NOTE: Effective June 2014 with our new location, we’re going to move our meetings to the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month.

Join the Louisville Esoteric Society on Wednesday, July 9, 2014 at 6:30 PM for our next meeting:   “The Incredible 2,000 Year-Old Greek Computer: Antikythera Mechanism“ presented by Jim Patterson.

In 1900 a Greek sponge diving crew discovered the remains of a Roman shipwreck on the floor of the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of the tiny Greek island of Antikythera. Among the treasures brought up by these divers were the most exquisite examples of ancient Greek marble and bronze statues ever discovered. These now grace the halls of the National Museum of Archaeology in Athens. Based on artifacts retrieved it is believed that the shipwreck is from about 100-80 BC (2,000 years ago).

Also discovered and retrieved were lumps of corroded bronze and wood that didn’t appear to be anything of importance. Not until the 1950s did someone notice these chunks of crud stored away in the backroom of the museum were some sort of complex geared mechanism. This was a shock! A mechanism of this sort shouldn’t have existed in the Greek and Roman era.

Since the 1950’s this mechanism has been thoroughly studied using increasingly advanced technologies in attempts to ascertain: Who could have created it? Where was it built – and when? How many gears did it have? What did all the gears do? What was its purpose? Why was it on this Roman ship? How could anyone in ancient Greece or Rome design and actually build such a device? All evidence points to an extremely complex astronomical clock, small enough to hold on your lap! In the modern era, historians believed that early astronomical clocks weren’t even starting to be developed until the 14th century (early Renaissance). Yet here we have a very complex astronomically geared device discovered in an ancient Roman shipwreck of about 80 BC. It shouldn’t be there! It was a treasure to surpass all treasures!

We’ll watch two high quality videos showing the discovery, research, theories of its origins, an amazing hand-built working model, and most incredibly… the superb technologies used in the most recent analysis in 2012 to discover elements of the mechanism never before known. After the videos we’ll share some exciting details about what’s coming up in September of this year to potentially increase the breadth of discoveries of this shipwreck and device. Join us and discover how one unbelievable mechanism is rewriting history.

All sincere seekers are welcome.  $10 for pay-as-you-go attendees; No charge for LES pre-pay Members.

[Pre-pay memberships are offered at discounted rates. Pick up a brochure at LES HQ for more information about the rates and benefits of becoming a pre-pay LES Member.]

 

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A calendar of upcoming meeting topics can be found here.