The Antikythera mechanism is an ancient analog computer designed to predict astronomical positions and eclipses for calendrical and astrological purposes, as well as the Olympiads, the cycles of the ancient Olympic Games.

One of the most famous and most enigmatic of artifacts recovered from the ancient world is the Antikythera Mechanism, recovered from the remains of a ship that sank in Greek waters over 2,000 years ago.

What was the purpose of this device, and how unique was it?

Mathematician and Antikythera expert Tony Freeth sheds light on the subject. Interview: ©2021 Professor Tony Freeth, University College London (UCL) Other material: Antikythera Archive & Animations ©2012-20 Images First Ltd. Corrections and clarifications: -Dr. Freeth is an Honorary Professor at UCL, not “Honorary Research Associate.” -While Dr. Freeth is speaking of x-ray scanning technology a video is shown of a different scanning technique known as PTM, which also was used on the mechanism.

In this interview he discusses topics like:

How it was discovered
When the ship went down
How Dr. Freeth became involved
New scanning technology used on the mechanism
How the mechanism was made
Who made the mechanism
How the purpose of the mechanism was determined
The location the mechanism was designed for
The purpose of the mechanism
How unique the mechanism was
Is the mechanism an “out-of-place artifact”?
Is the mechanism geocentric or heliocentric?
Lesser known facts about the mechanism and the shipwreck

Sit back, relax and enjoy watching the video below.