Decoding the Mechanisms of Antikythera Astronomical Device, 1st ed. 2016

This book presents a systematic design methodology for decoding the interior structure of the Antikythera mechanism, an astronomical device from ancient Greece. The historical background, surviving evidence and reconstructions of the mechanism are introduced, and the historical development of astronomical achievements and various astronomical instruments are investigated. Pursuing an approach based on the conceptual design of modern mechanisms and bearing in mind the standards of science and technology at the time, all feasible designs of the six lost/incomplete/unclear subsystems are synthesized as illustrated examples, and 48 feasible designs of the complete interior structure are presented. This approach provides not only a logical tool for applying modern mechanical engineering knowledge to the reconstruction of the Antikythera mechanism, but also an innovative research direction for identifying the original structures of the mechanism in the future. In short, the book offers valuable new insights for all readers who are interested in the Antikythera mechanism.

The first book describing systematic reconstruction designs of the Antikythera mechanism

Introduces the structural analysis and comparisons of available reconstruction designs of the mechanism

Presents an innovative methodology for the systematic reconstruction designs of lost ancient mechanisms based on conceptual design of modern mechanisms

Offers feasible reconstruction designs of the incomplete/lost/unclear subsystems of the interior structure

Presents 48 feasible designs of the complete interior structure

Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras