When Was the Compass Invented?
You might think that the compass has long been used by sailors to navigate on the open seas. The truth is, there was no such thing as the compass in ancient times, and even after the compass was invented, it wasn’t used all that much for marine navigation. Sailors in ancient times charted their course by the stars, and did not u
Who invented the compass? This post will answer those questions! When was the Compass Invented? This question is actually difficult to answer. Different historians believe that the compass was invented at different times. I will discuss the different theories in bullet points! • Some suggest that the first compass was invented sometime between 1400 and 1000 BC by the Olmec. However, there is little evidence that it could be used to tell direction. Others believe it was merely a decorative item. • The earliest written record of ‘magnetism’ is found in Chinese manuscripts from around 400 BC. There is some mention that a ‘south pointer’ could be used to stop hunters getting lost but it is disputed whether it actually refers to a compass. • The Chinese also first noticed the attraction of a needle by a magnet sometime between 40 and 50 AD. A scholar constructed a compass following this written record but there is no evidence of any explicit reference to a ‘magnet’. There is also no evidenc
