Ukutyhilwa Kwemfihlelo Enkulu Yenzululwazi — IWatchtower LAYBRARI EKWI-INTANETHI

Ukutyhilwa Kwemfihlelo Enkulu Yenzululwazi

XA IINDADI zehla zayokufikelela kwinqanawa eyazikayo, kwisiqithi saseGrisi iAntikýthēra ngowe-1901, zafumana indyebo. Leyo yinqanawa yabarhwebi baseRoma, ababephethe imifanekiso eqingqiweyo yebhastile neyobhedu kwakunye neengqekembe zemali yesilivere yasePergamo. Ezo ngqekembe zanceda abaphengululi, baqonda ukuba loo nqanawa, mhlawumbi eyayisinge eRoma, yazika phakathi kowama-85 nowama-60 B.C.E.

Emva kokufunyanwa kwezo zinto, zagcinwa kwiNational Archeological Museum of Athens, eGrisi. Kodwa abaphengululi abazange batsalwe yimifanekiso eqingqiweyo okanye iingqekembe zemali kule myuziyam ngowama-2005. Babenomdla ekuboneni isixhobo sobhedu esasikwibhokisi yeplanga eyayilingana nebhokisi yezihlangu. Esi sixhobo esasisaziwa ngokuba yiAntikythera Mechanism, saphakamisa imibuzo ngendlela impucuko yayihambele phambili ngayo mandulo. Esi sixhobo besibizwa ngokuba “ngowona matshini wamandulo untsonkothileyo.”

Siyintoni? Yaye kutheni sibalulekile?

Ukwaziwa Kwaso

Xa le bhokisi yakhutshwayo emazantsi olwandle, yayikhuhlekile yaye inentlenga. Emva kweminyaka engama-2 000, yayifana nelitye eliluhlaza. Ekubeni kwakunikelwa ingqalelo kakhulu kule mifanekiso iqingqiweyo, akakho umntu owayeyikhathalele le bhokisi.

Xa umembi wezinto zakudala waseGrisi wawuhlolisisayo ngowe-1902, lo matshini wawungadityaniswanga. Kwakukho amavili ahlukahlukeneyo, anamazinyo angunxantathu. Lo matshini wawufana newotshi, kodwa kwakubonakala ukuba yayingeyiyo ekubeni kusithiwa iiwotshi zazingekasetyenziswa ngokubanzi kwade kwayiminyaka enokuba ngama-700 eyadlulayo.

Inqaku elithetha ngeAntikythera Mechanism lithi “ababhali-mbali bathi akunakwenzeka ukuba [amaGrike awayephila malunga neminyaka engama-2 000 eyadlulayo] ayenamavili enziwe ngolo hlobo—amavili enziwe ngesinyithi aza adweliswa ukuze akwazi ukwenza isixhobo esithile sisebenze.” Sekunjalo, esi sixhobo kwakucingelwa ukuba yiastrolabe, isixhobo esasidla ngokubonisa indawo ethile sisebenzisa izinto ezisesibhakabhakeni.

Sekunjalo, abaninzi babephikisana besithi loo mavili ayentsonkothe kakhulu ukuba angaba neminyaka engama-2 000 ubudala. Ngoko bagqiba ngelithi kwakungenakwenzeka ukuba esi sixhobo sasizike nale nqanawa yamandulo. Kwelinye icala, omnye umphengululi wabonisa ukuba esi sixhobo singqukuva yayisesika-Archimedes. Ngenkulungwane yokuqala Ngaphambi kweXesha Eliqhelekileyo uCicero wathi esi sixhobo sikhangeleka ngathi luhlobo oluthile lweplanetarium—umatshini owawukwazi ukwenza umntu abone indlela ilanga, inyanga nezijikelezi-langa ezintlanu ezihamba ngayo. Sekunjalo, nangona kwakungekho bungqina bubambekayo, yayisamkelwa ingcamango yeastrolabe.

