Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
LiveScience
LiveScience
Owen Jarus

Antikythera mechanism, world's oldest computer, followed Greek lunar calendar

A photo of the corroded Antikythera mechanism in a museum.

The Antikythera mechanism — an ancient shoebox-sized device that was used to track the motions of the sun, moon and planets — followed the Greek lunar calendar, not the solar one used by the Egyptians, as was previously thought, new research reveals. 

The Antikythera mechanism, found by sponge divers off the Greek island of Antikythera in 1901, was created around 2,200 years ago. The device, which contains bronze gears, has sometimes been called the world's oldest computer. 

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.