Magnetic Compass Maritime Navigation

Timeline

1. c. 1040–1200Ports of China's southeastern coast · ChinaFrom the Northern to the Southern Song, wet and dry compasses became common in navigation; texts such as the Wujing Zongyao record the principle of the south-pointing magnetic needle, supporting maritime trade routes between China and Southeast and South Asia.
2. c. 1200–1400Indian Ocean–Red Sea–Mediterranean route · EuropeCompass technology reached the Mediterranean world through Arab merchant ships and scholarly writings; European sailors gradually adopted the binnacle and compass rose in the 13th and 14th centuries, improving orientation in overcast weather and at night.
3. 1441–1450Ming-dynasty Maritime Silk Road and Mediterranean merchant routes · Indian OceanBy the 1440s the magnetic compass had become standard equipment on merchant ships in the major Eurasian seas: the legacy of China's treasure-ship system and private maritime trade, Arab navigation in the Indian Ocean, and Mediterranean shipping all relied on the compass together with charts and astrolabes, laying the technical foundation for later transoceanic voyages.
4. c. 1450Global maritime network · GlobalFrom the late 15th century, Portuguese and Spanish oceanic exploration extended compass technology to the Atlantic and global routes; after the 18th century gyrocompasses and radio navigation successively appeared, but the magnetic compass remains a ship's backup navigational device to this day due to its simplicity and reliability.