Earliest records show a spoon shaped compass made of lodestone or magnetite ore, referred to as a "South-pointer" dating back to sometime during the Han Dynasty (2nd century BCE to 2nd century CE).

3. The Third Compass Image The invention of the compass was a turning point in the history of nautical navigation, benefiting sailors worldwide. Before its creation, navigators could only use a ...

China's long history has seen some extremely important inventions emerge, most noticeably gunpowder, paper making, printing and the compass, which, in the words of Roger Bacon, changed the whole ...