Did the Viking Sunstone Actually Exist?

Ancient lore has suggested that the Vikings used special crystals to find their way under less-than-sunny skies. Though none of these so-called "sunstones" have ever been found at Viking archaeological sites, a crystal uncovered in a British shipwreck could help prove they did indeed exist.

What was a Viking Sunstone?

A crystal found in a shipwreck could be similar to a sunstone - a mythical navigational aid said to have been used by Viking mariners, scientists believe. The team from France say the transparent crystal may have been used to locate the Sun even on cloudy days.

How did the Viking Sunstone work?

Here's how it works: If you put a dot on top of the crystal and look through it from below, two dots will appear. "Then you rotate the crystal until the two points have exactly the same intensity or darkness. At that angle, the upward-facing surface indicates the direction of the Sun," Ropars explained by phone.