Lodestone Compass: Chinese or Olmec Primacy?

@article{Carlson1975LodestoneCC,
  title={Lodestone Compass: Chinese or Olmec Primacy?},
  author={John B. Carlson},
  journal={Science},
  year={1975},
  volume={189},
  pages={753 - 760}
}
Considering the unique morphology (purposefully shaped polished bar with a groove) and composition (magnetic mineral with magnetic moment vector in the floating plane) of M-160, and acknowledging that the Olmec were a sophisticated people who possessed advanced knowledge and skill in working iron ore minerals, I would suggest for consideration that the Early Formative artifact M-160 was probably manufactured and used as what I have called a zeroth-order compass, if not a first-order compass… Expand
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Pyramids and Ceremonial Centers in Mesoamerica and China: Were They Oriented Using a Magnetic Compass?
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Pyramids and ceremonial centers in mesoamerica: Were they oriented using a magnetic compass?
Fuson (1969), see also Carlson (1975), claims that Olmécs and Maya knew and used a (lodestone) compass for the orientation of pyramids, ceremonial and other important buildings, thousand years before… Expand
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Abstract Archaeological excavations at sites of the Olmec civilization (1500 to 500 B.C. in present-day Mexico) have unearthed artifacts formed from massive iron oxide ores. Iron oxide ores were… Expand
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Olmec archaeology: A half century of research and its accomplishments
The Olmec of Mexico's southern Gulf coast (3100-2450 B.P.) are the most famed of Formative period Mesoamerica's early complex cultures, and are particularly noted for their elaborate stone monuments.… Expand
Settlement and Cultural Development at Chalcatzingo
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