Abstract The Antikythera Mechanism is the oldest known mechanical calculator. It was
constructed around the second century bce and lost in a shipwreck very close to the small
Greek island of Antikythera. The shipwreck was discovered 2,000 years later, in 1900. The
Mechanism was recognized in the spring of 1902 as a geared mechanical device displaying
calendars and astronomical information. Application of modern imaging methods to the
surviving fragments has led to general agreement on the basic structure of the device and its …