antikythera mechanism explained

In 1900 sponge divers discovered an ancient shipwreck off the Greek island of Antikythera. Among the recovered artifacts was a corroded lump of bronze that sat unexamined in a museum for two years. When researchers finally looked closely they found something that should not have existed — a fully functioning astronomical computer of extraordinary sophistication built approximately 2000 years ago and not matched in complexity until the 14th century. The Antikythera Mechanism remains one of the most astonishing objects ever recovered from antiquity.