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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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The ancient Chinese compass, one of the great inventions in history. Source: hong/Adobe Stock

How the Chinese Compass Revolutionized Navigation

We all know that the compass is an invaluable tool for navigation and orientation. Without it, we’d pretty much be “lost at sea”. That’s why it ranks as one of the most important inventions of...
Is thinking of the Vegvisir as a ‘Viking compass’ completely off course? Source: Tartila / Adobe Stock

Vegvisir: Was the ‘Viking Compass’ Originally a Christian Symbol?

Although the name Vegvisir may not be familiar to you, you may have seen its symbolic representation before. This emblem has gained iconic status largely due to its frequent use in the media...
The 16th century astrolabe recovered from Bay of Biscay in Galicia, Spain. Source: La Voz de Galicia

Spanish Divers Discover the World’s 108th Ancient Astrolabe

In 2012, a team of divers in Spain discovered two 16th century cannons, and that was huge news. But nobody could have dreamed that an ancient astronomical compass, known as an astrolabe, would...
Great Wall of China, China.

8 Ancient Chinese Inventions the West Had Not Imagined

According to the statistics provided by the World Economic Forum, nowadays China can boast its position as the world’s second largest spender on scientific research and development, yielding only to...
Anemoi, Tower of the Winds, Athens, Greece

The Anemoi and the Ingenious Invention of the Tower of the Winds

In ancient Greek mythology, there were eight wind gods known as the Anemoi . Each deity was given a cardinal direction from which their wind blew. In addition, the winds were associated with...
The ancient Norse symbol of Thor's Hammer.

Decoding Viking Signs: Nine Norse Symbols Explained

The Vikings used many symbols in accordance to Norse mythology. Such symbols were widely used in Viking society and they represented elements of their beliefs and myths. There are even some Viking...
A calcite crystal found on an Elizabethan ship believed to have helped the Vikings navigate the seas.

Mythical Viking Sunstone Used for Navigation was Real and Remarkably Accurate, New Study Shows

The Vikings have been reputed to be remarkable seafarers who could fearlessly navigate their way through unknown oceans to invade unsuspecting communities along the North Sea and Atlantic Sea coasts...
 Main: A scene of the Qing dynasty campaign against the Miao (Hunan) 1795 (public domain). Inset: Model of a Chinese South Pointing Chariot, an early navigational device using a differential gear.

The South-Pointing Chariot: This Ancient Chinese Invention Led Armies In a Unique and Impressive Way

The south-pointing chariot is a Chinese invention that functioned in a similar way to a compass. Instead of pointing north, however, this device could point south, or any other direction it was ‘...
Wooden fragment discovered in Uunartoq, Greenland, in 1948, which is believed to be a sun-compass used to determine direction

New study reveals Vikings could navigate after dark using sun-compass and mythical sunstone

The Vikings have been reputed to be remarkable seafarers who would confidently head into unexplored waters. Now a team of researchers from Hungary and Sweden claim to have a clue as to how the Norse...