The Antikythera Mechanism Episode 11 - Inscribing The Back Plate - Part 2
Added 2022-09-30 11:22:27 +0000 UTCHi Folks,
Part 2 of the Back Plate Inscriptions is good to go! A deep dive on all things Saros and eclipses - do please enjoy :)
Cheers,
Chris.
Direct links to the video -
Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/755518861/23b56dad55
Youtube: https://youtu.be/DlN-QFkDkvE
-------------- Video Notes: ---------------
References:
LUNAR ECLIPSES AND THE SAROS: https://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/LEsaros/LEsaros.html
http://hist.science.online.fr/antikythera/DOCS/Bulletin%20SIS%20December%202005%20Counting.pdf - Counting Months and Years: The Upper Back Dial of the Antikythera Mechanism1 M.T. Wright 2005
https://www.jstor.org/stable/20191159 - "IG" XII, 1 913: An Astronomical Inscription from Hellenistic Rhodes - Alexander Jones 2006
https://www.sciamvs.org/files/SCIAMVS_07_003-041_Jones.pdf The Keskintos Astronomical Inscription Text and Interpretations - Alexander Jones 2006
https://www.nature.com/articles/nature07130 - Calendars with Olympiad display and eclipse prediction on the Antikythera Mechanism - Freeth et al 2008
https://www.atnf.csiro.au/people/atzioumi/Antikythera2012/presentations/X-ray_Tomography-Ramsey.pdf X-ray Tomography of the Antikythera Mechanism - Andrew Ramsey 2012
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00407-014-0145-5 On the epoch of the Antikythera mechanism and its eclipse predictor - Carman & Evans 2014
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0103275 Eclipse Prediction on the Ancient Greek Astronomical Calculating Machine Known as the Antikythera Mechanism - Freeth 2014
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0021828614537185 - The Antikythera Mechanism: the CONSTRUCTION of the METONIC POINTER and the back PLATE spirals - M. ANASTASIOU et al 2014
https://www.brepolsonline.net/doi/10.1484/J.ALMAGEST.5.110735 The Back Dial and Back Plate Inscriptions - Anastasiou et al 2016
https://www.brepolsonline.net/doi/10.1484/J.ALMAGEST.5.110736 - The Back Cover Inscription - Bitsakis/Jones 2016
http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2972/hesperia.86.1.0129 The Calendar on the Antikythera Mechanism and the Corinthian Family of Calendars – Iversen 2017
https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-018-0210-9 Revising the eclipse prediction scheme in the Antikythera mechanism - Freeth 2019
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00407-019-00229-9 The Back Plate Inscription and eclipse scheme of the Antikythera Mechanism revisited - Iversen/Jones 2019
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344329999_The_Antikythera_Mechanism_Rhodes_and_Epeiros "The Antikythera Mechanism, Rhodes, and Epeiros" - Iverson, P 2020
Lunisolar Calendar: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunisolar_calendar
Intercalation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intercalation_(timekeeping)
Intercalary Year: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leap_year
Metonic Cycle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metonic_cycle
Callippic Cycle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callippic_cycle
Variability of ancient Greek Calendars: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greek_calendars
Plutarch, on the start of the lunar month: http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2008.01.0063%3Achapter%3D25%3Asection%3D3
Hour: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hour
Comments
So pleased you're enjoying it mate!
Clickspring
2022-12-04 04:48:03 +0000 UTCChris, that repositioning of the pointer is an obvious answer to a question I’ve had since the start. This has really been interesting and mind expanding. Thanks for bringing us along. Scott
My Growth Rings
2022-12-03 21:10:16 +0000 UTCSuperbe démo
van der Aa Paul
2022-12-02 17:07:34 +0000 UTCNice :) I would have liked to have met him. A couple of years ago I was able to purchase a tiny micrometer, that had belonged to Mr. Bromley, and measures 0.01mm. I use it regularly for the antiquarian watchmaking I do. He would have ben a fascinating gentleman. Thanks for the anecdote.
Duncan Luddite
2022-11-12 22:40:35 +0000 UTCThank you. This is marvelous. Every Antikythera video reminds me of Allan Bromley in knee high dress socks and shorts, lecturing to me in 1988(?) about some (now forgotten) computer science thing. What I DO remember is that he'd would veer off to talking about this device with only the slightest excuse.
