Often some of the greatest discoveries hold the greatest mysteries. Discovered by sponge divers in 1902, the Antikythera Mechanism, often thought of as the first underwater archaeology find, is no exception. Careful studies have dated this artefact to the first century B.C., but the artefact has the appearance and complexity of a much later time in history. Now believed to be an elaborate calendar and astronomical device, the Antikythera Mechanism harbours its mystery within its intricate inner workings. It is by gaining insight on the function of the device that the true marvel of this artefact is fully expressed. The mechanical components, such as the differential turntable, and manufacturing processes required to create this ancient analog
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It was at first neglected as a pile of metal scraps of little significance that had been brought up from the wreck. The original wooden casing did not survive due to inadequate recovery procedures. While valuable clues for reconstruction may have been lost with the casing, its loss allowed for the exposure of fresh surfaces of the gears that finally brought the mechanism the attention that it warranted. Initial speculation determined that the artifact was an astrolabe: an instrument used to measure the altitude of the sun and stars for navigation and other astronomic purposes. However this theory was soon rejected as the full complexity of device was realized. This discovery, pulled from the depths of an ancient shipwreck, was of much greater value. Exactly what the device calculated and how it functioned remained elusive for many years to come. It was the research conducted by Derek de Solla Price, Avalon Professor of History Sciences at Yale University, throughout the 1950s to 1970s that finally unlocked the secrets behind the enigmatic machine (de Solla Price 1974, …show more content…
This casting method is characterized by the pattern that is created by injecting liquid wax into a metal die in the shape of the pattern. The pattern is then coated in a refractory metal and hardened. To cast an object, molten metal is poured into the pattern which is broken and removed once the metal has solidified (Kalpakjian & Schmid 2008, 225). With modern technology, good precision is achievable with this casting method, however in his article Castore questions whether the precision required for the complex mechanism could have been achieved using this method at the time (Castore 2000, 553). The second method to be discussed is the primitive method of hand cutting the gears from a bronze sheet. This method requires heavy loads of time and effort with small returns in precision and repeatability of design (de Solla Price, 13). Regardless, the importance of the gears remains in the fact that high precision was attained, and to such an extent that rivals those made with modern technology
It was at first neglected as a pile of metal scraps of little significance that had been brought up from the wreck. The original wooden casing did not survive due to inadequate recovery procedures. While valuable clues for reconstruction may have been lost with the casing, its loss allowed for the exposure of fresh surfaces of the gears that finally brought the mechanism the attention that it warranted. Initial speculation determined that the artifact was an astrolabe: an instrument used to measure the altitude of the sun and stars for navigation and other astronomic purposes. However this theory was soon rejected as the full complexity of device was realized. This discovery, pulled from the depths of an ancient shipwreck, was of much greater value. Exactly what the device calculated and how it functioned remained elusive for many years to come. It was the research conducted by Derek de Solla Price, Avalon Professor of History Sciences at Yale University, throughout the 1950s to 1970s that finally unlocked the secrets behind the enigmatic machine (de Solla Price 1974, …show more content…
This casting method is characterized by the pattern that is created by injecting liquid wax into a metal die in the shape of the pattern. The pattern is then coated in a refractory metal and hardened. To cast an object, molten metal is poured into the pattern which is broken and removed once the metal has solidified (Kalpakjian & Schmid 2008, 225). With modern technology, good precision is achievable with this casting method, however in his article Castore questions whether the precision required for the complex mechanism could have been achieved using this method at the time (Castore 2000, 553). The second method to be discussed is the primitive method of hand cutting the gears from a bronze sheet. This method requires heavy loads of time and effort with small returns in precision and repeatability of design (de Solla Price, 13). Regardless, the importance of the gears remains in the fact that high precision was attained, and to such an extent that rivals those made with modern technology