On the sunken ship in the XVI century found "sunstone" Viking Bashny.Net

Scientists seem to have found the so-called solar stone viking who is referred to as a navigation item in the Icelandic sagas.
 
Crystal was found among the remains of an English ship that sank in the XVI century (1592) in the English Channel, and represents Iceland spar. Its size, according to the researchers, comparable to the size of a cigarette pack.

In the past, according to the crystal used to, even on cloudy days to determine the position of the sun. In particular, Iceland spar has the ability to split into two beams of light. During its rotation can find the point at which these two beams converge into one, and it is in this direction will be the sun.

According to scientists, the findings support the theory that Iceland spar Scandinavian sailors enjoyed the early Middle Ages, to swim as far as possible to judge now, to distant lands-Russia, Greenland, Iceland and North America - long before the spread of the magnetic compass.

Furthermore, it is assumed that the solar stones can later be used as an alternative to a magnetic compass.