Eli5: how did early civilizations know what was north and what was south

Question

Eli5: how did early civilizations know what was north and what was south

In: Biology

Answer 1

People in the northern hemisphere could go by the North Star, Polaris. Because it’s pretty much in line with Earth’s north pole, it will always be north of you. In the southern hemisphere, people used constellations to similar effect. By drawing a line along one bar of the Southern Cross, and another line perpendicular to the line between the Southern Pointers (Alpha and Beta Centauri), you can pinpoint the south pole by looking where those lines intersect.