← Explore on the interactive map

Marine Compass

Type Object Region Worldwide Time 1551–1560

The magnetic compass was the core directional instrument of global oceanic navigation in the mid-16th century, indicating geomagnetic north and allow…

Timeline

  1. 1551–1555Amsterdam and Antwerp · Northwest EuropeNorth Sea and Baltic merchant ships as well as ocean-going fleets sailing south to Iberia commonly equipped the bridge with compass boxes; pilots recorded courses by magnetic needle bearing and overlaid them on charts, supporting increasingly frequent transatlantic voyages.
  2. 1556–1560Strait of Malacca and South China Sea routes · Indian OceanChinese, Japanese, Arab, and European ships converged in Southeast Asian waters; though their compass forms differed, all relied on magnetic needle direction to complete monsoon voyages and harbor-to-harbor passages.

Sources