Viking Sunstone Navigation Artifact. Crystal fragment found near a 1592 Elizabethan shipwreck off Alderney. Associated with Viking navigation and the legendary sunstone. Modern experiments show Iceland spar can locate the sun within 5° even below the horizon.
A crystal fragment found at the Alderney shipwreck near the Channel Islands may be a Viking sunstone—Iceland spar can locate the sun to within a few degrees even below the horizon. No intact sunstones have been found at confirmed Viking sites yet.
Key Facts
- Crystal fragment found near a 1592 Elizabethan shipwreck off Alderney.
- Associated with Viking navigation and the legendary sunstone.
- Modern experiments show Iceland spar can locate the sun within 5° even below the horizon.
- No intact sunstone recovered from confirmed Viking sites.
Related site: Chios Shipwreck A — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: 5 Ancient Crystal Artifacts That Shouldn't Exist by Dark5 Ancient Mysteries