The Antikythera Mechanism used precisely cut, independently rotating gears in a system known as epicyclic gearing, a technology not otherwise known to exist in the West for another 1,500 years.
Notes on verification
Well-corroborated by peer-reviewed research (Freeth et al., Nature 2006) and consistent scholarly consensus. The 1,500-year gap is a commonly cited approximation; exact figures vary (1,300-1,500 years) depending on comparison point, but the core claim is solid.
Sources
- The Antikythera Shipwreck Keeps Revealing Wonders - JSTOR Daily (daily.jstor.org)
- https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/decoding-antikythera-mechanism-first-computer-180953979/ (smithsonianmag.com)
- https://www.nature.com/articles/nature05357 (nature.com)