An ancient Greek "computer" dating to about 150 B.C. used to calculate the movements of the sun, moon and planets has been linked to Archimedes after scientists deciphered previously hidden inscriptions on the device, which also displays the cycle of prestigious athletics events, including the Olympics, which were held ever four years.
Isn't this an amazing thing! It's like finding a Coke bottle in an excavation of a Neandertal cave. I think it exemplifies how much was really lost with the end of classical civilization. A similar thing, which I was surprised to learn, is that forms of shorthand were used by the Greeks and Romans. The practice lasted into Charlemagne's time before it died out. It had to be reinvented beginning in the Elizabethan era.
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