Celestial Navigation: the whole path

1
Tools & MakingI
Stone Tools
The first cutting edge
3.3 Mya
2
Fire & ShelterI
Control of Fire
Light, heat and cooked food
1 Mya
3
Fire & ShelterI
Rope & Cordage
Twisted fibres that hold the world
50,000 years ago
4
Materials & ChemistryII
Pottery
Clay turned to stone by fire
18,000 years ago
needs 2
5
Textiles & Everyday LifeII
Weaving
Threads crossed into cloth
c. 6,700 BCE
needs 3
6
Materials & ChemistryII
Charcoal
Wood cooked slowly under earth
c. 4,500 BCE
needs 1, 2
7
Writing & CommunicationII
Writing
Knowledge that outlives memory
c. 3,300 BCE
needs 1, 4
8
Ships & NavigationII
Sail
Catching the wind to move a boat
c. 3,200 BCE
needs 3, 5
9
Time & MeasurementII
Positional Numerals
Digits worth what their place says
c. 2,050 BCE
needs 7
10
Materials & ChemistryIII
Bronze
Copper and tin, harder together
c. 3,300 BCE
needs 2, 4, 6
11
Time & MeasurementIII
Measures and standards
The cubit, the balance and the metre
c. 3,000 BCE
needs 1, 3, 4
12
Materials & ChemistryIII
Iron Smelting
Wider adoption around 1200 BCE; ore, charcoal and a bloomery
c. 1,200 BCE
needs 6, 10
13
Materials & ChemistryIII
Steel
Iron with just enough carbon
c. 1,000 BCE
needs 6, 12
14
MechanicsIII
Gears
Teeth that trade speed for force
c. 300 BCE
needs 10
15
Ships & NavigationIII
Magnetic Compass
A needle that points north
c. 1088
needs 12, 13
16
Time & MeasurementIII
Mechanical Clock
Time cut into equal beats
c. 1300
needs 12, 14
17
Ships & NavigationIV
Celestial Navigation
A ship's position read from the sky
c. 1460
Goal · needs 8, 9, 11, 15, 16