Toward a New Understanding of the Alignment of Ancient Egyptian Sites

Abstract

It is generally believed that the ancient Egyptians oriented their pyramids, temples, and other structures to the sun and stars. Yet the alignments of many sites are either unexplained or are not consistent with accepted historical timelines. Even if one knew nothing about the Egyptian civilization it can be readily determined that many sites are oriented astronomically. In a study of 650 locations throughout Egypt, we identify 113 sites that are aligned in the cardinal directions, or to solstices, or lunar standstills. Using a new shifted geographic pole alignment model based on Charles Hapgood’s theory of crustal displacements and geographic pole shifts to test the remaining sites an additional 60 sites were found that could have been astronomically aligned relative to previous locations of the North Pole. We propose that when these sites were first established they were aligned relative to the location of the geographic pole at the time but are now misaligned to the current pole due to subsequent pole shifts. Based solely on their alignment we hypothesize that these sites were built tens of thousands of years ago under the earlier pre-dynastic reigns listed in the Turin Papyrus. Analyzing the geographic distribution of sites aligned to current and past poles reveals a difference in the alignment statistics between Upper and Lower Egypt that could be explained by a flood or other disaster following the last pole shift.