Primarily, the compass was used for geomancy for a long time before it was used for navigation Ancient Chinese alchemists realized that the magnetite ore would point towards a magnetic north. Their ...

So it was a very complex process. The Chinese invented the compass and then used it to travel the open seas. NOVA: It sounds like these technological innovations and the economic boom went hand in ...

The invention of the compass promoted maritime undertakings, and its use soon spread to the Arab world, and thence to Europe. China's four great ancient inventions made tremendous contributions to ...

A common misperception of Chinese historical society is that it lacked scientific and technological ability—and that modern China has 'emerged' from a traditional shell. Somehow, they stumbled upon ...

The invention of the wheel was a transformative ... relying on the stars. The Chinese created the first compass between the ninth and eleventh centuries. It was made of lodestone, an inherently ...