Re: Antikythera Article

With the proper clay, fired, you have concrete. Several buildings in
ancient Rome were made from this material, mixed with volcanic ash. Not
stone and mortar.

Several early civilizations had the concept of zero. The Mayans being one
of them, had an accurate calendar and made accurate astronomical
calculations. You are correct about the power, as Hero's inventions were
often used in Greek temples. Here they fooled worshipers, into believing
that the gods were actually speaking or communicating.

The Romans did not use zero and they did have calendar problems.

It is unfortunate for the loss of technology. However, it was not always
''needed'' for the conquers at this time in history.

"Doru Roll" <doruroll@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:X7ich.11$qo2.9@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Not to be argumentattive, but IFAIK the Romans invented mortar, not
concrete. Loosly-bound aggregates of gravel, sand and crushed limestone
with
clay as a binder have been used well before Rome was founded, and
occasionally "concreted" by fire. I suppose it's just an early type of
"engineered material", just like the straw-reinforced clay bricks of
Mesopotamia and the afore-mentioned "Egyptian concrete".

As for Antikythera: What I find truly amazing is not the manufacture, but
the
outstanding (estimated) accuracy of the device. Irrespective of the reason
for its existance: "bragging rights" or predicting astronomical events for
ritualistic or "political" purposes, the knowledge to craft such a
calculator evidently existed 2000 years ago, and was apparently lost for
about a millenium afterwards. Considering mankind wasn't again able to
build
something of that complexity until the dawn of the 18th century truly
makes
Antikythera a remarkable device, whatever its intended purpose.

It is conceivable - given man's organic fear of all things not
understood -
that many complex mechanical devices existed in antiquity, but were either
hidden or destroyed by those who did not understand, or wished to hide
their
purpose. A machine for predicting astronomical events probably would have
been invaluable to those in power at the time.

Just my 2.5 cents (to account for inflation).







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