Lighthouse Research

Lighthouse Research

Lighthouses were first invented by the Greeks/Romans and was used around Europe during the medieval era. Lighthouses are still used today but are a lot more advanced than when they were first built. They were built due to the increase in the creation of larger boats that could travel further. These boats would usually use landmarks or piles of rock to make their way to a place, but this would only be effective during the daytime. During the night sailors couldn’t see, hence the creation of the lighthouse. It was a tower that would have a bonfire on top located along a coast or on an island just off the coast. This would allow sailors to safely navigate the sea during the night.

Once electricity was discovered, electrical lights were used instead as it was more reliable. This was when lighthouses began being used more. However, a stable and controlled form of electricity wasn’t invented until 1879 by Thomas Edison, so up until that point a bonfire was used. They are normally used for one of two reasons: Either they warn sailors to stay away from a dangerous area e.g. cliffs, rock piles, while the other gets the sailor to come towards the lighthouse e.g. if there is a harbour for the boats to dock at.