Sam Lander
2022-10-16 22:01:42 +0000 UTCSimply mind-blowing
Joris van 't Land
2022-10-10 05:35:45 +0000 UTCJust sensational as usual! Been subbed on YouTube since 2016(?) and somehow you just keep upping the bar!! Like others have said, the moment where it clicked that you could use the one dial to calibrate the other, genuinely had me grinning. Might I ask what's next for the antikythera project? Big love from the UK
Ed Hulbert
2022-10-05 13:44:35 +0000 UTCThank you mate :)
Clickspring
2022-10-03 23:15:48 +0000 UTCAs always, your production value multiplies the workmanship. I am new to Clickspring, but I am captivated by this project and the also the art of your videography and presentation. Keep it up!
Steve Hossner
2022-10-03 19:04:52 +0000 UTCThe text shows unmistakable evidence of an engraving tool. In particular the entry and exit marks of the tool, as well as the general characteristics of the cut itself. You can see the same sorts of marks in both this and the previous video where the heel of the tool drags slightly on entry, most visible at the apex of the vertices of letters like Mu and Sigma, but each letter shows the cutting tool action and direction in some way or other. One indication of the use of a punch would be to see some sort of character size/shape repetition, and there is no hint of this at all. The wreckage shows quite large variability in letter size & shape, with some strokes and letter features often differing quite dramatically even within the one line or glyph - Cheers :)
Clickspring
2022-10-02 04:48:23 +0000 UTCThank you!
Clickspring
2022-10-02 04:28:57 +0000 UTCCheers Chris, glad you enjoyed it :)
Clickspring
2022-10-02 04:28:45 +0000 UTCBeautiful work, as always. Is the text on the original device reasonably certain to have been engraved? The potential labor-saving techniques discussed in the earlier videos made me wonder whether the maker might have used a set of letter punches instead. Would it have been feasible to make letter punches with the materials/technology available at the time? Is the writing on the device intact enough that the use of a punch would've been obvious?
Dan Taber
2022-10-02 03:59:10 +0000 UTCAwesome!
Borislav
2022-10-02 00:51:42 +0000 UTCTotally mind blowing.
Chris Waldrip
2022-10-01 19:18:57 +0000 UTCKeep your eye out for one of those Aussie imports!
Clickspring
2022-10-01 05:54:16 +0000 UTCCheers mate :)
Clickspring
2022-10-01 05:53:09 +0000 UTCChris, I've just arrived in Greece on holiday. I can check around and pick up a knock-off Antikythera Mechanism for you if you like. :^)
Mike Brown
2022-10-01 05:02:28 +0000 UTCOh, my, god! It never crossed my mind to make one dial first and use it to calibrate the other. It was one of those forehead-smacking moments. I do know that such a method is one used by experts. I wonder if there is a Nobel Prize in this somehow. Thanks for the references. I have quite a lot of reading to just trail behind you.
Kevin Reardon
2022-10-01 03:02:40 +0000 UTCThank you mate! Of all of the work so far, this one has been my favourite. It really felt quite surreal seeing the engraving IRL after all of these years seeing it only in 2d.
Clickspring
2022-10-01 00:23:05 +0000 UTCAnd the built in method of dividing up the prime number of months in a spiral .... brilliant. I'll stop posting now :)
Duncan Luddite
2022-10-01 00:08:21 +0000 UTCI liked your choice of engraving known text, and scribing deducted, though not conclusive, text.
Duncan Luddite
2022-10-01 00:05:04 +0000 UTCWonderful as usual Chris :) So, this goes public in a week or two? There's going to be a lot of very excited people then :D
Duncan Luddite
2022-10-01 00:03:10 +0000 UTCI can only imagine. Your own knowledge of it is cool. Very enjoyable to watch.
Micheal Malsed
2022-09-30 22:16:17 +0000 UTCThank you mate, so pleased you enjoyed it :)
Clickspring
2022-09-30 21:42:08 +0000 UTCI often think about that. The userbase was evidently expected to have an unusually high level of literacy!
Clickspring
2022-09-30 21:41:45 +0000 UTCThank you mate!
