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Ancient History

20 Revolutionary Inventions That Were Lost to History

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13. Viking Sunstone

13. Viking Sunstone
A hand holds a clear Iceland spar crystal, the legendary Viking sunstone once used to navigate under cloudy northern skies. | Photo by Wikimedia Commons

Viking legends speak of the mysterious sunstone, a crystal tool that helped seafarers navigate even when the skies were overcast. According to scientific theories, the mineral Iceland spar could have served this purpose by revealing the sun’s position through polarized light.
However, the precise technique used by the Vikings has faded from memory, and today’s navigators are unable to fully replicate its ingenious effectiveness.
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