Shipwrecks have long been sought after for the potential of hidden treasure, but none have been able to compare with the discovery of the Antikythera mechanism. Hidden propertiesThe Antikythera mechanism – as it came to be known – was actually a 2,000-year-old analogue computer, and not a simple astronomical clock as Stais had once thought. As a centre of trade and culture at that time, it is believed that more than one Antikythera mechanism would have been built and that the faded inscriptions of two people’s names on the device were the people that built them. What makes this discovery so important for both archaeology and computer science is that our understanding of ancient people and cultures is not always what it seems. “Today’s Doodle illustrates how a rusty remnant can open up a sky full of knowledge and inspiration.”The polished and cleaned Antikythera mechanism.