is still an exciting development.
Image viahowstuffworks