The close conformity to this mathematical form confirmed that these craftsmen must have had a precision compound machine (as opposed to a simple machine) in 550 BC, predating Archimedes by several centuries; prior to this paper, the earliest compound machines were thought to be of Greek origin (e.g., Archimedes' screw).
The close alignment with this mathematical form indicated that these craftsmen had a compound machine rather than a simple one in 550 BC, predating Archimedes by several centuries; previously, the earliest known compound machines were believed to be of Greek origin (e.g., Archimedes' screw).