Uhlolisiso Olungakumbi

Ngowe-1958 kwenziwa uphando olungakumbi nguDerek de Solla Price, owayesisazinzulu kodwa kamva waba ngunjingalwazi wembali. Wayekholelwa ukuba esi sixhobo sasinokukwazi ukubonisa iziganeko zenzululwazi engeenkwenkwezi kuquka ezo zadlulayo nezekamva, njengaxa kuza kubakho inyanga epheleleyo. Waqonda ukuba oku kubhalwe kwesi sixhobo kubhekisela kwikhalenda—iintsuku, iinyanga nemiqondiso yeenkwenkwezi. Wayesithi kusenokwenzeka ukuba esi sixhobo sasikwazi ukwalathisa indawo ezimi kuyo izinto ezisemajukujukwini ngamaxesha ahlukahlukeneyo.

UPrice waqonda ukuba elona vili likhulu lesi sixhobo lalifuzisela indlela elihamba ngalo ilanga, yaye xa lijikeleza isihlandlo sokuqala oko kwakufuzisela ixesha elithatyathwe ngumhlaba ukujikeleza ilanga. Ukuba elinye ivili, elidityaniswe kwelo lokuqala, lifuzisela indlela inyanga ehamba ngayo, ngoko amazinyo akula mavili abonisa ingcamango yamandulo yamaGrike yendlela inyanga ejikeleza ngayo.

Ngowe-1971, lo kaPrince wasihlolisisa ngakumbi esi sixhobo. Iziphumo zavumelana nengcamango yakhe. Esi yayisisixhobo esintsonkothileyo sokuhlolisisa izinto ezisesibhakabhakeni. UPrice wenza umzobo wendlela yena acinga ukuba sisebenza ngaso waza wakupapasha oko wakufumanisayo ngowe-1974. Wabhala: “Asikho esinye isixhobo esifana nesi esigcinwe kwenye indawo. . . . Oko sikwaziyo ngenzululwazi nangobugcisa bexesha lamaGrike kusenza singakukholelwa ukuba esi sixhobo esilolu hlobo besinokubakho ngelo xesha.” Ngelo xesha umsebenzi kaPrice awuzange unconywe kangako. Sekunjalo abanye baqhubeka nolo phando.

Inkcazelo Engakumbi

Ngowama-2005, iqela leengcali elikhankanywe ekuqaleni lahlolisisa esi sixhobo lisebenzisa umatshini wezi mini i-CAT-scan ukuze livelise imifanekiso ye-X-ray ebonisa amacala aso omathathu. Olo phando lwanikela inkcazelo engakumbi yendlela esi sixhobo esisebenza ngayo. Xa umntu ejija iqhosha kwesi sixhobo, amavili angama-30 ayebangela amasiba amathathu angaphambili nangasemva kule bhokisi ukuba asebenze. Oku kwakunceda umntu azi imijikelo yeenkwenkwezi, kuquka naxa ilanga lisithwe yinyanga, aze alazi nexesha eyayiza kubakho ngalo imidlalo yeOlimpiki neminye imidlalo yamaGrike ebakho kwiminyaka emine. Le midlalo yayidla ngokunceda ekubaleni ixesha.

Kutheni yayibalulekile nje loo nkcazelo? Kukho izizathu eziliqela. Inzululwazi ngeenkwenkwezi yayibalulekile kubantu bamandulo, kuba ilanga nenyanga zazinceda abalimi ukuze balazi ixesha lokuhlwayela. Oomatiloshe babesebenzisa ukukhanya kweenkwenkwezi ukuqhuba iinqanawa. Kwiindawo zembutho zamaGrike kwakusetyenziswa iinzululwazi ngeenkwenkwezi. Kukho nesinye isizathu esenza ukuba loo nkcazelo ibaluleke.

UMartin Allen weAntikythera Mechanism Research Project uthi: “Kwakubalulekile kubantu baseBhabhiloni ukuba bazi ixesha laxa ilanga lisithwe yinyanga, kuba babecinga ukuba oku kwakuzisa amashwa.” “Abanye basenokucinga ukuba esi sixhobo sasisetyenziswa kwezopolitiko, ukuze abasemagunyeni bakwazi ukulawula abalawulwa. Abanye bathi isizathu sokuba sazi kancinane ngaso, kungenxa yokuba sasifihlwe ngabantu basemkhosini okanye abezopolitiko.”

