The compass was discovered in the Qin Dynasty around 200-206 BC. The use of the compass during the Qin Dynasty was not for direction but for ‘Feng Shui’ and fortune telling. The ancient Chinese used a type of stone called a lodestone, which is mineral self-possessed with iron oxide for their Feng Shui board. But they eventually realized that lodestones always pointed towards the north, and the compass really came into being. The first mention of the compass was in a book entitled ‘Dream Pool Essays’ dated 1086 by Shen Kuo, in the Song Dynasty. It was further developed in the 8th century AD when magnetized needles replaced lodestone. The first person recorded as using a compass for navigation was Zheng. He (1371-1435) from Yunnan Province, made seven ocean voyages between 1405 and 1433. It was introduced to the Arab world and Europe between 960 and 1127. The compass gave a constant bearing, and made navigation safer. This opened up oceans for exploration and led to the discovery of the New World.
Compass