Clickspring
2022-09-30 21:40:29 +0000 UTCCheers Matt :)
Clickspring
2022-09-30 21:40:12 +0000 UTCευχαριστώ! (και εγώ)
Clickspring
2022-09-30 21:40:01 +0000 UTCI'd like to keep it for a while to see whether it would have worked as a preferable way to present the instrument. It will be interesting to see how the the oxidation of the text affects contrast over time. Currently, it looks very readable and clear. If I was buying one, I'd definitely want the black dial!
Clickspring
2022-09-30 21:37:33 +0000 UTCThank you Charles!
Clickspring
2022-09-30 21:34:09 +0000 UTCI had not noticed that, interesting!
Clickspring
2022-09-30 21:33:54 +0000 UTCThank you mate :)
Clickspring
2022-09-30 21:33:25 +0000 UTCThe text adds such a human quality to the machine, the language so clipped and dramatic.
Clickspring
2022-09-30 21:33:11 +0000 UTCThank you mate :)
Clickspring
2022-09-30 21:29:08 +0000 UTCNew Glyphs verified!
Clickspring
2022-09-30 21:28:58 +0000 UTCThanks as always for sharing this journey with us. As someone who likes a project myself, I am humbled by your passion and patience. I am still awestruck by the magnitude of this achievement from 2000 years ago. Always looking forward to the next beautifully filmed and edited video.
Cold War Motors
2022-09-30 19:39:37 +0000 UTCLOVE IT! Thank you for this - heck, you have to almost BE a computer to red that computer!
Micheal Malsed
2022-09-30 18:00:31 +0000 UTCHow can you engrave beutifully these inscriptions like this? I also have good hands, but I would definitely stumble a few times and scratching the surface. :-) Nice work!
sztojanov
2022-09-30 16:59:44 +0000 UTCAbsolutely incredible. Thanks for sharing this journey with us.
Matt Walters
2022-09-30 16:26:56 +0000 UTCαπίστευτα εντυπωσιακό SCNR. I used google translate for that, though.
MrTridac
2022-09-30 16:19:32 +0000 UTCChris, you have once again outdone yourself with this video. Do you intend to keep the back plate covered in india ink to preserve the unconfirmed glyphes? I would also like to learn more on the "full moon cycle" that was only briefly mentioned, as it was not entirely clear to me what infomation the cycle showed?
Justus Dehegovit
2022-09-30 15:59:12 +0000 UTCOnce again, amazing!
Charles Rioux
2022-09-30 15:04:03 +0000 UTCAmazing! - and interesting that 1 Saros period is almost exactly the age of majority for most of the world !? (18.03 yrs)
redruMKO
2022-09-30 14:07:31 +0000 UTCEverything you and your ancient Greek counterpart have done is nothing short of incredible.
Jack DenHartog
2022-09-30 12:54:27 +0000 UTCBeautiful work! The way the letters reference "footnotes" or comments in the margins is so cool to me. It makes me think this was a machine intended to be passed down from one operator to another, each one adding their own notes and maybe modifications to the mechanism. It's such a shame this one was lost at sea but it gives us a window into the past that would otherwise have been lost.
Noah Orr
2022-09-30 12:33:09 +0000 UTCFantastic work, as usual. I never tire of watching you work. It's enthralling. Thank you for all you do. I look forward to your next release. Stay safe, my friend.
Jose Martinez
2022-09-30 12:12:08 +0000 UTCStunning work! Checking my own Antikythera mechanism - if I'm reading those glyphs right - it clearly states that it's time to rewatch all previous episodes...
Damian Sutter
2022-09-30 12:07:42 +0000 UTCIt appears to be something like that although still not quite clear, more detail in the research - Cheers :)
Clickspring
2022-09-30 12:03:29 +0000 UTCI wonder if the term "color" indicated whether a solar eclipse was total, annular or partial
Damien Miller
2022-09-30 11:54:43 +0000 UTCYes beautifully captured in the CT scans - Cheers :)
Clickspring
2022-09-30 11:41:28 +0000 UTCWonderfully delicate. Have these needles survived in Mediterranean salty water for 20 centuries?
Gregor Shapiro
2022-09-30 11:40:32 +0000 UTCWoohoo! Can't wait!!
Hogtown Pens
2022-09-30 11:34:23 +0000 UTC
