Antikythera

File:0027MAN Paris or Perseus2.jpg; bronze c. 340–330 BC, National Archaeological Museum of Athens ]]

The earliest known inhabitants (5th or 4th millennium BC) were likely seasonal hunters who traveled there to exploit the presence of migratory birds. The population of the island then changed frequently as it was settled and abandoned several times, including a period of significant influence by Cretan culture during the Bronze Age.{{cite journal | last1 = Bevan | first1 = A. | last2 = Conolly | first2 = J. | last3 = Tsaravopoulos | first3 = A. | year = 2008 | title = The fragile communities of Antikythera | journal = Archaeology International | volume = 10 | pages = 32–36 |doi = 10.5334/ai.1007 | doi-access = free }} In antiquity, the island of Antikythera was known as Aegilia or Aigilia ({{Lang|grc|Αἰγιλία}}), Aegila or Aigila ({{Lang|grc|Αἴγιλα}}),{{Cite DGRG|title=Aegilia}} or Ogylos ({{Lang|grc|Ὤγυλος}}).{{Cite Barrington|57}}[https://topostext.org/work/241#O706.3 Stephanus of Byzantium, Ethnica, O706.3]

Between the 4th and 1st centuries BC, it was used as a base by a group of Cilician pirates until their destruction by Pompey the Great. Their fort can still be seen atop a cliff to the northeast of the island. The archaeology of the island has been thoroughly surveyed and the data made openly available for further study.{{cite journal | last1 = Bevan | first1 = A. | last2 = Conolly | first2 = J. | year = 2012 | title = Intensive Survey Data from Antikythera, Greece | journal = Journal of Open Archaeology Data | volume = 1| pages = e3| issue=1| doi = 10.5334/4f3bcb3f7f21d | doi-access = free }}

Antikythera is one of the few islands in the Aegean which were never ruled by the Ottoman Empire, as the Ottomans did not consider the small island a worthwhile conquest. Nevertheless, it was noted on Ottoman maps as {{Lang|tr|Küçük Çuha}}, a name that has persisted in modern Turkish.

Antikythera, known as Cerigotto in Italian, was administered by the Venetians as part of the Ionian Islands, despite being several hundred kilometres away from the main Ionian archipelago. The Venetians held out in Antikythera until 1800 while the rest of the Ionian Islands had fallen to Napoleonic France in 1797. It became a British protectorate in 1815 as part of the United States of the Ionian Islands. The island was then ceded to Greece under the Treaty of London (1864).

From 1864 to 1912, Antikythera was the southernmost point of Greece, as Crete and the surrounding islands including Gavdos were then part of the Ottoman Empire.

Antikythera is most famous for being the location of the 1900 discovery of the Antikythera wreck,{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Cerigotto|volume=5 |page=761}} from which the Antikythera Ephebe and Antikythera mechanism were recovered. The Antikythera mechanism is an ancient mechanical calculator (sometimes described as the first mechanical computer) designed to calculate astronomical positions which has been dated to about 205 BC.{{cite journal|last1=Carman|first1=Christian|last2=Evans|first2=James|title=On the epoch of the Antikythera mechanism and its eclipse predictor|journal=Archive for History of Exact Sciences|date=15 November 2014|volume=68|issue=6|pages=693–774|doi=10.1007/s00407-014-0145-5|s2cid=120548493 |hdl=11336/98820|hdl-access=free}}{{Cite news|title=Scientists may have solved ancient mystery of 'first computer'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/mar/12/scientists-move-closer-to-solving-mystery-of-antikythera-mechanism|access-date=2021-03-13|work=The Guardian|last=Sample|first=Ian|date=12 March 2021}} Technological artifacts of similar complexity did not reappear until a thousand years later.

