Imfihlakalo Enkulu Engokwesayensi Yembuliwe — Watchtower UMTAPO OKUYI-INTHANETHI

Imfihlakalo Enkulu Engokwesayensi Yembuliwe

LAPHO ababhukudi behlola umkhumbi owawuphahlazeke ngasesiqhingini saseGreece i-Antikýthēra ngo-1901, bathola umcebo. Lo mkhumbi wawungowaseRoma lasendulo uthutha impahla edayiswayo, phakathi kwezinye izinto, imifanekiso eqoshiwe yemabula neyethusi nezinhlamvu zesiliva zisuka ePhergamu. Izinhlamvu zasiza abacwaningi ukuba bakwazi ukulinganisela ukuthi lo mkhumbi, okungenzeka wawulibangise eRoma, wacwila phakathi kuka-85 no-60 B.C.E.

Kusukela ngenkathi owatholakala ngayo, kugcinwe izinto zobungcweti ezatholakala kuwo eNational Archaeological Museum yase-Athens, eGreece. Kodwa, akuyona imifanekiso noma izinhlamvu ezakhanga abacwaningi ukuba baye kulo mnyuziyamu ngo-2005. Isithakazelo sabo sasigxile emshinini othile wethusi ekuqaleni owawufakwe ebhokisini lokhuni elingangelezicathulo. Lo mshini, owaziwa ngokuthi uMshini Wase-Antikythera, ubonisa ukuthi abantu bangesikhathi sokuqala kwempucuko babenolwazi olukhulu lwesayensi kunalokho abantu ababekucabanga. Lo mshini kuye kwathiwa “uyinkimbinkimbi kunayo yonke eyaziwayo yangenkathi yasendulo.”

Uyini ngempela? Futhi kungani ubaluleke kangaka?

Ithuluzi Eliyimfihlakalo

Lapho leli bhokisi likhishwa ekujuleni kolwandle, lase ligqwale kakhulu. Cishe ngemva kweminyaka engu-2 000, lase lifana netshe eliluhlaza. Njengoba injabulo yalokho okwakutholakele yayigxile emifanekisweni, leli thuluzi eliyimfihlakalo alizange linakwe ekuqaleni.

Lapho abavubukuli abangamaGreki belihlola leli thuluzi ngo-1902, laliyizingxenye ezihlukene. Kwakunamasondo anamazinyo asikwe kahle futhi ubukhulu bawo bungalingani. Lo mshini wawufana newashi, kodwa ngenxa yokuthi kwakukholelwa ukuthi imishini esetshenziswa amawashi yayingakabi khona kwaze kwaba seminyakeni engu-700 edlule, lokhu kwabonakala kungenakwenzeka.

Isihloko esithile esikhuluma ngoMshini Wase-Antikythera sichaza ukuthi “izazi-mlando azikholelwa ukuthi [amaGreki ayephila eminyakeni engaba ngu-2 000 edlule] ayekwazi ukwakha imishini yobuchwepheshe besayensi—enamasondo ensimbi akwazi ‘ukuphenduphenduka’ ngendlela eyinkimbinkimbi esuka komunye umphini aye komunye.” Kodwa, kwakucatshangwa ukuthi lo mshini uwuhlobo oluthile lwe-astrolabe, ithuluzi elalivame ukusetshenziswa ekufundeni izinkanyezi.

Noma kunjalo, abaningi babethi amasondo awo ayeyinkimbinkimbi kakhulu ukuthi kungathiwa lo mshini wenziwa eminyakeni engu-2 000 edlule. Ngakho baphetha ngokuthi wawungeyona ingxenye yezinto ezacwila nomkhumbi. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, esinye isazi sasikisela ukuthi kungenzeka ukuthi lo mshini uyi-Sphere of Archimedes yodumo. Isazi esingumRoma sangekhulu lokuqala B.C.E. uCicero sathi leli thuluzi liwuhlobo oluthile lomshini wokupopola izinkanyezi—okwazi ukulingisa ukujikeleza kwelanga, inyanga namanye amaplanethi ayisihlanu angase abonwe nangeso lenyama. Kodwa, ngenxa yokungabikho kobufakazi obucacile obuphikisa lokhu, kwemukelwa ukuthi lo mshini uyi-astrolabe.

