this post was submitted on 09 Jul 2024
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[โ€“] fossilesque@mander.xyz 29 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_pyramid_construction_techniques

In addition to the many unresolved arguments about the construction techniques, there have been disagreements as to the kind of workforce used. The Greeks, many years after the event, believed that the pyramids were built by slave labour. Archaeologists now believe that the Great Pyramid of Giza (at least) was built by tens of thousands of skilled workers who camped near the pyramids and worked for a salary or as a form of tax payment (levy) until the construction was completed, pointing to workers' cemeteries discovered in 1990.[1] For the Middle Kingdom pyramid of Amenemhat II, there is evidence from the annal stone of the king that foreigners from Canaan were employed.[2]

That's a common myth. :) People didn't have to enslave each other to do magnificent things, we should take note.

[โ€“] MonkRome@lemmy.world -2 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Wait, that's only 2 of the sites, that doesn't really prove anything. Also the Canaanites were what would become the Jews, you know, the people that made a whole religion out of freeing themselves from slavery in Egypt. I get that religion is an unreliable historian, but it seems plausible to me that the cornerstone of the entire religion had a basis in reality. Some myths are very often loosely rooted in historical events even if they get magical after that point. Some think Robin Hood basically meant John Doe Criminal in old England or was possibly even a person at some point. Many religions feature a great flood. There is evidence of a historically large flood in Africa that basically created much of the northern deserts.

I don't think it makes sense to dismiss it as myth anymore than it makes sense to claim it's assuredly true, imo. Egypt was a continuous civilization for 3000 years before Christianity even appeared. 3000 years of history we no very little about. There are 118 identified pyramids... But, considering how distressingly common slavery features in old texts, it seems unlikely a civilization spanning 3000 years built none of their pyramids with slaves.