On May 17 in 1902, Greek archaeologist Valerios Stais found a corroded chunk of metal which turned out to be part of the world's first computer and became known as the Antikythera Mechanism, writes the Telegraph.

The Antikythera mechanism is the world's first analogical computer, used by ancient Greeks to chart the movement of the sun, moon and planets, predict lunar and solar eclipses and even signal the next Olympic Games.

The 2,000-year-old astronomical calculator could also add, multiply, divide and subtract. It was also able to align the number of lunar months with years and display where the sun and the moon were in the zodiac.

The device is an intricate system of more than 30 sophisticated bronze gears housed in a wooden and bronze case the size of a shoebox built around the end of the 2nd Century BC.

Its mechanical function has seen it hailed as possible the world's oldest-known computer. While the system of gears bears little resemblance to the digital-based computers of the 20th and 21st century, its mechanical design allowed people to make calculations that would have been near impossible on their own.

A 2016 study found that the device may also have had a fortune telling function.