how to make an ancient compass?

Answer 1

In order to magnetize the metal, take a small nail and point it magnetic north, flatten or beat it with a hammer(changing the arrangement of the molecules while pointing magnetic north). You can also magnetize a needle by dragging a magnet over it. Then place your metal on a cork floating in a cup of water(or other small, flat container. The metal should stay at magnetic north.

Answer 2

I saw a documentary recently, where a leaf was floated in a small bowl of water, a needle was placed on the leaf - it spun into a North-South axis. I assume that if you looked for the Sun at midday you will determine where South is approximately. if you are North of the Equator, else the reverse will be true, . Align that approximately with one part of the needle and the other end of the needle would have pointed to North (South if you are South of the Equator). East - West will be easy, the rest a calculation?

but that is a simple compass and how it all started.

Answer 3

Hi >
Rub a bit of straight iron based metal on a wooly jacket or similar.
Up & down in the same direction a good number of times.
Bung it on a leaf, and float it in a puddle.
It should all rotate to north & south.
That is the oldest way of doing it that I recall.
Using the sun, is another, as long as you know roughly how far north or south that you are from the equator, watch the sun.
Easy, but a tad innacurate.
Sundials is what you need, and work from say 54 degrees north in London. The sundial should illustrate mid-day. Then put your bit of amber / wool well rubbed thing on the leaf, and lo & behold, it rotates to magnetic north. So knowing that it is around mid-day in the northern hemisphere, the south bit is pointing south.
A bit long-winded, as I seem to have had a few beers, but there you go.
Bob.

Answer 4

Stroke a needle on a magnet stick it through a flat peice of cork then fill a small vessel with water and place it into it , it will then point to true north

Answer 5

OK but how then do you know where the needle is pointing?

It could be north or south couldn't it?

Altho, I guess you could figure out which way is north by where the sun risesnand sets in relation to your current location and then you'd get it.

Answer 6

A SUN DIAL. A FLAT SURFACEA POINTED ROCK.YOU TELL THE TIME BY HOW THE SHADOW FALLS.

Answer 7

oh christ i don't know, what did you ask me for ?