Uyahlolisiswa

Ngo-1958, lo mshini wahlolwa uDerek de Solla Price, owayeyisazi sezinto eziphilayo washintsha umkhakha waba uprofesa wezomlando. Wagcina ephethe ngokuthi leli thuluzi lalikwazi ukubala izenzakalo ezidlule nezizayo zokuhamba kwezinkanyezi, njengokugcwala kwenyanga. Waphawula ukuthi imibhalo eyayikulo mshini yayibhekisela ekhalendeni—izinsuku, izinyanga nezimpawu zokuma komkhathi. Wacabanga ukuthi kungenzeka lo mshini wake waba nemicibisholo ezungezayo, eyayikhombisa ukuma kwezinkanyezi ngezikhathi ezingefani.

UPrice wathola ukuthi isondo elikhulu lalimelele ukuhamba kwelanga futhi ukujikeleza kwalo kanye kwakuhambisana nomjikelezo wonyaka. Uma elinye isondo, elixhumene nelokuqala lalimelele ukuhamba kwenyanga, khona-ke isilinganiso sesibalo samazinyo kula masondo womabili kufanele sibonise imibono yamaGreki asendulo mayelana nokujikeleza kwenyanga.

Ngo-1971, uPrice wathwebula izithombe ze-X ray zalo mshini. Imiphumela yakufakazela lokho ayekucabanga. Leli thuluzi laliwumshini oyinkimbinkimbi wokubala ukuma kwezinkanyezi. UPrice wenza umdwebo wendlela ayecabanga ukuthi lo mshini usebenza ngayo wabe esenyathelisa lokho akuthola ngo-1974. Wabhala: “Ayikho into efana naleli thuluzi kunoma iyiphi enye indawo. . . . Kukho konke esikwaziyo ngesayensi nobuchwepheshe bangeNkathi Yokubusa KwamaGreki bekufanele sibe nomuzwa wokuthi leli thuluzi lalingekho.” Ngaleso sikhathi, umsebenzi kaPrice awuzange uluthole udumo olwaluwufanele. Kodwa abanye baqhubeka nocwaningo lwakhe.

Ukukhanya Okusha

Ngo-2005, iqembu labacwaningi esikhulume ngalo esethulweni lahlola lo mshini lisebenzisa umshini wobuchwepheshe okuthiwa i-CAT-scan ukuze kuthwetshulwe izithombe ze-X ray ezibonisa zonke izinhlangothi. Lolu cwaningo lwaletha ukukhanya okusha ngokuqondene nendlela lo mshini osebenza ngayo. Lapho owusebenzisayo ephendula isibambo, cishe amasondo angu-30 ahlanganiswa amazinyo ayephendula amanye amasondo amathathu angaphambili nangemuva. Lokhu kwakwenza owusebenzisayo akwazi ukubikezela ukujikeleza kwezinkanyezi, kuhlanganise nokusitheka kwelanga, okuhambisana nomjikelezo weminyaka emine yama-Olympic neminye imidlalo yamaGreki. Ngokuvamile le midlalo yayiba yisisekelo sokubala isikhathi.

Kwakubaluleke ngani ukwaziswa okunjalo? Kunezizathu eziningana. Ukwazi ngokuma kwezinkanyezi kwakubalulekile kubantu basendulo ngoba ilanga nenyanga kwakuyisisekelo sekhalenda elalisiza abalimi ukuba bazi ukuthi bangayihlwanyela nini imbewu. Amatilosi ayesebenzisa izinkanyezi ukuze athole indlela. Izikhungo zomphakathi zamaGreki zazihambisana nemfundo yezinkanyezi. Kunesinye isizathu esasenza lokhu kwaziswa kubaluleke.

