The Antikythera Mechanism:

An analogue astronomical computer

• Built c. 87 B.C.
• Lost c. 76 B.C.
• Discovered in 1901
• off the island of Antikythera
• Officially Spelled Andikithira;
• also known as Cerigotto, Sijiljo, and Stus.

The Wreck

• 50 meters long
• Located 15 - 25 meters off Point Glyphadia
• In 43 m of water, 140 ft

Diving on the Wreck

• SCUBA Diving invented 42 years
• after discovery of the wreck
• Dive times of 9 minutes
• 4 min for ascent and decent
• 5 mins bottom time

Recreational SCUBA 
Depth Limits

• 18 meters Novice
• 30 meters recommended
• 40 meters Absolute

(for non-decompression diving)

The Hazards

• Cold Water
• Currents
• Depth
• At 40 meters water exerts 5 times

atmospheric pressure leading to:
 
• Nitrogen Narcosis Rapture of the deep
• Decompression Sickness The Bends.

The Human Costs

• Ten divers worked on the wreck
• One diver was accidentally killed
• Two divers were permanently disabled

The Rewards

• Marble & Bronze Statues
• Gold Jewelry
• Utensils & Tableware
• Amphorae
• The Antikythera Mechanism The most complicated piece of scientific

machinery known from antiquity.

An Ancient Greek Computer  June 1959 Scientific American article p60-7

In 1901 divers working off the isle of Antikythera found the remains of a clocklike mechanism 2,000 years old.  The mechanism now appears to have been a device for calculating the motions of stars and planets

by Derek J. de Solla Price

Images & Bibliography from my Power Point presentation & Essay

My 3rd Year B. Comp Assignment on the Antikythera Mechanisim PKZiped Word6 Document 410K
Save this file to disk the use Pkunzip version 2.04g or greater to unzip and open with MS Word 6 or greater for windows.

Power Point 7 files for use with my talk on the Antikythera Mechanisim PKZiped Power Point 7 file 2,081K
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PKZ204G.EXE 198K Self extracting archive containing PKUNZIP.EXE used to unextract the above PKZiped files

Updated: 28/09/1998 by Rupert Russell <rupert@giant.net.au>
URL: http://www.giant.net.au/users/rupert/kythera/kythera.htm