The Han dynasty is an ancient empire in Ancient China that ruled from 206 B.C. to 220 A.D. They were located East of Xi'an, and were close to the silk road. They had a Orthodox government, and they did believe in the after life, and you can tell they believed in the after life because they would paint their tombs. The Han dynasty had multiple inventions like silk and paper. They also were in contact with India, Persia, and Europe, and their trading routes extended to the Mediterranean Sea and the middle of Asia. THe Han dynasty is also known as one of the most developed ancient empires of its time.

The compass was made in 400 B.C. and was founded by the Han dynasty. The compass was made from Loadstone and shaped like a giant spoon. Loadstone has a lot of magnetic properties and is attracted to multiple types of metals. The plate was shaped like a square with a dip in the middle, and had symbols around the outside. The spoon would be placed in the dip and it would spin around, and wherever the compass stopped is the direction they were facing.

The most well known reason why the compass was made is because of navigation. The compass was mostly used with Jade hunters. Jade hunters are people who look for Jade up in the mountains. At the time Jade was one of the things the Han Dynasty traded the most. The compass would help them travel in the right direction to and from their work sites. The compass also helped with direction during the Warring Period. It would help them navigate without going in the wrong direction towards their enemies, and  help them guide them away from their enemies.