Not elder law: Secrets of the world’s oldest calculator are revealed

The secrets of the worlds oldest calculating machineare revealed today, showing that it had dials to mark the timing ofeclipses and the Olympic games.  Ever since the spectacular bronze device was salvaged from a shipwreckafter its discovery in 1900 many have speculated about the uses of themechanical calculator which was constructed long before the birth ofChrist and was one of the wonders of the ancient world.  The dictionary sized crumbly lump containing corroded fragments of whatis now known to be a marvellous hand cranked machine is known as the’Antikythera Mechanism’ because it was discovered near the tiny islandof Antikythera, between Crete and mainland Greece.

Source/more:  The Telegraph, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/portal/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/earth/2008/07/30/scicalc130.xml