c. 1088 CE / East Asia
Shen Kuo compares the magnetic needle with geographical direction
Dream Pool Essays discusses a magnetic needle's deviation from geographical south alongside observations of landscapes and natural phenomena.
The story
At his retirement residence near Zhenjiang, Shen Kuo assembled notes on nature and technology. His discussion distinguishes an instrument's direction from geographical direction. The approximate date represents this writing period, not the date of every observation. It does not make Shen the sole inventor of the compass.
Connections and context
Direction-finding combined instruments, geographical knowledge and many practitioners' experience. Written observations allowed later readers to compare different places and devices.
Dates and precision
c. 1088 CE Approximate year
An estimated date from the surviving evidence, not a claim about one exact year.
Representative map location
Dream Pool Garden, Zhenjiang region
His late writing location; the observations came from activities in several regions.
Representative coordinates · 32.2°, 119.45°
A marker identifies one representative place, such as a manuscript collection, laboratory or observing site. It does not mean the work happened only there, or assign a shared discovery to one country.
Bibliography
- Chinese Academy of Sciences, IGSNRR | Shen Kuo and Dream Pool Essays
- 中国科学院｜中国古代重要科技发明创造：指南针相关说明
References are listed as plain bibliography titles. They support particular facts or context; a reference does not certify every interpretation in a story.