The Archaeological News Network reports that the new underwater investigations at what has come to be known as the 'Antikythera shipwreck' in Greece have uncovered no more pieces of the most famous item on the ship's cargo--2,000-year-old astronomical instrument called the 'Antikythera mechanism'. It did, however, uncover dozens of other artifacts of equal interest.
Greece's culture ministry said Wednesday that the May 22-June 11 survey by Greek and U.S. archaeologists off Antikythera island located about 60 metal, stone, pottery and glass objects. These included a bronze spear, which would have been part of a statue, four fragments of marble statues, and a gold ring.
The Antikythera wreck is a shipwreck from the 2nd quarter of the 1st century BC. It was discovered by sponge divers off Point Glyphadia on the Hellenic island of Antikythera in 1900. The wreck manifested numerous statues, coins and other artefacts dating back to the 4th century BC, as well as the severely corroded remnants of a device that is called the world's oldest known analog computer, the Antikythera mechanism.
The Antikythera mechanism is an ancient analog computer designed to predict astronomical positions and eclipses. The computer's construction has been attributed to the Hellenes and was dated to the early 1st century BC. Technological artefacts approaching its complexity and workmanship did not appear again until the 14th century, when mechanical astronomical clocks began to be built in Western Europe.
The mechanism was housed in a wooden box and is made up of bronze gears (that we know of). The mechanism's remains were found as eighty-two separate fragments of which only seven contain any gears or significant inscriptions. Today, the fragments of the Antikythera mechanism are kept at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.
There is no news currently about any further dives to uncover more items, wether part of the mechanism or not.
(Sorry, Blogger decided not to post this yesterday :( )
Greece's culture ministry said Wednesday that the May 22-June 11 survey by Greek and U.S. archaeologists off Antikythera island located about 60 metal, stone, pottery and glass objects. These included a bronze spear, which would have been part of a statue, four fragments of marble statues, and a gold ring.
The Antikythera wreck is a shipwreck from the 2nd quarter of the 1st century BC. It was discovered by sponge divers off Point Glyphadia on the Hellenic island of Antikythera in 1900. The wreck manifested numerous statues, coins and other artefacts dating back to the 4th century BC, as well as the severely corroded remnants of a device that is called the world's oldest known analog computer, the Antikythera mechanism.
The Antikythera mechanism is an ancient analog computer designed to predict astronomical positions and eclipses. The computer's construction has been attributed to the Hellenes and was dated to the early 1st century BC. Technological artefacts approaching its complexity and workmanship did not appear again until the 14th century, when mechanical astronomical clocks began to be built in Western Europe.
The mechanism was housed in a wooden box and is made up of bronze gears (that we know of). The mechanism's remains were found as eighty-two separate fragments of which only seven contain any gears or significant inscriptions. Today, the fragments of the Antikythera mechanism are kept at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens.
There is no news currently about any further dives to uncover more items, wether part of the mechanism or not.
(Sorry, Blogger decided not to post this yesterday :( )
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