Invention of the compass in Ancient China. These early compasses consisted of a magnetised needle floating in a bowl of water. There are references to compasses in earlier writings, but the first definite evidence dates to the 11th century. This artwork is from a series of illustrated French encyclopedia volumes, published by the Epinal printing firm in the late 19th and early 20th century. The series was called 'Serie encyclopedique des lecons de choses illustrees' (Encyclopedic series of object lessons illustrated), and this example is from a volume published in around 1900.