Enoba sasisetyenziselwa ntoni na esi sixhobo, sinikela ubungqina bokuba inzululwazi yeenkwenkwezi nemathematika yamaGrike, ezazithatyathwe kumasiko amaBhabhiloni, zazihambele phambili kunokuba sicinga. Iphephancwadi iNature lithi: “IAntikythera Mechanism yamandulo ayisifundisi kuphela ngezinto ezintsha ngezobugcisa bamandulo—kodwa isinika inkcazelo engakumbi ngembali.”

[Ibhokisi ekwiphepha 26]

SENZIWA NGUBANI?

Kusenokwenzeka ukuba iAntikythera Mechanism ayisiso kuphela isixhobo esilolu hlobo esasikho ngelo xesha. UMartin Allen uthi: “Akukho bungqina bayo nayiphi na impazamo. Zonke iinxalenye zaso zinenjongo. Akukho mingxuma okanye ezinye izinto kuso ezibonisa ukuba umenzi waso wayitshintsha indlela awayecebe ukusenza ngaso. Oku kubonisa ukuba kusenokwenzeka ukuba wenza nezinye ngaphambi kwesi.” Ngoko senziwa ngubani? Yaye zaphelela phi ezinye izinto awazenzayo?

Uhlolisiso lakutshanje luveze amagama eenyanga ezikwesi sixhobo ekwakuqikelelwa ngazo ixesha laxa ilanga liza kusithwa yinyanga. La magama anemvelaphi yaseKorinte. Oku kwakhokelela ukuba abaphandi bagqibe ngelithi esi sixhobo sasisenziwa yaye sisetyenziswa ngabantu bohlanga oluthile. Iphephancwadi iNature lithi: “Kusenokwenzeka ukuba sasisetyenziswa ngabantu bamathanga aseKorinte womntla ntshona yeGrisi okanye eSirakuse okanye eSisili—yaye ukuba sasisetyenziswa ngabantu baseSirakuse, oku kubonisa ukuba babesisebenzisa ngexesha lika-Archimedes.”

Kutheni ezinye izixhobo ezifana naso zingekho? UAllen uthi: “Ubhedu luxabisekile yaye luyakwazi ukuphinda lusetyenziswe. Kunqabile ukufumana izinto zobhedu zamandulo. Enyanisweni izinto zobhedu zamandulo zazifunyanwa phantsi kwamanzi, apho kungelula ngabantu ukuba bazifumane baze bazisebenzise kwakhona.” Omnye umphengululi uthi: “Safumana kuphela esi [sixhobo], kuba kungelula ukuba sifunyanwe ngabantu ababenokusisebenzisa kwakhona.”

[Umzobo/Imifanekiso ekwiphepha 25]

(Ukuba ufuna inkcazelo ehlahlelwe kakuhle, yiya kwimpapasho)

Umfanekiso obonisa indlela esebenza ngayo iAntikythera Mechanism

1. Usiba lwangaphambili lwalubonisa apho kumi khona inyanga nelanga. Lwalubonisa usuku nenyanga ngokwendlela ilanga elihamba ngayo (nezijikelezi-langa)

2. Usiba olungasemva entla lwalubonisa unxulumano phakathi kwexesha lenyanga, ixesha lelanga, nexesha leMidlalo yamaGrike

3. Usiba olungasemva ezantsi lwalubonisa ixesha xa ilanga lisithwe yinyanga

[Imifanekiso]

Umphambili

Umva

[Inkcazelo]

[Umfanekiso okwiphepha 26]

Indlela ekunokwenzeka ukuba sasikhangeleka ngayo esi sixhobo ngasemva

[Inkcazelo]

[Inkcazelo Ngomfanekiso okwiphepha 24]