The sides of the Great Pyramid of Giza line up with the compass directions to within about a fifteenth of a degree. It was built around 4,500 years ago, with no compass and no telescope.
Truth label: Established. Strong evidence and broad agreement among experts.
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How they did it
Ideas include tracking stars circling the pole, or using the shadow of a pole on the autumn equinox.
More precise than later work
Its alignment is better than many buildings made thousands of years later.
Learn
- Why north mattered. For Egyptians, the northern stars that never set were linked with eternal life for the king.
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How closely is the Great Pyramid aligned to north?
Within a fifteenth of a degree. Its error is only a few arcminutes.
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