6 Creative Ways People Used to Navigate the Oceans

The video explores historical navigation techniques before modern technology, focusing on methods like the Marshallese stick charts, the Arab kamal, the European cross-staff, the astrolabe, the Chinese magnetic compass, and the Viking sunstone. These tools and methods highlight the ingenuity of ancient navigators in using natural elements like stars, the sun, and ocean currents to determine direction and location at sea.

What was a primary method used by ancient navigators to determine direction?

• Listening to the wind

• Following migrating birds

• Observing the stars

• Using ocean currents

What unique tool did the Marshallese use to navigate the ocean?

• Stick chart

• Sunstone

• Astrolabe

• Magnetic compass

How did the kamal help sailors determine their latitude?

• By measuring the angle of the Sun

• By tracking ocean currents

• By aligning with the North Star and horizon

• By using a magnetic needle

What was a significant drawback of using the cross-staff?

• It involved looking directly at the Sun

• It required clear skies to see the stars

• It was inaccurate at low latitudes

• It was too heavy to carry

What advantage did the mariner's astrolabe have over the kamal and cross-staff?

• It was easier to make

• It was less expensive

• It could be used without seeing the horizon

• It was more portable

What was the original use of the magnetic compass in China?

• For navigation

• For divination

• For measuring time

• For predicting weather

What property of Icelandic spar made it useful for navigation?

• Its resistance to water

• Its ability to float

• Its magnetic properties

• Its birefringence