Origin of Cartography

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).

Often, the Big Dipper (Great Bear) was drawn within the centre disc. The square symbolized earth and the circular disc symbolized heaven. Upon these were inscribed the azimuthal points relating to the constellations. Its primary use was that of geomancy (prognostication) to determine the best location and time for such things as burials. In a culture that placed extreme importance on reverence for ancestors, this remained an important tool well into the 19th century. Even in modern times there are those who use this divination concepts of Feng Shui (literally, of wind and water) for locating buildings or fortuitous times and locations for almost any enterprise. There is a story that the first Chin emperor used the divining board and compass in court to affirm his right to the throne. Primarily, the compass was used for geomancy for a long time before it was used for navigation.

The discovery of the magnetic compass was an event of IMMENSE importance in the history of civilization. It was the first documented self-registering instrument created by mankind that could be read using a precise scale. Of course the sundial had been around for a while, but it doesn't move (just it's shadow does). And there was the wind vane, but no precise way existed to measure wind direction. If you think about it, it's pretty hard to measure direction in general, without a compass. The earliest known compass surfaced in China by at least the first century A.D. It apparently didn't arrive in Europe until the twelfth century A.D., however, when it was first referenced by an English monk, Alexander Neckham, nobody seems to know how Alexander got his hands on it though?