who invented the compass?

The compass was invented in China during the Han dynasty between the 2nd century BC and 1st century AD. Early compasses used lodestone, a naturally magnetized stone of iron, and were initially used for divination rather than navigation. The magnetic compass for navigation started to be used by the mid-11th century during the Song dynasty. It was later introduced to Europe and the Islamic world, with the first European literary description around 1190 and its use spreading by the 1300s. There is also a traditional but debated claim that Flavio Gioja, an Italian from Amalfi around 1300, invented the ship's compass, but the historical evidence favors a Chinese origin with likely transmission through various cultures.