The compass, a simple yet essential tool for navigation, has a long and fascinating history dating back over 2,000 years. The earliest known compasses were used by the ancient Chinese around the 2nd century BCE. These early compasses were made of lodestone, a naturally magnetized mineral, and were used for divination rather than navigation. The Chinese would place a lodestone on a plate of bronze or other metal and observe the way it would align itself with the Earth's magnetic field. This alignment was believed to have spiritual significance and was used for fortune-telling.