The Antikythera Astrolabe
150 BCE (Greek origin) / 800–1400 CE (Islamic refinement)
The astrolabe is an ancient analogue computer that could determine the time of day, the date, the positions of stars and planets, latitude, and the direction of Mecca — all from a single hand-held instrument. Invented by the ancient Greeks and perfected by Islamic astronomers, it was the most sophisticated scientific instrument in the world for over 1,500 years. Islamic scholar al-Zarqali built an astrolabe accurate to within 1 minute of arc.