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A Portable Cosmos: Revealing the Antikythera Mechanism, Scientific Wonder of the Ancient World
From the Dead Sea Scrolls to the Terracotta Army, ancient artifacts have long fascinated the modern world. However, the importance of some discoveries is not always immediately understood. This was the case in 1901 when sponge divers retrieved a lump of corroded bronze from a shipwreck at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea near the Greek island of Antikythera. Little did the divers know they had found the oldest known analog computer in the world, an astonishing device that once simulated the motions of the stars and planets as they were understood by ancient Greek astronomers. Its remains now consist of 82 fragments, many of them containing gears and plates engraved with Greek words, that scientists and scholars have pieced back together through painstaking inspection and deduction, aided by radiographic tools and surface imaging. More than a century after its discovery, many of the secrets locked in this mysterious device can now be revealed.
In addition to chronicling the unlikely discovery of the Antikythera Mechanism, author Alexander Jones takes readers through a discussion of how the device worked, how and for what purpose it was created, and why it was on a ship that wrecked off the Greek coast around 60 BC. What the Mechanism has uncovered about Greco-Roman astronomy and scientific technology, and their place in Greek society, is truly amazing. The mechanical know-how that it embodied was more advanced than anything the Greeks were previously thought capable of, but the most recent research has revealed that its displays were designed so that an educated layman could understand the behavior of astronomical phenomena, and how intertwined they were with one's natural and social environment. It was at once a masterpiece of machinery as well as one of the first portable teaching devices. Written by a world-renowned expert on the Mechanism, A Portable Cosmos will fascinate all readers interested in ancient history, archaeology, and the history of science.
In addition to chronicling the unlikely discovery of the Antikythera Mechanism, author Alexander Jones takes readers through a discussion of how the device worked, how and for what purpose it was created, and why it was on a ship that wrecked off the Greek coast around 60 BC. What the Mechanism has uncovered about Greco-Roman astronomy and scientific technology, and their place in Greek society, is truly amazing. The mechanical know-how that it embodied was more advanced than anything the Greeks were previously thought capable of, but the most recent research has revealed that its displays were designed so that an educated layman could understand the behavior of astronomical phenomena, and how intertwined they were with one's natural and social environment. It was at once a masterpiece of machinery as well as one of the first portable teaching devices. Written by a world-renowned expert on the Mechanism, A Portable Cosmos will fascinate all readers interested in ancient history, archaeology, and the history of science.
435 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 2, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 19, 2018
The Antikythera Mechanism is a fascinating device. Found in a shipwreck in the early 1900s, its broken and corroded pieces were studied and analyzed without any certainty of what they were. By the end of that century it was confirmed that the metal device with its gears and advanced clockwork insides was some kind of analog computer. It was built to mimic the track of the planets, the sun, and the moon. It could predict eclipses and it followed the phases of the moon. It was an "out of place" artifact, more advanced than people of the time (first century BCE) were supposed to have been.
Jones' exploration of the artifact is quite interesting, but also quite technical. Taking care to explain the differences between the device's method of calculating the movements of heavenly bodies and those known to astronomy and physics today, the book will lose some readers due to complexity. Perhaps that's only appropriate for a complex instrument such as the Antikythera Mechanism. Jones doesn't wander off into speculation about who the actual maker might have been or why the technology didn't catch on. He remains intent on analysis of the device and how it came to be understood historically.
This has been treated by others as a kind of detective story, filled with drama and mystery. Jones, in an academic treatment, tends to strip the mystery and drama away. No doubt this is required for a precise understanding of what this instrument is, but it's less fun. This is often the academic compromise. The book is well worth reading, however. The curious will learn quite a bit about ancient astronomy and mechanics. It may not be the best book to begin on the subject, but it will certainly inform deeply on it for those already familiar with the find.
As with most books, I also blogged about this one here: Sects and Violence in the Ancient World, for those interested.
Jones' exploration of the artifact is quite interesting, but also quite technical. Taking care to explain the differences between the device's method of calculating the movements of heavenly bodies and those known to astronomy and physics today, the book will lose some readers due to complexity. Perhaps that's only appropriate for a complex instrument such as the Antikythera Mechanism. Jones doesn't wander off into speculation about who the actual maker might have been or why the technology didn't catch on. He remains intent on analysis of the device and how it came to be understood historically.
This has been treated by others as a kind of detective story, filled with drama and mystery. Jones, in an academic treatment, tends to strip the mystery and drama away. No doubt this is required for a precise understanding of what this instrument is, but it's less fun. This is often the academic compromise. The book is well worth reading, however. The curious will learn quite a bit about ancient astronomy and mechanics. It may not be the best book to begin on the subject, but it will certainly inform deeply on it for those already familiar with the find.
