Macaulay, Pyramid, pp. 22-23
Before the building process could begin,
the location of true north had to be determined,
so that the pyramid could be accurately oriented.
A circular wall was built approximately in the center of
the site. It was built high enough to block a view of the
surrounding hills and the top was made level.
This created a perfect horizon line.
In the evening a priest stood in the center of the circle
and watched for the appearance of a star in the east.
Its position was marked as it rose above the wall and a
line was drawn from that point on the wall to the center
of the circle.
He watched the star as it moved in an arc
through the sky and finally set in the west. As it dropped
behind the wall its position was marked again and another
line was drawn to the center of the circle.
Because stars
appear to rotate around the north pole, the priests knew
that a third line drawn from the center of the circle
through the center of the space between the first two
lines would point directly north.
Revised 14 April 1996.