Archaeology & History

Roman shipwreck reveals further secrets

By T.K. Randall
January 6, 2013 ·  65 comments

Image Credit: Therese Clutario Discovered in 1901, the Antikythera mechanism is an ancient astronomical analog computer believed to be up to 2000 years old. It's complexity and craftsmanship are unparalleled for this time period and it has been the subject of intense study and debate since its discovery. Now marine archaeologists believe that the same shipwreck from which the mechanism was retrieved is actually a lot larger than thought and could contain several more such devices.

"The ship was huge for ancient times," said archaeologist Brendan Foley. "Divers a century ago just couldn't conduct this kind of survey but we were surprised when we realized how big it was." It is now thought that the ship is as long as 160ft, twice the estimation made by the original divers who investigated it.[!gad]Discovered in 1901, the Antikythera mechanism is an ancient astronomical analog computer believed to be up to 2000 years old. It's complexity and craftsmanship are unparalleled for this time period and it has been the subject of intense study and debate since its discovery. Now marine archaeologists believe that the same shipwreck from which the mechanism was retrieved is actually a lot larger than thought and could contain several more such devices.

"The ship was huge for ancient times," said archaeologist Brendan Foley. "Divers a century ago just couldn't conduct this kind of survey but we were surprised when we realized how big it was." It is now thought that the ship is as long as 160ft, twice the estimation made by the original divers who investigated it.

Source: USA Today | Comments (65)

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