Orientation of Cheops' Pyramid
The drawings of Brunés were based on the survey of Petrie
in 1880. A more accurate survey was carried out in 1925 by Cole.
Our defense is based on Cole's data.
The accuracy of the orientations of the four sides are
given as follows by Edwards, p. 99, p. 243.
- North side: 2' 28" south of west
- South side: 1' 57" south of west
- East side: 5' 30" south of west
- West side: 2' 30" south of west
Assuming the center line was oriented
north/south first
by the celestial rising and setting
method,
which is strongly supported by archeological evidence,
and the remaining sides oriented by the ancient
geometric
construction,
the larger error in orientation of the
east side is explained by the iterated VP constructions.
In any case, we have a mean angular error
of about 36.25', or about one part in 600,
in the orientation of the sides.
The angles at the four corners are very
close to perfect right angles.
The deviations, as given by Edwards, p. 99, are:
- NE: + 3' 2"
- NW: - 0' 2"
- SE: - 3' 33"
- SW: + 0' 33"
The worst deviation, the SW corner,
is about 1 part in 1800.
References
- I.E.S. Edwards, The Pyramids of Egypt, 1985
- Ch. 4, p. 97, The Giza group
- Ch. 8, p. 241, Construction and purpose.
- Edwards was Keeper of Egyptian Antiquities of the British
Museum, London, from 1955 until 1974. This is the most recent
presentation of the conservative archeological perspective.
- Kurt Mendelssohn, The Riddle of the Pyramids, 1974
- Ch. 2, p. 34, The pyramid age
- Mendelssohn was Prof. of Physics...
Ralph H. Abraham, 29 April 1996.