Archaeologists in Palaikastro, Crete, have uncovered evidence of a once-thriving Minoan city that may have possessed advanced knowledge of astronomy and been home to what some researchers now believe could have been the first portable eclipse calculator, invented over 1,400 years prior to the famous Antikythera mechanism.
A lost port and a forgotten city
Though its original name has vanished from historical records, the settlement near Palaikastro was a key player in the Bronze Age Aegean. The town was abandoned around 1200 BC, and its once-active harbor now rests beneath the sea near Chiona Beach. However, while the city may have sunk into obscurity, its legacy lives on through two enigmatic artifacts.
In 1899, a farmer working the fields outside Palaikastro stumbled upon two thin, flat stones with unusual carvings. Measuring just three-quarters of an inch thick, the delicate schist slabs were handed to local authorities. They soon caught the eye of archaeologist Stefanos Xanthoudidis.
Xanthoudidis recognized their importance and arranged for their transfer to the Heraklion Museum, publishing his analysis on these shortly afterward. The objects, now known as the Palaikastro Moulds, have remained in the museum’s collection ever since. Each slab is roughly the size of a large tablet—about 8.8 by 3.9 inches (22.5 by 10 centimeters).
Symbols that speak to the stars
One of these slabs is etched with a large circular pattern featuring radiating spokes and a jagged outer ring, somewhat reminiscent of a gear. A female figure appears beside the disc, arms raised and clutching what appear to be flowers. Elsewhere on the mold is another smaller circle, marked with a central cross, placed above a crescent shape and a series of horizontal lines.
Early interpretations by archaeologists, including the renowned Arthur Evans, suggested that the symbols referenced celestial bodies—possibly Venus in its morning and evening aspects. Others believe the imagery reflects religious Minoan iconography, merging myth with astronomy.
The reverse side includes familiar motifs from Minoan culture, including the “horns of consecration” and a trident. People commonly associate these with rituals or deities.
The second mold prominently displays two labrys—double axes that symbolized power and divinity for the Minoans. The theme is the same on the back of the slab and portrays another female figure holding a labrys in each hand.
Experts such as the archaeologist Jan G. Velsink have dated the artifacts to between 1850 to 1700 BC (give or take 25 years or so), during the height of Minoan civilization. Originally thought to be used for casting ceremonial objects in metal, the purpose of these slabs has been reconsidered in light of new evidence.
Minoan eclipse calculator: a radical new theory
In 2013, a fresh perspective breathed new life into the study of the Palaikastro Moulds. A group of researchers published a study in Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry proposing that one of the slabs wasn’t simply a casting tool. Instead, it was put forth, it was a template for constructing a mechanical device for celestial calculations.
According to the scientists, the spoked disc may have served as the face of a primitive astronomical instrument, capable of indicating time and location based on the position of the sun and moon. Linear markings on the slab could have acted as guides for inserting pegs or rotating arms. They functioned much like the components of a sundial or compass.
According to analysis, such a tool could help determine latitude and even anticipate solar and lunar eclipses with surprising accuracy, possibly predating similar speculations of Greek philosophers by centuries.
Is the Minoan eclipse calculator a game-changer in ancient science?
If this hypothesis holds up, the Minoans may have engineered a compact device for celestial calculations, thus making it the earliest analog computer in recorded history.
Moreover, the Palaikastro Moulds may represent a turning point in how we understand ancient science, as the Minoans could potentially have actively sought out viable solutions for making sophisticated astronomical observations and precise mathematical plans that go beyond art and mythology.
This would hence push back the timeline of human innovation by centuries. As research continues, however, these unassuming slabs from a long-vanished city may yet prove to be one of the most significant scientific artifacts of the ancient world.
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