At the dawn of 1900s, divers exploring off the coast of Greece came upon a vast sunken treasure, and amidst the many fabulous objects was an item that continues intrigue many to this day.
Called the Antikythera Mechanism, the 2100-year-old artifact, a mind-bending assembly of moving parts, was recently examined using state-of-the-art x-ray technology. The means allowed for both visible and obscured text to be revealed, and thus, deciphered.
Said one of the researchers, “It’s not telling you how to use it. It says, ‘What you see is such and such,’ rather than, ‘Turn this knob and it shows you something,’” Nonetheless, it proved incredibly valuable in understanding the intent of the piece.
While many have long believed it was a tool for tracking time, astronomical activity, and athletic events, it appears its function may have been predictive. It’s possible those who used it were not as concerned with what was happening at the time, but how it was going to impact future events.