As with most books, I also blogged about this one here: Sects and Violence in the Ancient World, for those interested.
July 20, 2018
The conglomerate of corroded and broken bronze pieces, eventually known as the Antikythera Mechanism, were salvaged from a shipwreck in the early 1900s. Initially, the fragments were studied without any certainty of what they were. By the end of that century it was confirmed that the metal device with its gears and advanced clockwork mecahnism was some kind of analog computer. It was eventually determined that the mechanism predicted phases of the moon, planetary positions and even eclipses with great precision.
A Portable Cosmos provides a description of the discovery of the Antikythera mechanism, an extensive desciption of the device itself and how it worked, as well as the ancient astronomy behind it. Jones explores the mystery of the Antikythera mechanism in a no nonsense fashion and includes relevant diagrams and photographs where necessary. The author does a thorough job of presenting numerous related topics such as the history of astronomy and astrology, calendrics and the mechanics of eclipses, as well as any ancient records of such a mechanism. Cicero wrote about a planetarium that Archimedes used as a teaching tool, which may have been similar to the Antikythera mechanism. The book is devided into thematic chapters, so if the technical aspects are too detailed, the reader can skip these chapters without missing out too much. This book is scholarly and rather technical, but is none the less absorbing and very interesting.
July 25, 2017
Rescued from a Greek shipwreck in 1901, the Antikythera Mechanism is not an astrolabe or armillary sphere. Was it a teaching tool? Is it the planetarium of Archimedes that Cicero wrote about? Alexander Jones’ fascinating book helps us learn more.
This extraordinary astronomical clock has baffled scholars as it’s unlike anything ever seen before. Some even thought it had fallen off a different boat many years later to combine with the earlier wreckage.
The author does a thorough and painstaking job of presenting numerous related topics and filling in the background. He’s a professor at New York University’s Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, and the book is academic-style, exactingly annotated, with a bibliography. I’ve studied the history of astronomy and astrology, calendrics and the mechanics of eclipses, but many sections were simply too detailed for my taste. Perhaps the book is meant to be a classroom textbook, leaving the reader without the professor at hand.
This extraordinary astronomical clock has baffled scholars as it’s unlike anything ever seen before. Some even thought it had fallen off a different boat many years later to combine with the earlier wreckage.
The author does a thorough and painstaking job of presenting numerous related topics and filling in the background. He’s a professor at New York University’s Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, and the book is academic-style, exactingly annotated, with a bibliography. I’ve studied the history of astronomy and astrology, calendrics and the mechanics of eclipses, but many sections were simply too detailed for my taste. Perhaps the book is meant to be a classroom textbook, leaving the reader without the professor at hand.
April 27, 2018
I used to say that if you really wanted to argue that aliens came to Earth eons ago and jump-started our technology, well, then the Antikythera Mechanism was the only piece of actual evidence you had.
Through this carefully written book I have to modify that a bit -- but my amazement at this 2,000 year old astronomical calculator has only increased. It predicted phases of the moon, planetary positions and even eclipses with great precision. it turns out that it is not quite sui generis, there are references to similar devices and calculations from that far ago, but this is the one that has survived.
Jones has written a very detailed and quite technical book. You need to know some astronomy to follow all of what he describes. But if you want the real story, devoid of hype (this device needs none) and are willing to look up a few terms here and there, this is a great place to dive into the story of how this was found, how it has been studied and what we now know about it.
Through this carefully written book I have to modify that a bit -- but my amazement at this 2,000 year old astronomical calculator has only increased. It predicted phases of the moon, planetary positions and even eclipses with great precision. it turns out that it is not quite sui generis, there are references to similar devices and calculations from that far ago, but this is the one that has survived.
Jones has written a very detailed and quite technical book. You need to know some astronomy to follow all of what he describes. But if you want the real story, devoid of hype (this device needs none) and are willing to look up a few terms here and there, this is a great place to dive into the story of how this was found, how it has been studied and what we now know about it.
February 13, 2022
You may have read magazine articles about the Antikythera Mechanism and want to learn more about it. More details about where it was found, the math behind the mechanism, how it was made, and more. Who had the technology to make accurate gears 2000 years ago?
This boos answers all your questions, and provides more details than you can think of. Well written, detailed, as much information as you could need.
The mechanism is not a fluke, but one of many known from that era. These devices wear out, and the metal parts melted and recycled, the material was more valuable than the worn out mechanism.
Honestly, I did skim some of the technical details about the various phenomena the mechanism illustrates. The information about where it was made, and the methods of manufacture were more of interest to me.
If you have questions about the mechanism, this book will answer them, in a easy to read style.
