http://news.discovery.com/history/archaeology/byzantine-ipad-found-in-ancient-shipwreck-14051.htm
"Στο Βυζάντιο είχαν... iPad: Μία απίστευτη ανακάλυψη Τούρκων αρχαιολόγων [εικόνες]¨, άρθρο από την iefimerida δημοσιευμένο στις 22.05.2014.
Πηγή: Στο Βυζάντιο είχαν... iPad: Μία απίστευτη ανακάλυψη Τούρκων αρχαιολόγων [εικόνες] | Ειδήσεις και νέα με άποψη http://www.iefimerida.gr/node/155972#ixzz3BGi8uPrE
http://www.iefimerida.gr/news/155972/%CF%83%CF%84%CE%BF-%CE%B2%CF%85%CE%B6%CE%AC%CE%BD%CF%84%CE%B9%CE%BF-%CE%B5%CE%AF%CF%87%CE%B1%CE%BD-ipad-%CE%BC%CE%AF%CE%B1-%CE%B1%CF%80%CE%AF%CF%83%CF%84%CE%B5%CF%85%CF%84%CE%B7-%CE%B1%CE%BD%CE%B1%CE%BA%CE%AC%CE%BB%CF%85%CF%88%CE%B7-%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%8D%CF%81%CE%BA%CF%89%CE%BD-%CE%B1%CF%81%CF%87%CE%B1%CE%B9%CE%BF%CE%BB%CF%8C%CE%B3%CF%89%CE%BD-%CE%B5%CE%B9%CE%BA%CF%8C%CE%BD%CE%B5%CF%82
My personal comment
It well known that ancient Greeks had invented marvelous technology, such as the famous Antikythera mechanism found in a shipwreck in the Aegean, between the Greek islands of Antikythera and Crete and it has been called as an "ancient computer". Well-known also are the inventions mentioned in "automata", the first book on automatism and robotics by Heron of Alexandria, the pioneering Greek engineer who lived in Hellenistic Alexandria, Egypt. Greek science and engineering along wit every other aspect of Greek culture from philosophy to language were transferred to the medieval world when the Greeks were living as Orthodox Christians in the Eastern Roman Empire that we moderns today call Byzantium or Byzantine Empire. As ancient Greek philosophy was integrated with Christian theology in the writings of the Greek church fathers, so were science, technology, and engineering studied by the medieval Greeks and other nations living within and outside the Byzantine Empire. The Arabs and the Persians were quite influenced by Greek science that they recorded and studied and much of their inventions were based on that ancient knowledge. As medieval Greek culture became the monoculture of the Byzantine Empire as Greeks were gained a lot of access in positions of power, more inventions and discovers were done and progress was not based, but not limited on ancient heritage, which was rather improved and adapted to the new arising needs. In the Byzantine imperial court, the Byzantine Emperor impressed the foreign emissaries and his guests by offering a spectacular show in the mysterious hall of the throne. Sophisticated automatic pneumatic and hydraulic mechanisms were hidden behind the lavish exotic birds, trees, and other decorations made of gold, silver, and embossed with gems. It is also well-known that since the late Roman times to the middle ages, Mediterranean trade ad reached its peak, though was always sea trade activity in the Mediterranean since prehistory. So this new discovery should not come with surprise. Just like the Atnikythera mechanism was a planetarium/astronomical calendar used for navigation at sea or as a new theory says, a luxury gadget, sort of planetarium/ astronomical calendar, used tough more like a curio, and belonged to a rich passenger, thus this one may be a multi-tool, including a Byzantine captain's log where notes were taken on a wooden plate covered with wax, as traces of Greek on the wax insinuate. We sould not be surprised if more similar artifacts are discovered in the future. The Aegean waters cover a lot of the past secrets in their deep waters awaiting fir a new exiting expedition to bring them to light...
