(November 30, 2014 at 12:51 pm)Chuck Wrote: The technology and knowledge embodied in the antikythera device is AFAIK hinted at in no other known Greco roman artifact, nor referred to in writing. This suggests at least the technology, and probably the knowledge, were never recognized even in its own time as being significant, nor became any part of the corpus of knowledge transmitted either amongst the educated classes, or amongst tradesmen.
So antikythera device might well be a one off thing, the little appreciated flash of inspiration of one forgotten genius, like the tank or flying machine of Leonardo Da Vinci. It does not represent an entire lost branch of socialized or utilized knowledge and technology 17 centuries ahead of its time.
Possible but we have less than 1% of the writings of the Classical world, largely thanks to jesus freak thugs who burned the libraries. Not only did they have the knowledge to build it but they also managed the technology to build it including multiple interlocking gears and shafts. One without the other doesn't mean much.
Besides, who is to say they wrote it down? It could have been a master-apprentice situation and the master and apprentice may have drowned with the device.
