Ancient Egypt: History in an Hour

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Anthony Holmes. Ancient Egypt: History in an Hour

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Ancient Egypt

History in an Hour

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The pyramids of the 4th Dynasty were built by Egyptians. A core of full-time construction personnel was augmented annually during the period of the Nile flood by farmers and other men who could not work during the inundation. At the peak there may have been 20–25,000 men working on the Great Pyramid. They were housed and well fed in a workers’ village close to the construction site. Archaeologists have discovered the remains of their dormitories and eating halls.

Their diet comprised highly nutritious bread and beer and even fish and meat. They had access to medical care as has been demonstrated by the examination of skeletal remains showing set and healed broken limbs. They also received ‘tax rebates’ for working on the project. Crews working on the site adopted names such as ‘Friends of Khufu’ and ‘The Drunken Gang’ and they were very competitive in terms of achieving their daily quotas. It was indeed considered a privilege to contribute to the memorial of the divine pharaoh and their work added to their credit for the afterlife.

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