DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.15#0108
ρ8 . THE GREAT PYRAMID.
one covering up all the mouth of the tube, except
a small opening near the centre, and another cor-
respondingly occupying the lower part of the tube
from which the observation was made.
It seems satisfactorily made out that the object
of the slant tunnel, which runs 350 feet through the
rock on which the pyramid is built, was to observe
the Pole-star of the period at its lower culmination,
to obtain thence the true direction of the north
point. The slow motion of a star very near the
pole would cause any error in time, when this
observation was made, to be of very little impor-
tance, though we can understand that even such
observations as these would remind the builders of
the pyramid of the absolute necessity of good time-
measurements and time-observations in astronomi-
cal research.
If this opinion is adopted, and for my own part
I cannot see how it can well be questioned, we
cannot possibly accept the opinion that the slant
tunnel was bored for another purpose solely, or
even chiefly, unless it can be shown that that other
purpose in the first place was essential to the plans
of the builders, in the second place could be sub-
served in no other way so well, and in the third
place was manifestly subserved in this way to the
knowledge of those who made the slant borings.
one covering up all the mouth of the tube, except
a small opening near the centre, and another cor-
respondingly occupying the lower part of the tube
from which the observation was made.
It seems satisfactorily made out that the object
of the slant tunnel, which runs 350 feet through the
rock on which the pyramid is built, was to observe
the Pole-star of the period at its lower culmination,
to obtain thence the true direction of the north
point. The slow motion of a star very near the
pole would cause any error in time, when this
observation was made, to be of very little impor-
tance, though we can understand that even such
observations as these would remind the builders of
the pyramid of the absolute necessity of good time-
measurements and time-observations in astronomi-
cal research.
If this opinion is adopted, and for my own part
I cannot see how it can well be questioned, we
cannot possibly accept the opinion that the slant
tunnel was bored for another purpose solely, or
even chiefly, unless it can be shown that that other
purpose in the first place was essential to the plans
of the builders, in the second place could be sub-
served in no other way so well, and in the third
place was manifestly subserved in this way to the
knowledge of those who made the slant borings.