Invention of the Sinan (Chinese Lodestone Compass)

The earliest compass, known as "sinan" or "south-pointing spoon," was invented in China during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD). Made from naturally magnetic lodestone shaped like a ladle on a bronze plate, it was initially used for divination and feng shui rather than navigation. The magnetic needle compass was later developed in the Song Dynasty, with Shen Kuo providing the first explicit description in his "Dream Pool Essays" (1088).