CAIRO, EGYPT—The Great Pyramid of Khufu and the pyramid of Khafre at Giza, and the Red Pyramid at Dahshur, were all aligned with the cardinal points within one-fifteenth of one degree. According to a report in Live Science, engineer Glen Dash thinks Egyptian engineers may have accomplished this feat by employing a shadow cast by a rod, or gnomon, on the fall equinox, when the sun shines directly on the equator and the length of day and night are nearly equal. Dash experimented with this possible technique by surveying with a rod and shadows on the fall equinox in Connecticut, and found that the degree of error was similar to that found in the alignment of the Egyptian pyramids. The sun and stars, or a combination of methods, may also have been used by ancient Egyptian engineers, he notes. To read about Dash's previous research on the pyramids, go to “The Great Parallelogram.”
Ancient Egyptians May Have Surveyed on the Fall Equinox
News February 21, 2018
Recommended Articles
Digs & Discoveries November/December 2018
Let Them Eat Soup
Digs & Discoveries May/June 2013
A Pyramid Fit for a Vizier
Digs & Discoveries July/August 2024
Sticking Their Necks Out
-
Features January/February 2018
Where the Ice Age Caribou Ranged
Searching for prehistoric hunting grounds in an unlikely place
(Paul Nicklen/National Geographic Creative) -
Letter From Albania January/February 2018
A Road Trip Through Time
As a new pipeline cuts its way through the Balkans, archaeologists in Albania are grabbing every opportunity to expose the country’s history—from the Neolithic to the present
(TAP/G. Shkullaku) -
Artifacts January/February 2018
Roman Dog Statue
(Eve Andreski/Courtesy Gloucester County Council) -
Digs & Discoveries January/February 2018
The Secrets of Sabotage
(Bjørn Harry Schønhaug)