Question

Which one of the following was not used for sailing in high and deep seas during the 16th century?
A) Mariner's compass
B) Astrolabe
C) Steamships
D) Charts and maps

Answer 1

Hint: The era of recorded human interaction with the sea in Europe is represented by the Maritime History of Europe. The ancient Greek navies began to utilise ships with two banks of oars in the following years, and by the 6th century, they were using ships with two banks of oars.

Complete answer:
Let us analyze the given options:
Option A) Mariner's compass: A compass is a magnetometer that depicts direction in space and is used for navigation and orientation. The Chinese utilised the magnetic compass for geomancy and fortune-telling rather than navigation at first. After being conquered by Japanese pirates in the 16th century, China adopted the dry pivot needle.

Option B) Astrolabe: Astrolabes have been traced back to the 6th century, and they appear to have become popular in Europe and the Islamic world throughout the early Middle Ages. Astrolabes were adopted by mariners and utilised in celestial navigation by the mid-15th century.

Option C) Steamships: Sailing in the 16th century required the use of a mariner's compass and an astrolabe. Sailors were given access to charts and maps. A river steamer built in the United States by Robert Fulton in 1808 was the first successful steam-powered watercraft.

Option D) Charts and maps: The development of cartography, or mapmaking technology, is traced in the history of cartography. Ancient Babylonia established a system of maritime charts and used precision surveying to create maps. Egyptian star maps took until the 15th and 16th centuries to fully evolve.

Thus, The correct answer is option ‘C’ i.e, Steamships.

Note: The Austronesian peoples invented the first true ocean-going boats, employing novel technologies such as multihulls, outriggers, crab claw sails, and Tanja sails. Austronesian expansion, as it is known, was enabled by this rapid spread of Austronesians into the islands of both the Indian and Pacific Oceans.