Museum of Ancient Greek Technology
Encyclopedia
The Museum of Ancient Greek Technology is a museum
in Katakolo
, Ilia Prefecture in Greece
. It was founded by Kostas Kotsanas and holds 200 operating reconstructions of mechanisms and inventions of the ancient Greeks covering the period from 2200 BC to 100 AD.
It is approximately 500 meters from the pier. The tour is conducted in English / French by the curator, while the exhibits are also accompanied by explanatory labels in English as well as rich audio-visual material (posters, diagrams & videos of their operation).
The museum's exhibits include:
Kotsanas, Kostas (2008) - Ancient Greek Technology (ISBN 978-960-930859-5)
Kotsanas, Kostas (2009) - The Musical Instruments of the Ancient Greeks (ISBN 978-960-98804-2-8)
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
in Katakolo
Katakolo
Katakolo is a seaside town in western Ilia in the municipality of Pyrgos. It is located south of Patras and Dounaiika, 12 km off downtown Pyrgos, west of Olympia and northwest of Messenia...
, Ilia Prefecture in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. It was founded by Kostas Kotsanas and holds 200 operating reconstructions of mechanisms and inventions of the ancient Greeks covering the period from 2200 BC to 100 AD.
It is approximately 500 meters from the pier. The tour is conducted in English / French by the curator, while the exhibits are also accompanied by explanatory labels in English as well as rich audio-visual material (posters, diagrams & videos of their operation).
Exhibits
- The Alarm Clock of PlatoPlatoPlato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
(the first wake-up mechanism in history) - Automatic Opening of the Temple Gates after sacrifice on its altar (the first building automation in history)
- The “Static” Automatic Theatre of Heron of Alexandria (the first “cinema” in history)
- The Hydraulic Clocks of Ktesibios (the first precise automatic clocks in history)
- Heron’s Aeolosphere (the first steam machine in history)
- The Automatic Maid (the first operating robotRobotA robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
in history) - “Odometer” (the first road counter in history)
- The Movable Automatic Theatre of Heron of Alexandria (the first scheduled automobile “puppet show” in history)
- Crane With Winches for the elevation of mast and load (the first elevating mechanism in history)
- Perpendicular Mycenaean loom
- The “Web” of PenelopePenelopeIn Homer's Odyssey, Penelope is the faithful wife of Odysseus, who keeps her suitors at bay in his long absence and is eventually reunited with him....
(OdysseusOdysseusOdysseus or Ulysses was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. Odysseus also plays a key role in Homer's Iliad and other works in the Epic Cycle....
’ wife) - The Catapult “Palindonos”, (the first siege machine in history)
- Bale-fires and Beacons (the first telecommunication method in history)
- Acoustic Telegraph (the first acoustic radar in history)
- Elevating Mechanism of Two-Sided Elevation (the first port building crane in history)
- HysplexHysplexHysplex is a starting gate used in ancient Greek horse and foot races. This device was set up at the starting line and consisted of an upright vertical bar that held a horizontal gate attached to it held up by a string. Each racer stood behind his own hysplex and all of the strings were...
(the first starting mechanism in history) - Ancient Greek musical instruments
Further reading
Kotsanas, Kostas (2009) - Familiar and Unfamiliar Aspects of Ancient Greek Technology (ISBN 978-9963-9270-2-9)Kotsanas, Kostas (2008) - Ancient Greek Technology (ISBN 978-960-930859-5)
Kotsanas, Kostas (2009) - The Musical Instruments of the Ancient Greeks (ISBN 978-960-98804-2-8)