There are moments in cultural development that pop in, and then are strangely forgotten. History is riddled with such phenomena. The Antikythera Mechanism is such a moment in time. A massive leap in technology, the knowledge was either too esoteric so as to not be desired by neighboring cultures, or was coveted by those who possessed it and prevented the dissemination. It is a good example of how technological development isn’t a linear progression, but starts and stops due to ideas that are discussed in Jared Diamonds’ book: Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies.