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Course: World History Project - Origins to the Present > Unit 5
Lesson 7: Other Materials- READ: An Age of Adventure
- READ: Ibn Battuta
- READ: Marco Polo
- READ: Zheng He
- READ: Technology in the Age of Exploration
- READ: Magna Carta, the Glorious Revolution, and American Democracy
- READ: Lion of the Sea - Ahmad Ibn Mājid
- READ: Galileo Galilei
- READ: Nicolaus Copernicus
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READ: Technology in the Age of Exploration
The age of oceanic exploration was made possible when technologies and ideas from across Afro-Eurasia came together in fifteenth century Europe.
Technology in the Age of Exploration
By Malcolm F. Purinton
The age of oceanic exploration was made possible when technologies and
ideas from across Afro-Eurasia came together in fifteenth century Europe.
Introduction
The fifteenth century saw a great growth in global networks. The crossing of the Atlantic and the development of
the Columbian Exchange were part of a transformational expansion in both exploration and trade across the oceans
of the world. Such voyages became more common, and easier, over the next few centuries. But how did this growth
happen? What allowed these dangerous, expensive, long-distance ocean journeys to become commonplace? You
guessed it: technology! It turns out, the tools that these traders and explorers used were based on innovations that
developed in many parts of Afro-Eurasia and were brought together in Europe during this period.
Kamal
One of the simpler tools of navigation was the kamal,
which would measure altitude to figure out latitude
(the north or south position of a ship). This device
helped sailors find their way home after a voyage.
The kamal was developed by Arab sailors and
consisted of a piece of wood and rope attached to it.
The navigator would tie knots into the rope. At their
home port, the navigator would hold up the kamal
and tie a knot that would allow him, by holding the
chord in his teeth, to see the North Star at the top of
the piece of wood and the horizon at the knot. While
sailing back home they could hold the kamal in the
same way to figure out if they needed to sail north or
south to be at the same latitude.
Quadrant
If the sailors were north of the equator, and it was
a clear night sky, they could depend upon the North
Star, also known as Polaris, to help them know which
direction they were going. They just had to have a
consistent way of measuring the height of the star
above the horizon.
One of the tools they used to measure the height of
the North Star—or any star, including the sun—was
the quadrant. When you knew this height, then you
knew your latitude and could keep sailing in a straight
line to your destination. Quadrants could also be used
to measure the height of mountains or buildings.
They were also helpful if you were aiming a cannon.
Astrolabe
The astrolabe was one of the most important
navigation tools and was used by many European
explorers, including Columbus and Magellan. It
originated way back in the Roman Empire but
remained important through the eighteenth century
because it allowed sailors to do many things. These
included measuring the current latitude of the ship,
the time of day or night, and the position of stars or
planets in the sky. The astrolabe looked like a stack
of disks and had detailed writing and lines all over
each disk to help with measurement.
Cross Staff and Back Staff
Two other tools used to find latitude by observing
altitude were the cross staff and the back staff. The
cross staff was usually about three feet long with a
cross piece called a transom and four movable cross
pieces of different sizes. It was inspired by the design
of the kamal. The cross staff was held up so that the
top edge of the transom lined up with the North Star
or the sun with the bottom edge lined up with the
horizon. In this way the navigator could be sure that
they were at the right latitude. One disadvantage:
using the cross staff in daytime forced navigators to
stare directly at the sun.
But then, in the seventeenth century, Captain John
Davis developed a new navigation tool called the
back staff, also known as the Davis Quadrant. This
instrument relied on the shadow of the sun—so you
didn’t risk burning your retinas, as with the cross
staff. The navigator would stand with their back to
the sun and place the back staff on their shoulder and
view both the shadow of the sun and the horizon at
the same time.
Magnetic Compass
The magnetic compass was also very useful
in knowing your location and that your
ship was going in the right direction. Using a
magnetic needle that reliably points north, you can
know where you are and where you need to be
going. Early versions of magnetic compasses came
from China. They were brought to Europe through
trade with Asia. European versions would have a
magnetic needle attached to a card in a wooden
box that would point north.
Traverse Board
It’s important in navigation for sailors to record both
the speed and direction of the ship, and that’s where
the traverse board came in. This wooden board had
a compass rose attached to the top with thirty-two
different points on it. Eight holes extended out from
the center of the rose to each point on the compass.
Sailors could record the direction of the ship every
half hour using a compass, and the board could
record a total of four hours of direction. Below the
compass rose were four rows of holes with each
row equaling thirty minutes as well. Instead of
direction though, these rows allowed the sailors to
record the speed of the ship.
Ships: Caravel and Carrack
Sailors used several types of ships in this age of exploration, including the caravel and the carrack. The caravel
was developed specifically for long-distance trade by Prince Henry the Navigator from Portugal. It had two or three
masts that used square sails on open water, but switched to triangular lateen sails when closer to shore. Due to a
rounded bottom, caravels were also very fast and because of this many pirates liked to use them.
Another important ship design was the carrack, a mash-up of Mediterranean and Northern European styles of
ships. The carrack had a rounded stern and two large structures on top. The one at the front was the forecastle, and
the back was the aftcastle (often abbreviated as “fo’c’s’le” and “aft”). They also used lateen and square sails and
could have two to four masts depending on the size of the ship—which could reach 2,000 tons.
Cannon (yes, that’s plural and singular)
Long-distance trade was dangerous, and anyone wanting an advantage would want to be well armed. Also, weapons
might help traders get what they wanted from local ports or other ships, or even engage in a little piracy.
The best-armed ships of the day had cannon that could fire several kinds of shot. The round shot, usually made of
iron, was great for damaging the hulls of enemy ships. But chain shot—which had two smaller balls attached by a
chain—could destroy sails and riggings, making it impossible for the ships to maneuver away. Other kinds of shot
included grapeshot and cannister shot. Each filled different types of containers with small metal balls meant to
injure or kill the sailors on the opposing ship. One of the reasons the English developed such a powerful navy was
their superior ship cannon.
Together, these technologies made it possible for ships to travel long distances, carrying cargo with greater safety.
Of course, they weren’t the first oceanic technologies. Polynesian people had for centuries used their own technology
to travel the vast Pacific Ocean, and trade along continental coasts was common. But these new innovations quickly
increased the number of voyages for exploration and trade—and helped to change the history of the world.
Author bio
Malcolm F. Purinton is a part-time lecturer of World History and the History of Modern Europe at Northeastern University and
Emerson College in Boston, MA. He specializes in Food and Environmental History through the lens of beer and alcohol.
Want to join the conversation?
- How did new technologies affect the age of exploration(2 votes)
- New technologies made it easier to explore. New types of ships made it possible to actually traverse the long distances to the new world or around the african coast, for example. Measurement technology like the sextant made it easier to know where one was and map out new and unfamiliar areas.(6 votes)
- When did Malcolm F. Purinton publish this article?(0 votes)
- Google tells me the article was last updated on August 02 of 2021.(6 votes)
- what was the purpose of their voyage(1 vote)
- Motives differed for different explorers, based on both their home/sponsor country and personal goals, but a few main reasons were:
1) To spread their (country's) religion,
2) To obtain new land for their home/sponsor country, and
3) To find riches and gain glory for themselves.
Hope this helped!(1 vote)
- What started the Age of Exploration?
What kinds of ships, navigation tools, and other technology
innovations were developed during this time?
Why was the world trying to explore the world?
What did countries do when they reached the “New World?”
What countries explored? What did they claim?
What groups did they have contact with?(0 votes) - Can you make another article like this but about technology like computers and other electric ones?(0 votes)