What was the north star before polaris?

Before Polaris became the North Star, the star Thuban in the constellation Draco served as the pole star around 2700 BCE. Due to the precession of the Earth's axis, the position of the North Star shifts over millennia, and Thuban was the closest bright star to the north celestial pole during that time. Other stars, such as Kochab in Ursa Minor, also played a role as pole stars in different eras.