The ancient Minoans, who lived on the Mediterranean island of Crete from 3000 to 1100 BCE, left records of using the stars to navigate, for instance. Compasses, which indicate direction relative to the Earth's magnetic poles, are used in navigation on land, at sea, and in the air.

Where does navigation come from?

Navigation, science of directing a craft by determining its position, course, and distance traveled. Navigation is concerned with finding the way to the desired destination, avoiding collisions, conserving fuel, and meeting schedules. Navigation is derived from the Latin navis (“ship”) and agere (“to drive”).

How did boats navigate before GPS?

According to Columbus' logs, he mainly used dead reckoning navigation. ... To do this, Columbus used celestial navigation, which is basically using the moon, sun, and stars to determine your position. Other tools that were used by Columbus for navigational purposes were the compass, hourglass, astrolabe, and quadrant.