Raye's History House

The very first compasses existed in ancient China and were probably invented about 2000 years ago. These consisted of a lodestone or a needle rubbed on a lodestone which is then suspended in water. The needle or stone will then direct itself in a north-south alignment. In China, this was initially used for Feng-shui. Mesoamerica probably also had rudimentary compasses.

Before the compass arrived, people had to use other ways to map the ocean and to figure out where they were going. Vikings sometimes used birds. If a released bird circled around a ship, then it did not spot land. If it took off in one direction, then it did, and the boat followed. Pacific Polynesians used things such as the stars, weather patterns, the size of waves, and local bird species to determine where they were.

Polaris (more commonly known as the North Star) was also used by early navigators because it pointed north, was easy to spot, and doesn’t move. In most of Europe, sailors relied on descriptions of currents, shoreline features, and bottom materials to determine where they were.

The earliest mentions of the compass in Europe date to the late 12th century, but, since they were suspended in water, they were not stable on ships. Italian Flavio Gioja is often credited with being the inventor of the modern compass in 1302. The description for the compass may have been brought back with Marco Polo.

The compass revolutionized the world and is considered the single most important invention for world exploration. Initially, the compass increased naval warfare and merchant trade in the Mediterranean. Boats could now sail between the months of October and April when visibility is low. This large increase in trade brought Europe more wealth, and port cities like Venice began to become more important. The compass gave travelers the confidence to venture far from home, leading to world ship travel. 

Important Sea Expeditions After Invention of Compass:

• 1492: Columbus lands in the Americas
• 1497: Vasco de Gama of Portugal sails around Africa to arrive in the Indian Ocean.
• 1497: John Cabot sails from England to Newfoundland in Canada.
• 1519: Ferdinand Magellan’s crew become the first to sail around the world.

The problem with the compass is that it points to magnetic north and south instead of true north and south. This discrepancy becomes more apparent near the poles, and is becoming more prominent over time. The earth’s magnetic poles move about 40 miles every year, meaning that in about 800,000 years magnetic north will be south. The gyroscope fixed this problem in the early 20th century because it points north without the use of magnetism.

Today, of course, ships use GPS which can track latitude, longitude, and altitude to within 50 feet. A compass is still carried though in case of emergency.

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