Antikythera Mechanism

Discovered by sponge-divers off the coast of the Greek Island of Antikythera in 1900, the Antikythera mechanism is by far the most complex piece of technology to have come down to us from antiquity. It is only with the most recent developments in computer-aided vision and reconstruction that we have been able to decipher its purpose as an eclipse predictor. But why was such incredible effort put into determining these phenomena, and what can it tell us about the beliefs and scientific paradigm of the Hellenistic era?

Reading

The Antikythera Mechanism Research Project: http://www.antikythera-mechanism.gr/

Freeth, T and Jones, A. 2012, The Cosmos in the Antikythera Mechanism. ISAW Papers. 4
http://dlib.nyu.edu/awdl/isaw/isaw-papers/4/