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Compass Use in Song Navigation

Type Object Region China Time 1001–1200

The Song shifted magnetic-needle direction-finding from divination to maritime navigation, merchants using the compass to fix headings despite overca…

Timeline

  1. 1001–1010Guangzhou and Quanzhou seaports · southeast coastIn the early Northern Song, ports such as Guangzhou and Quanzhou traded frequently with the South China Sea and the Arab world; merchant ships began using magnetic needles on deck to determine heading, compensating for the inability to fix position by stars on overcast days.
  2. c. 1040–1088Northern Song coastal Liangzhe and Fujian · southeast coastThe Wujing Zongyao records the method of making a water-floating compass; Shen Kuo's Dream Pool Essays details the phenomenon of magnetic declination; the compass structure grew ever more precise, becoming the core navigational tool for ocean voyages.

Sources