Antikythera is a very important stop-over site for migratory birds during their seasonal movements, due to its geographical position and certain features (a longitudinal island, with a north–south direction and very low human impact).[http://www.ornithologiki.gr/en/osa/antikythira.php The Importance of Antikythira] Furthermore, the island hosts the largest breeding colony of Eleonora's falcon (Falco eleonorae) in the world.{{cite journal | last1 = Dimalexis | first1 = A | last2 = Xirouchakis | first2 = S | last3 = Portolou | first3 = D | last4 = Latsoudis | first4 = P | last5 = Karris | first5 = G | last6 = Georgiakakis | first6 = P | last7 = Fric | first7 = J | last8 = Barboutis | first8 = C | last9 = Bourdakis | first9 = S | last10 = Ivovič | first10 = M | last11 = Kominos | first11 = T | last12 = Kakalis | first12 = E | year = 2008 | title = Breeding distribution and population status of the Eleonora's falcon (Falco eleonorae) in Greece | journal = Journal of Ornithology | volume = 149 | pages = 23–30 | doi=10.1007/s10336-007-0207-4| s2cid = 42039520 }} The importance of Antikythera for studying bird migration led to the creation of Antikythera Bird Observatory (A.B.O) by the Hellenic Ornithological Society. The island, along with its associated islets, has been recognised as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International.{{cite web |url= http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/antikythira-island-and-surrounding-islets-iba-greece|title= Antikythira island and surrounding islets|author= |date=2022|website= BirdLife Data Zone|publisher= BirdLife International|access-date= 27 December 2022}} The island also has a large population of wild goats.{{Cite web |url=http://antikythera.gr/en/culture/articles/agios_miron.html |title=Κοινότητα Αντικυθήρων |access-date=7 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151007180223/http://www.antikythera.gr/en/culture/articles/agios_miron.html |archive-date=7 October 2015 |url-status=dead }}

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Following an agreement among European Investment Bank, the Kithira-Antikithira Commission of Inland Property, the National Observatory of Athens,{{Cite web |url=http://www.noa.gr/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1266:deltio-typou-deltio-typou-kai-egeneto-fos-sta-antikythira-ksekinise-i-leitourgia-tou-paratiritiriou-geoepistimon-kai-klimatikis-allagis-antikythiron-paggaia-tou-ethnikoy-asteroskopeiou-athinon&catid=103:nea-programmaton&lang=el&Itemid=428| title= Press Release of NAO}} the Municipality and the Greek Public, a total fund of 25m euros will be used to install one of the largest Climate Observatory Centers in Europe. The project has also gained the support of Cosmote and Niarchos Foundation.{{Cite web|url=https://erc.europa.eu/projects-figures/stories/%CE%BC%CE%B9%CE%BA%CF%81o-%CE%BD%CE%B7%CF%83i-%CE%BC%CE%B5-%CF%84%CE%BF%CE%BD-%CE%BC%CE%B5%CE%B3a%CE%BB%CE%BF-%CE%B1%CE%BD%CF%84i%CE%BA%CF%84%CF%85%CF%80%CE%BF-%CF%83%CF%84%CE%B7%CE%BD-e%CF%81%CE%B5%CF%85%CE%BD%CE%B1-%CE%B3%CE%B9%CE%B1-%CF%84%CE%B7%CE%BD-%CE%BA%CE%BB%CE%B9%CE%BC%CE%B1%CF%84%CE%B9%CE%BAh-%CE%B1%CE%BB%CE%BB%CE%B1%CE%B3h|title=Published Article on European Research Council|access-date=7 September 2020|archive-date=3 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200903213605/https://erc.europa.eu/projects-figures/stories/%CE%BC%CE%B9%CE%BA%CF%81o-%CE%BD%CE%B7%CF%83i-%CE%BC%CE%B5-%CF%84%CE%BF%CE%BD-%CE%BC%CE%B5%CE%B3a%CE%BB%CE%BF-%CE%B1%CE%BD%CF%84i%CE%BA%CF%84%CF%85%CF%80%CE%BF-%CF%83%CF%84%CE%B7%CE%BD-e%CF%81%CE%B5%CF%85%CE%BD%CE%B1-%CE%B3%CE%B9%CE%B1-%CF%84%CE%B7%CE%BD-%CE%BA%CE%BB%CE%B9%CE%BC%CE%B1%CF%84%CE%B9%CE%BAh-%CE%B1%CE%BB%CE%BB%CE%B1%CE%B3h|url-status=dead}}

• Andreas Anagnostakis (1826–1897) physician

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{{reflist}}

{{Commons category|Antikythera}}

• [http://howjsay.com/index.php?word=antikythera Antikythera audio pronunciation]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20141020053001/http://www.antikythira.gr/en/ Official website of the Antikythira Community] {{in lang|el|en}}
• [http://antikythera.whoi.edu The "Return to Antikythera" Dive Official Website (English)]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20140731214902/http://www.antikytheraexcavation.gr/ The Antikythera (Archaeological) Survey Project] (Website in Greek)
• [http://www.ornithologiki.gr/gr/osa Antikythira Bird Observatory] (Greek Text)

{{Ionian Islands}}

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Category:Ionian Islands

Category:Islands of Greece

Category:Important Bird Areas of Greece

Category:Important Bird Areas of Mediterranean islands

Category:Landforms of Islands (regional unit)

Category:Territories of the Republic of Venice

Category:Populated places in Islands (regional unit)

Category:Kythira