An X-ray image of the Antikythera mechanism

What are we seeing? An X-ray image of the mechanism made by Allan George Bromley. The picture represents the main fragment of the mechanism. The mechanism is divided in two main parts: front and back. According to Prices’ interpretation, the front part represents the movements of the Sun and Moon, the back part of other planets. A crank handle can be seen on the right of the picture. The crank handle was used to activate the movement of the gears.

A first reconstruction of the mechanism




This is a schematic reconstruction by Derek De Solla Price of the main gears of the mechanism viewed from the above. The crank handle can be seen on the left of the picture.

3 steps in the work of one scientist who studied the Antikythera mechanism

Prologue: Whom am I talking about? Derek J. De Solla Price (1922-1983), Professor of history of science at Yale University.

The first step: restoration. Price restored the remans of the mechanism, trying to clean it from incrustations and corrosions.

The second step: translation. Many Greek incriptions were translated. In the inscriptions the Sun is nominated a number of times. The planet Venus is also mentioned. An inscription mentioned 76 years (the Calippic cycle.), another 19 years (the Metonic cycle). It was then clear for those in the know that the mechanism was related to the study of the movements of celestial bodies.

The third step: X-rays. Price used X-rays to penetrate in the interior of the mechanism and find relevant features of it.