According to a new research study, ‘the Egyptians started building the Great Pyramid of Giza on August 23, 2470 B.C.’ The Egyptian researchers that came up with the exact date of the construction of the pyramid ‘arrived at the date based on calculations of historical appearances of the star Sothis—today called Sirius.’

The Sothis star rises at the break of dawn every year, at the time when the Nile River floods. Empirically, the appearance of the star signals the start of the so-called ‘inundation period’ of the Nile. The star reappears ‘at about the same time every solar year, corresponding to the seasons,’ and thus providing a predictably fixed date.

Historically, the start of this inundation period is when Egyptians customarily commenced the building of their edifices, tombs, and temples because floodwaters were said to bring fresh soil that maintains the region’s fertility.

The Egyptian researchers behind the controversial study compared the three elements of the modern calendar, the ancient Egyptian calendar, and the cycle of the star to pinpoint the exact day that the Sothis star would have appeared that year.

Thus, after thorough calculations, they determined that ‘the ancient Egyptians observed the star from July 17 to 19, and the inundation period began 35 days later—on August 23.’

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the last surviving ancient wonder of the world.

Via National Geographic