Decoding the Antikythera Mechanism

The Antikythera Mechanism, often described as the oldest analogue “computer,” was a device dating to the 2nd BCE used for astronomical calculations, including predicting eclipses. Pieces of the bronze device and its wooden case were first discovered in 1901 off the Greek island of Antikythera, from which it takes its name. The pieces are today in the National Archeological Museum of Athens, and scholars continue to study it today to understand its functions.

The Fairfield University Art Museum is excited to have a model of the Antikythera Mechanism on loan from the Herakleidon Museum in Athens, Greece from September 2024-June 2025. On Thursday, September 12, at 5:30 p.m., Jeffrey Price will give a talk on the legacy of his father, Dr. Derek J. de Solla Price, whose 1970s work was pivotal in clarifyin the purpose of the Antikythera Mechanism as an early "planetary computer."

His talk will take place in the Barone Campus Center in the Dogwood Room. To register for the livestream on Vimeo, click here.

Host or Publisher Fairfield University Art Museum