The artifact known as the Antikythera Mechanism may by as much as a century older than scientists originally thought, according to a new study from the National University of Quilmes in Argentina. They now conclude that the device dates back to sometime around 205BC, maybe earlier.
This ancient machine is believed to be, perhaps, the first computer, an analog device that could predict astronomical positioning (like eclipses).
In a paper describing the device, researchers say: “The eclipse predictor (or Saros dial) of the Antikythera mechanism provides a wealth of astronomical information and offers practically the only possibility for a close astronomical dating of the mechanism.
The researchers continue:
“We find that the solar eclipses of month 13 of the Saros dial almost certainly belongs to solar Saros series 4. And the eclipse predictor would work best if the full Moon of the month one of the Saros dial corresponds to May 12, 205 BCE, with the exeligmos dial set at zero.”
This is where the age of the device comes into question—because it could not be based on Greek trigonometry as previously believed, since it would not have existed at the time.
“We also examine some possibilities for the theory that underlies the eclipse times on the Saros dial and find that a Babylonian-style arithmetical scheme employing an equation of centre and daily velocities would match the inscribed times of day quite well. Indeed, an arithmetic scheme for the eclipse times matches the evidence somewhat better than does a trigonometric model.”
Study author James Evans relays that we know so little about the device (and the time period it hails from) that we should not be so quick to associate the device with Archimedes (or anyone else, for that matter).“We know so little about ancient Greek astronomy. Only fragments of work have survived. It’s probably safer not to try to hang it on any one particular famous person.