Antikythera Mechanism

[Anonymous]

Posted by Michael Gilligan on 27/11/2022 12:53:04:

My working hypothesis is that the ‘lone genius’ Inventor of the mechanism was on his way to the Ancient Greek Patent Office … when the ship sank.

My theory is that a gang of guys at an ancient Greek Model Engineers club got together in their newsletter to design "… this really zany mechanism and drop it in the sea so that when someone fishes it up in 2000 years ….."

[SteviegtrParticipant @steviegtr]

Sorry if this has already been posted but i just found this on youtube.

[egaParticipant @ega]

Steviegtr:

Thanks for the link; it should be interesting to compare with others (Clickspring?) who have done this.

[Mick B1Participant @mickb1]

Despite the 'handmade' title banner, the model in the video uses the entire panoply of manual machine tools and fully exploits the standards of precision achievable with them.

I didn't see any role for rings of accurately-spaced holes in it.

Edited By Mick B1 on 05/12/2022 12:18:10

[ALAN MOORE 5Participant @alanmoore5]

I spent an enjoyable few hours eading the whole of this thread together with the various linked material. One of the issues tahat stood out to me as to many of the contributors was the apparent contradiction between the precision which would have been needed for the gear-wheels and the lack of same evidenced by the ring of holes. I also noted the lack of clarity in the reason for the holes; where they convenient markers, did they have pins at some time, were they for teaching/demonstration purposes?
I went to bed mulling over these points. I considered the numerous devices made or commissioned in the past several hundred years which were in effect vanity projects – automata, orreries ( and dare I say, even model railway stock?) with little use value other than personal accomplishment (nice work if you can afford the time!) or something to spend an excess of income on (10,000 year clock?). Was the AK machine something like that?
I then thought of the number of well designed devices, tools, models made by competent craftsmen or CNC machines which a later user has 'modified' with somewhat less competence; surely we have all seen examples of that (I remember a Rolls saloon chopped back to a pick-up and pulling a plough).
So what I am getting at is, were the holes drilled by the original workshop or were they a later, less precise addition?
A bit long-winded, but perhaps worth considering

Further thought: the potter's wheel was developed 500 years earlier. No evidence has yet been found for lathe capable of metal operations but the inspiration was there. Absence of similar artifacts and the means of producing them is unsurprising really. As today, scrap metal would have been valuable, so remelt it if it no longer works.

 

 

Edited By ALAN MOORE 5 on 24/12/2022 15:24:26

[Gerard O’TooleParticipant @gerardotoole60348]

I note in the video posted by Steviegtr (and authored by Dr Alastair Godfrey) that the front dial has 360 indents and show the angle from the first appearance of the Sun in Aries.. Not sure of anyone else has made this suggestion but it does suggest a Solar rather than lunar calendar .

It seems that the date of this mechanism is based , mostly, on epigraphical details. At one time there was debate about the conclusions drawn , ,i.e., that it was a first century BC date. There was a suggestion that it could have been as late as 4th century AD . Of course that would mean it was not part of the cargo on the shipwreck but just happened to be found on the same site or at the same time.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Just to mention that this is the same Dr Alastair Godfrey / Chronova Engineering that has been mentioned on ‘Silly Old Duffer’ Dave’s pendulum thread.

.

[and also on my recent recommended viewing thread]

https://www.model-engineer.co.uk/forums/postings.asp?th=184291

MichaelG.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 27/12/2022 11:28:05

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Gerard O'Toole on 27/12/2022 09:58:35:

I note in the video posted by Steviegtr (and authored by Dr Alastair Godfrey) that the front dial has 360 indents and show the angle from the first appearance of the Sun in Aries.. […]

.

It’s worth listening very carefully to the words in the introduction

MichaelG.

[david bennett 8Participant @davidbennett8]

Posted by Gerard O'Toole on 27/12/2022 09:58:35:

I note in the video posted by Steviegtr (and authored by Dr Alastair Godfrey) that the front dial has 360 indents and show the angle from the first appearance of the Sun in Aries.. Not sure of anyone else has made this suggestion but it does suggest a Solar rather than lunar calendar .

 

Gerard, please see my post of 23/11/21 (timed 02/10/46). I suggested that on a 365 day solar calendar, retarding the dial by one hole in a 354 hole ring every 4 years would give a very accurate leap year adjustment.

I believe this reinforces the case for a civil calendar dial.

dave8

 

Edited By david bennett 8 on 27/12/2022 12:59:31

Edited By david bennett 8 on 27/12/2022 13:00:59

Edited By david bennett 8 on 27/12/2022 13:02:58

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

Radio 4 from 9am for 45 minutes today 14th Nov ’24 “in our time” programme is about the mechanism, discovery, history etc. Nice encapsulation of background to it.

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Thanks, Bazyle

… attempting to download from ‘Sounds’

MichaelG.

.

Edit: __ got it

[Bazyle]

On Bazyle Said:

Radio 4 from 9am for 45 minutes today 14th Nov ’24 “in our time” programme is about the mechanism, discovery, history etc. Nice encapsulation of background to it.

Repeated today (Sun) on radio 4 at  23:00 hrs.

dave8

[Author]

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