Which ancient civilization created the Antikythera mechanism?

Ancient Greeks created the Antikythera mechanism, an intricate astronomical device from the second or first century BCE. Its surviving fragments contain interlocking bronze gears that modeled celestial cycles and calendrical relationships.

Divers discovered the mechanism in 1901 in a shipwreck near the Greek island of Antikythera. The wreck also contained statues, glassware, coins, and other luxury goods, suggesting that the ship carried valuable cargo from the eastern Mediterranean.

Researchers have reconstructed parts of the device as a hand-powered calculator for predicting astronomical positions, eclipses, and the timing of major Greek athletic festivals. It is not a modern clock or a computer in the electronic sense, but it demonstrates sophisticated Hellenistic mechanical knowledge. Its exact maker and original user remain unknown.