A navigational astrolabe discovered at a Portuguese shipwreck site off Oman has now been confirmed as the oldest in the world, dating from 1496.
A navigational astrolabe discovered at a Portuguese shipwreck site off Oman has now been confirmed as the oldest in the world, dating from 1496.

Heritage

Rare, 16th-century navigational aid confirmed as oldest known example

The astrolabe, a forerunner of the sextant, was found at the site of a Portuguese shipwreck off the coast of Oman

Jonathan Gornall

March 19, 2019