This small object had an important role. It is a quadrant from 1300. A quadrant is an ingenious shipping navigation instrument. With it you can tell the time by the sun’s position. In addition, by using the northern star latitude can be determined. This method was used for centuries in the Middle East, before knowledge of it arrived in Europe in the thirteenth century. A quadrant from this period has never before been found in The Netherlands. It is possibly the oldest in Europe. This quadrant was discovered in 2013 during an archaeological dig in the centre of Zutphen. That the quadrant was used in shipping, explains why it was found in Zutphen. The Middle Ages were, for this hanseatic city, a rich period. Zutphen was a city of carriers who transported cargo over rivers and seas. This quadrant was used between the fifty-first and sixty-third latitude. That is exactly the area between Flanders and Norway, where Zutphen’s tradesmen were operational. Press A to hear more about the golden age of shipping in Zutphen.

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