‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’ Is More Historically Accurate Than You Think

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny’The adventure that Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones (Harrison Ford) embarks on in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny may be his wackiest yet, which is saying something considering he met aliens in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Though many consider space the final frontier, Indy and his goddaughter Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) discover an even more elusive frontier in time itself. By finding the titular Dial of Destiny, more commonly known as Archimedes’ Antikythera, Indy and Helena don’t just get to learn about history; they get to be a part of it.

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Every one of Indy’s past escapades has always had a supernatural (and sometimes science-fictitious) element to them. He’s seen ghosts come out of the Ark of the Covenant, became the victim of a voodoo curse, spoke with an ancient knight of the Knight’s Templar, and communed with a psychic crystal skull. Yet, throughout all these miraculous journeys, there is always an element of historical truth involved with each one. In the case of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, while time travel may be just a tad unrealistic, many elements of the fifth Indiana Jones film are rooted in reality.

Like Dr. Voller in ‘Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,’ the U.S. Government Did Recruit Nazi Scientists

One of the strongest elements of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is its fantastic villain with Dr. Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen) – the Nazi mathematician who became obsessed with the legendary Antikythera, and its alleged ability to create fissures in time. In between working with the Third Reich and obtaining the Dial of Destiny once again, Voller spent his days as a defector to the United States, and was recruited by NASA to give them a fighting chance in the “Space Race.” While most people would probably consider putting a man on the Moon one of the greatest scientific accomplishments of the 20th century, Voller is still far more interested in conquering time rather than conquering space.

Dr. Voller may be a fictional character, but it’s a dark and open secret that the U.S. Government and NASA did recruit prominent Nazi figures in the mid-1940s, shortly after World War II had concluded, and the Third Reich was disbanded. Recruited by the U.S. as a result of “Operation Paperclip,” these were scientists who weren’t just loyal to Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party, but were also SS Officers and overseers of the infamous concentration camps. As the Nazis’ atrocities and human rights violations became more and more prevalent, many of these scientists would have likely been executed for war crimes, so working with the U.S. was an appealing alternative.

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One of the most notorious names recruited by NASA was Wernher von Braun, who seems to be the main inspiration for Dr. Voller’s character. Von Braun is credited with creating the modern ballistic missile among other military advancements. Creating a weapon of that caliber is already a harsh legacy, but that development is tame compared to Wernher von Braun’s monstrous history during World War II. While much of this didn’t come out until after his death, Wernher von Braun was a prominent member of the SS, and he hand-picked concentration camp prisoners to build his deadly missiles, with many of them dying in the process. Ironically, the person considered to be the “father of space travel” is also one of history’s most vile individuals.

‘Indian Jones and the Dial of Destiny’s Titular Dial of Destiny is a Real Device

The artifact Indiana Jones is tracking this time around is the Antikythera, a device created during the age of the Roman Empire by Greek mathematician Archimedes. In Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Dr. Voller finds the device and insists that this could be one of the greatest archeological finds in history. His Nazi peers think it’s a piece of junk, but Indy can acquire it from Voller and keep it safe, though it does make his companion, Basil Shaw (Toby Jones), obsessed with the device’s power to change the course of history.

Years later, Indy realizes they only have half of the Antikythera, and he and Helena try to stop Voller from obtaining the second half. They put up a valiant effort, and Voller does manage to get both pieces of the Dial and enacts his plan – to go back in time to World War II-era Sicily and kill Hitler, so he can take over the Nazis and lead them to victory. The Antikythera does send them to the past, but much further than any of them could have anticipated.

The Antikythera is a genuine device believed to be developed by Archimedes (who is also a real historical figure), but no, it can’t create portals through time. However, the device is still perhaps one of the most historically significant artifacts ever discovered. Discovered all the way back in 1901, the device is thought by experts to be the earliest example of a computational device, effectively making it the first computer in history. It’s also one of the most perplexing devices to be discovered, as there is nothing quite like it from the time period it originates from.

The Climactic Siege of Syracuse Happened (But Without Indiana Jones There)

Instead of going back to World War II, Dr. Voller accidentally sends him and Indy back to around 200 BC in the climax of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, supposedly due to not accounting for continental drift. While Indy is amazed by the history taking place before his eyes, both the Greek and the Roman combatants are terrified by the plane above them, thinking it to be some sort of dragon. Also present is Archimedes himself, who is working on the very same Dial that brought the heroes and villains of the film to the timeline. The ambitious sequence ends with Dr. Voller perishing in a plane crash and Indy having a fascinating conversation with Archimedes.

Yes, the Siege of Syracuse is also a real event that took place around 200 BC, and is thought to be the battle where Archimedes was killed. The Siege took place during the Second Punic War, where Rome and Carthage were fighting for control of the Mediterranean Sea. In real history, the battle concluded both with a Roman victory and Archimedes’ death. In Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, however, it looks like Indy may have changed history and kept Archimedes alive long enough to create the fabled Dial of Destiny.

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