This boos answers all your questions, and provides more details than you can think of. Well written, detailed, as much information as you could need.
The mechanism is not a fluke, but one of many known from that era. These devices wear out, and the metal parts melted and recycled, the material was more valuable than the worn out mechanism.
Honestly, I did skim some of the technical details about the various phenomena the mechanism illustrates. The information about where it was made, and the methods of manufacture were more of interest to me.
If you have questions about the mechanism, this book will answer them, in a easy to read style.
September 26, 2023
To be honest, my rating is a reflection of a lack of knowledge in this area. This book is clearly an excellent overview of the Antikythera Mechanism for classicists/classical archaeologists. It is very dense in terms of the mechanical analysis reflecting the astronomical and technological knowledge of the time. I happened across this book because the library recommended it to me when the book I needed wasn't available haha.
April 7, 2018
A very well-done summary of what we know about a rather enigmatic chunk of bronze, and why we know it. TIL linear tomography was a predecessor technology to CAT scans (p. 39) and that he Akkadians called the five planets, wandering through the fixed stars bibbu, "wild sheep." (p. 162)
February 4, 2024
This book is incredibly detailed, but also incredibly technical. The writer deep dives into the gear works and and all the supposed uses of the mechanism over the years. It was good, but very hard to get through.
July 26, 2024
Very detailed; for those with a deep knowledge of engineering and mechanics i would say.
October 29, 2024
An effective narrative both about the discovery of the Antikythera Mechanism in 1900 and then also about the incremental scientific assessment of the functions and significance of the device.
October 24, 2025
Wow! Amazing story of the Mechanism and the historical context. Amazing technology and amazing culture.
September 22, 2017
This book provides a very rational, evidence-based overview of the Antikythera Mechanism, in a way that mostly demystifies it. It is not in fact a piece of ancient alien technology (okay, I ALREADY KNEW that it wasn't alien technology, but you know, that "Ooh, what is this mysterious thing? It can never be known!" element of it) which one might think would be disappointing, but it's still genuinely wondrous. It's wondrous it was even discovered, so plenty of wonder to go around. And, as it's still referred to as "the Mechanism" by academics, that adds another note of pleasantly weird archaic imagery to the whole thing.
I loved the organization of this book -- very clear thematic chapters, and right up front the author pointed out that perhaps not everyone is equally interested in a deep read of every single theme, for example possibly the theme of How Do Gears work. That is something I feel completely comfortable taking on faith.
That left plenty of parts I was more enthralled by, including an overview of its discovery and the process of study, explanations of the various elements of the thing, and a review of the documentation we have for what the Greeks of that time would have known about the solar system and how that matches up to what's on THE MECHANISM.
Perhaps the most satisfying thing I learned is that the ancient Greeks felt that they had the Olympics on a five year cycle, because they happen again in the fifth year. I love those intersections of language and concept and math. Also satisfying was a reference to some shit Richard Feymann, about whom I have very mixed opinions, said about THE MECHANISM which demonstrated that even if you're the world's greatest physicist, you still don't have any special insight into what is going on with this thing. (You know what, I'm going to forget what it was that he said and then I'll be confused later, so essentially he formed the opinion, after seeing it in the museum where it lives, and after denigrating the rest of the museum because it wasn't interesting enough to him, that it was this incredible thing that was isolated from the rest of the tradition of Greek science and mathematics, as if some primitive yokel by absolute chance hit upon a way to make a cool thing and then that was it, no one ever made one again. But of course, the entire point of this book is that scholars of the history of science in antiquity can reasonably place it within a larger body of knowledge.)
I loved the organization of this book -- very clear thematic chapters, and right up front the author pointed out that perhaps not everyone is equally interested in a deep read of every single theme, for example possibly the theme of How Do Gears work. That is something I feel completely comfortable taking on faith.
That left plenty of parts I was more enthralled by, including an overview of its discovery and the process of study, explanations of the various elements of the thing, and a review of the documentation we have for what the Greeks of that time would have known about the solar system and how that matches up to what's on THE MECHANISM.
Perhaps the most satisfying thing I learned is that the ancient Greeks felt that they had the Olympics on a five year cycle, because they happen again in the fifth year. I love those intersections of language and concept and math. Also satisfying was a reference to some shit Richard Feymann, about whom I have very mixed opinions, said about THE MECHANISM which demonstrated that even if you're the world's greatest physicist, you still don't have any special insight into what is going on with this thing. (You know what, I'm going to forget what it was that he said and then I'll be confused later, so essentially he formed the opinion, after seeing it in the museum where it lives, and after denigrating the rest of the museum because it wasn't interesting enough to him, that it was this incredible thing that was isolated from the rest of the tradition of Greek science and mathematics, as if some primitive yokel by absolute chance hit upon a way to make a cool thing and then that was it, no one ever made one again. But of course, the entire point of this book is that scholars of the history of science in antiquity can reasonably place it within a larger body of knowledge.)
