6 April, 2018 - 18:53 april holloway
Mythical Viking Sunstone Used for Navigation was Real and Remarkably Accurate, New Study Shows
The Vikings have been reputed to be remarkable seafarers who could fearlessly navigate their way through unknown oceans to invade unsuspecting communities along the North Sea and Atlantic Sea coasts of Europe. A well-known ancient Norse myth describes a magical gem that could reveal the position of the sun when hidden behind clouds or even after sunset. A new study shows the sunstone was real and very accurate.
Several accounts in the ancient Nordic sagas speak of a sólarsteinn or “sunstoneâ€, which they used to determine the sun’s position after sunset. For years, it was thought to be little more than a legend. But in 2010, a unique crystal was found in the wreck of an Elizabethan ship sunk off the coast of the Channel Islands. After three years of intensive study, scientists announced that the crystal made of a calcite substance could indeed act as a navigational aid.
https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/mythical-viking-sunstone-used-navigation-real-and-remarkably-accurate-new-021863