UMartin Allen, we-Antikythera Mechanism Research Project, uyabhala: “Kubantu baseBhabhiloni lasendulo, ukubikezela ukusitheka kwelanga kwakubalulekile, njengoba babecabanga ukuthi kuyisigameko esibi. Ngokuqinisekile lo mshini wawungase ubhekwe njengethuluzi lezombangazwe, lenze kube lula ngababusi ukuba baqhubeke bebusa abantu. Kuye kwasikiselwa nokuthi esinye isizathu sokuba sazi okuncane ngale mishini siwukuthi amasosha noma abezombangazwe babeyifihla.”

Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi ikuphi okunye lo mshini ositshela khona, uwubufakazi bokuthi izazi zasendulo zezinkanyezi nezibalo ezingamaGreki, imfundo yazo eningi eyayisekelwe emasikweni akudala aseBhabhiloni, zazithuthuke kakhulu kunokuba singase sicabange. Umagazini i-Nature ukubeka kanje: “Lo Mshini Wase-Antikythera wasendulo awubekeli inselele nje lokho esikucabangayo ngokuthuthuka kobuchwepheshe njengoba iminyaka yayihamba—usinikeza ukukhanya okusha ngomlando ngokwawo.”

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WENZIWA NGUBANI?

Akunakwenzeka ukuthi kwakuyiwo wodwa uMshini Wase-Antikythera owawuyilolu hlobo. UMartin Allen uyabhala: “Abukho ubufakazi banoma iliphi iphutha. Zonke izingxenye zawo zinenjongo. Azikho izimbobo ezengeziwe noma izinsimbi ezithile ezibonisa ukuthi umenzi wawo wayehambe eshintsha umklamo wawo njengoba ewakha. Lokhu kuholela esiphethweni sokuthi wayakhe eminingi ngaphambili.” Pho, wakhiwa ngubani? Futhi zaphelelaphi ezinye izinto azakha?

Ucwaningo lwamuva ngalo mshini lwembule amagama ezinyanga ezikulo mshini ezazibikezela ukusitheka kwelanga. Amagama azo anomsuka waseKorinte. Lokhu kwenza abahloli baphethe ngokuthi leli thuluzi lenziwa futhi lalisetshenziswa abantu besizinda esithile. Umagazini wesayensi i-Nature uthi: “Amakoloni aseKorinte asenyakatho-ntshonalanga yeGreece noma eSyracuse eSicily yiwona ayewusebenzisa kakhulu lo mshini—lokhu kusikisela ukuthi wawususetshenziswa emuva le enkathini ka-Archimedes.”

Kungani amathuluzi anjengaleli engasekho? U-Allen uyabhala: “Ithusi liyigugu futhi liyakwazi ukuphinde lisebenziseke. Ngakho-ke, ithusi elalitholakala ezintweni zasendulo seliyivelakancane. Empeleni izinto eziningi zomlando eziyithusi ziye zatholakala ngaphansi kwamanzi, lapho labo ababefuna ukulisebenzisa kabusha babengeke bakwazi ukulikhipha khona.” Omunye umcwaningi uthi: “Ukuphela kwalesi [sibonelo] esinaso ngoba abantu abaqoqa okusansimbi babengeke bakwazi ukulithola.”

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(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

Ukwakhiwa kabusha kwengaphakathi loMshini Wase-Antikythera

1. Isondo elingaphambili lalibonisa imijikelezo yokuvela kwenyanga nokuma kwelanga nenyanga. Lalibonisa nosuku lwenyanga ekhalendeni nokuhamba kwelanga (namaplanethi abonakalayo) ngokuvumelana nezinkanyezi emkhathini

2. Isondo elingenhla ngemuva lalibonisa ukuhlobana okuphakathi kwezinyanga ezigcwele, neminyaka nezikhathi zeMidlalo YamaGreki

3. Isondo elisezansi ngemuva lalibikezela ukusitheka kwelanga nokwenyanga

[Izithombe]

Ngaphambili

Ngemuva

[Umthombo]

[Isithombe ekhasini 26]

Indlela okungenzeka lalibukeka ngayo isondo elingemuva

[Umthombo]

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 24]