THE mystery over the original purpose of a sophisticated geared calculator built in the 2nd century BC has been solved.
The so-called Antikythera mechanism was found in 1902 by sponge divers exploring a shipwreck off the Greek island of the same name, but its exact use has puzzled scientists ever since.
The relic consists of numerous fragments, including brass gears embedded in thick mineral encrustations. The device is thought to have once been housed in a wooden box about the size of a carriage clock and is more complex by far than any other machine known to have existed on…