October 20, 2018
This is a comprehensive account of the Antikythera Mechanism, an ancient complex mechanical device that displayed aspects of the heavens in miniature model, from its discovery to various reconstructions of how it worked, written by an expert on ancient science. The account seeks to set the device in what context we can give it from ancient sources and so give us a better understanding of the mindset of the Greek and Roman world from which it originates and their perspective on the natural world and our understanding of it.
The book includes an account of the discovery of the device in a ship wreck, off the island of Antikythera, found by modern sponge divers in 1900. The twists and turns of this strange exercise in underwater archaeology are discussed and how they eventually turned up the fragments of the device, as are the various turns in trying to understand the strange gear work and other fragments that make up what remains of the mechanism. Including the work of Derek de Solla price in the 60s and the recent breakthroughs in the past twenty years from on the one hand a team of researchers armed with the latest radiographic and imagining technology and loan researcher Michael Wright armed with his mechanical skill and some cleverly derived new X-rays from the 90s. This alone makes for a fascinating detective story as details of the mechanism's working were teased out or thrown in new light by developments.
From this detective story we turn to the question of how the ancient Greeks and others marked time and understood the motion of the heavens and so what the mechanism actually is meant to depict. Finally Jones discusses the detailed inner workings of the machine, gear ratios and the like.
Some of these material is no doubt dry, inside baseball sort of discussion that will not have broad appeal, however in general the presentation is light and not too demanding of technical matters although understanding some parts no doubt requires careful reading or rereading.
The real message of the book is how the Antikythera mechanism reflects the time and intellectual tradition from which it emerged and how its loan example gives us a small window into the mindset of ancient people in appreciating subjects like astronomy and understanding the natural world in a more popular mode, but one still informed by complex scholarship.
The book includes an account of the discovery of the device in a ship wreck, off the island of Antikythera, found by modern sponge divers in 1900. The twists and turns of this strange exercise in underwater archaeology are discussed and how they eventually turned up the fragments of the device, as are the various turns in trying to understand the strange gear work and other fragments that make up what remains of the mechanism. Including the work of Derek de Solla price in the 60s and the recent breakthroughs in the past twenty years from on the one hand a team of researchers armed with the latest radiographic and imagining technology and loan researcher Michael Wright armed with his mechanical skill and some cleverly derived new X-rays from the 90s. This alone makes for a fascinating detective story as details of the mechanism's working were teased out or thrown in new light by developments.
From this detective story we turn to the question of how the ancient Greeks and others marked time and understood the motion of the heavens and so what the mechanism actually is meant to depict. Finally Jones discusses the detailed inner workings of the machine, gear ratios and the like.
Some of these material is no doubt dry, inside baseball sort of discussion that will not have broad appeal, however in general the presentation is light and not too demanding of technical matters although understanding some parts no doubt requires careful reading or rereading.
The real message of the book is how the Antikythera mechanism reflects the time and intellectual tradition from which it emerged and how its loan example gives us a small window into the mindset of ancient people in appreciating subjects like astronomy and understanding the natural world in a more popular mode, but one still informed by complex scholarship.
March 27, 2024
The guts of this book is actually less about the famous device itself and rather more about the calendrical systems the machine incorporated and how we know what we know about this artifact. As for why the Antiktyhera Mechanism feels like such an anomaly the author suggests that shifting Greek attitudes towards astronomy, which were always based less on observation than Babylon, might have something to do with this, as it seemed inappropriate to try and represent the presumed perfect functioning of the heavens with a mere construct of wood and metal. There is also the matter that if the real purpose of this device was as an instructional tool the question remains whether it was tied to a particular philosophical school and when that ended so did the demand for more of these devices, preempting a "clockwork" revolution in the classical world.
I would also note that for the reader who wants more on just how the mechanism works they should go to You Tube and use the search term "clickspring" for the treat of a master craftsman having produced an extensive series on making a working copy in brass.
Originally written: January 4, 2019.
I would also note that for the reader who wants more on just how the mechanism works they should go to You Tube and use the search term "clickspring" for the treat of a master craftsman having produced an extensive series on making a working copy in brass.
Originally written: January 4, 2019.
January 24, 2018
Incredible account not only of the current understanding of the mechanism but also of the entire knowledge of the ancient world relevant to the mechanism. It is not written with a spark but rather pure scholarly attitude covering all relevant topics. Can very well serve as a review of the ancient world knowledge of astronomy.
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