Did scientists just find the fabled Viking sunstone?

The mythical rock was said to help ancient sailors navigate the seven seas

A large piece of calcite crystal, the reported mineral of choice for the Vikings' fabled sunstones.
(Image credit: CC BY: The High Fin Sperm Whale)

GPS makes it relatively easy for seafarers to accurately point their ships where they want to go. But long ago, well before the Chinese employed the first magnetic compass, navigating the uncharted ocean's vast expanses was a truly treacherous task that required wits, training, improvisation, and, thanks to the limited tools available, a little ingenuity.

In his book Chasing the Sun: The Epic Story of the Star That Gives Us Life, author Richard Cohen describes a mythical crystal that helped the ancient Vikings navigate their ships through fog and cloud-covered skies in which the sun and stars weren't visible. Historians call this device the sunstone.

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Chris Gayomali is the science and technology editor for TheWeek.com. Previously, he was a tech reporter at TIME. His work has also appeared in Men's Journal, Esquire, and The Atlantic, among other places. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.