The Antikythera Mechanism

This is one of the most mysterious of all lost archeological discoveries. A device, which is a series of gears, levers and dials, used to chart the astronomical positions of the sun, moon, and other planets. It was discovered in a shipwreck in the 1900’s, with the materials on the ship dating back to 1st or 2nd Century AD. The true purpose of the device is not known, as it’s a mystery as to how it was constructed. Some theorize that it’s an early analog computer, and the fact that it’s been put together with such precision, means that there must have been more out there, but none have been discovered of this age. The next time this device is mentioned in historical record is in the 1400’s, but what happened in the time between? Why was it lost for so long?