A recent study published by scholars Olena Veremeychyk and Olga Antowska-Gorączniak analyzes the possible function of pyrophyllite discs found in southern Ukraine. These medieval artifacts may have served as tools, ritual objects, or even advanced navigation instruments. The significance of this study lies not only in the physical findings but also in the cultural and […]
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Posted inGeography
By 2100, Ships Could Sail Year-Round Through the Northern Sea Route in the Arctic, Changing Geopolitics and Global Trade
A team of researchers led by Pengjun Zhao has presented a revealing report on the future of maritime trade in the Arctic, specifically along the Northern Sea Route. This study, published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, explores how climate change could allow navigation along this route year-round by the year 2100. Currently, Arctic […]
Posted inAge of Exploration
John Cabot, the Navigator Who Discovered North America for England
The name Sebastian Cabot won’t sound strange to history enthusiasts, especially those interested in the Age of Exploration. He was a navigator and cartographer who alternated between serving England and Spain (he also offered his services to his native Venice) when these countries were not yet enemies and became chief pilot of the Casa de […]
Posted inStone Age Archaeology
Early Neolithic Vessels from the Mediterranean Reveal Development of Advanced Nautical Technology
Over 7,000 years ago, people were navigating the Mediterranean Sea using technologically sophisticated boats, according to a groundbreaking study published in the open-access journal PLOS ONE. The research, led by Juan F. Gibaja from the Spanish National Research Council and his colleagues, sheds new light on the history of maritime technology and the early civilizations […]
Posted inAge of Exploration
A Sailor’s Mistake: Martin Frobisher and the Pyrite Pirates Who Duped England
Francis Drake was a magnificent sailor elevated to the status of a legend in England for circumnavigating the globe (fifty-nine years after Spanish Juan Sebastian Elcano did it) and for his encounters with the Spaniards, some successful and others not so much. But he was not the only one. That 16th-century England opened up to […]
Posted inMedieval Archaeology
Archaeologists Discover Oldest Dry Compass in Europe from Wreck of Medieval Ship in Estonia
Archeologists in Estonia made an exciting discovery this year while excavating an old shipwreck site near the historic port of Tallinn. In 2022, well-preserved remains of a medieval ship were found buried on Lootsi Street, not far from the old city walls. The excavation was led by Muinasprojekt OÜ, an Estonian archaeology company. Once uncovered, […]
Posted inClassical Archaeology
Two Ancient Stone Anchors Found off the Coast of Siracusa, in Sicily
During a joint operation by the Maritime Superintendency of the Sicily Region and the Diving Unit of the Guardia di Finanza in Messina, an archaeological protection operation was conducted on the seabed off the coast of San Lorenzo, in the municipality of Noto, province of Siracusa (Sicily). The verification and survey operation was triggered by […]
Posted inCulture, Science
How the Nocturnal Works: the Device that allowed Sailors to tell Time in the Dark (Video)
A nocturnal is a device used to determine local time based on the relative positions of two or more stars in the night sky. Sometimes called a horologium nocturnum (nighttime timepiece) or nocturlabe (in French and occasionally used by English writers), this tool is related to the astrolabe and sundial. Typically constructed of materials like […]
Posted inModern Era
Lapulapu, the Filipino chief turned national hero who killed Magellan
On August 10, 1519 began the expedition that circumnavigated the globe for the first time. We all know the names of several of its protagonists: Magellan, Elcano, Pigafetta, Charles I… Today we are going to see the story of another whose casual participation in this adventure had a decisive impact: Lapulapu, the chief of the […]
Posted inAntiquity, History
The Egyptian-Phoenician expedition that circumnavigated Africa more than 2,500 years ago
The fact that the African continent was for the most part an unknown place until the second half of the 19th century does not mean that it did not gather several exploratory missions attempting to unravel its mysteries. And not only in Contemporary Age because the list of them goes back to Antiquity. For instance, […]
