Pyrgos House – Kythira Greece

From the Blog

Antikythera Mechanism

Permanent exhibition about the Antikythera Mechanism

In the former bank building in Potamos town square, there is a permanent and interesting exhibition about the world-famous Antikythera Mechanism.

The Antikythera Mechanism is a unique artefact from the second century BC. It is the oldest known mechanical object with gears. It is actually an analog computer, designed to predict the position of the sun, the moon and several other planets. Modern scientists were, and still are, amazed by the precision of the mechanism.

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the mechanism was discovered by sponge divers on the seabed near Anti-Kythera. More than 100 years later, it was dismantled and examined by archaeologists and scientists who also created a working replica. The remains of the original mechanism form part of a collection of artifacts at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens. In Potamos, you can see a replica with a clear explanation about how this special device worked.

The exhibition in Potamos is open from Monday to Friday, from 8 am to 2 pm. Entrance is free.

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