The Antikythera Mechanism, recovered from a shipwreck in the Aegean Sea in 1901, has been of interest to researchers for over a century. This handheld device, made up of gears, tracked astronomical events such as solar eclipses and planetary movements.

Recent experiments used advanced studies on gravitational waves to better understand the mechanics and purpose of an ancient computer.

The Antikythera mechanism is considered the world’s oldest computer / Photo: Horological Journal

Joseph Bailey, a research fellow at the University of Glasgow’s Department of Physics and Astronomy, highlighted the ingenuity of the device’s creation.

Accurate hole positioning requires extremely precise measuring methods and an incredibly steady hand.
– said Bailey.

A new discovery

The latest research builds on a 2021 study that used X-rays to reveal “regularly spaced holes” beneath one of the mechanism’s broken links, known as the “calendar ring.”

It turned out that there were 354 holes in this section, marked with the ancient Egyptian names of the months. corresponds to the lunar yearConsisting of 354 days or 12 lunar cycles. This lunar calendar differs from the 365-day solar year used in most modern calendars, but is consistent with the ancient Egyptian and Islamic lunar calendars.

Holes in the Antikythera mechanism / Photo Horology Magazine

A study published in the Horological Journal suggests that scientists were able to estimate the number of holes in a calendar ring using statistical models derived from the study of gravitational waves.

Bayesian statistics, which measure uncertainty based on missing data, were used, as well as data analysis methods from the LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory) observatory. Both methods independently showed that the ring probably contains 354 or 355 holes.

The interdisciplinary nature of the study, which combines ancient Greek astronomical theories, Babylonian cycles and modern statistical methods, highlights the complexity of the Antikythera mechanism. This study significantly strengthens the hypothesis that the Antikythera mechanism was designed according to the lunar calendar, and points to the importance of following lunar cycles for its creators.