Prof Alexander Jones' Research on the Antikythera Mechanism Published in Journal "Almagest"

Professor Alexander Jones, ISAW Professor of the History of the Exact Sciences in Antiquity, coauthored the recent publication of the team's research on the Antikythera Mechanism, including the text of a long explanatory "label" revealed through X-ray analysis. Jones is part of an international team of archaeologists, astronomers and historians who have worked to understand the mechanism's many mysteries. Their research is published in a special issue of the journal Almagest, a journal which examines the history and philosophy of science. News of the publication was recently featured in articles by both the Washington Post and the New York Times.

Visualizations showing how researchers enhanced images of the eroded inscriptions on the Antikythera Mechanism. (Antikythera Mechanism Research Project)

Uncovered in a shipwreck at Antikythera, Greece, in 1901, the Antikythera Mechanism is a complex, whirling, clockwork instrument comprising at least 30 bronze gears bearing thousands of interlocking tiny teeth. The Washington Post describes the Antikythera Mechanism as:

"powered by a single hand crank, the machine modeled the passage of time and the movements of celestial bodies with astonishing precision. It had dials that counted the days according to at least three different calendars, and another that could be used to calculate the timing of the Olympics. Pointers representing the stars and planets revolved around its front face, indicating their position in relation to Earth. A tiny, painted model of the moon rotated on a spindly axis, flashing black and white to mimic the real moon's waxing and waning."

As quoted in the Washington Post, Professor Jones says "In this very small volume of messed-up corroded metal you have packed in there enough knowledge to fill several books telling us about ancient technology, ancient science and the way these interacted with the broader culture of the time... It would be hard to dispute that this is the single most information-rich object that has been uncovered by archaeologists from ancient times."

Professor Jones gives insights on his research of the Antikythera Mechanism. (Thomas Johnson/The Washington Post)