What evidence did you find in the text that supports the idea that paid laborers, not slaves, built the Great Pyramids of Giza?
Is this evidence strong enough to make you believe this? What claims were made in the text that are not supported by evidence? Support your response with evidence from the lesson. 2 paragraphs pls
CAIRO, Egypt. Egyptian archaeologists have discovered a set of tombs. These tombs are believed to belong to workers. Experts believe the workers died building the Great Pyramids of Giza. The Great Pyramids house the mummies of Egyptian kings. According to popular myth, these pyramids were built by slaves. But experts say that Egypt's ancient pyramids were built by paid laborers. They say the newly discovered tombs are proof that this idea is correct.
Archaeologists found the tombs in the shadows of the Great Pyramids. The tombs contain a dozen skeletons. The bones were perfectly preserved by dry desert sand. The skeletons were found surrounded by pots and jars. These containers were once filled with supplies for the afterlife. These supplies included food and drinks. Zahi Hawass is an expert on ancient Egypt. According to Hawass, the newly discovered tombs are over 4,000 years old.
Archaeologists believe the tombs belong to laborers who built the Great Pyramids. The tombs are made of mud brick. According to Hawass, it was normal for workers' tombs from long ago to be made of mud brick. Archaeologists believe the recently discovered tombs could not have belonged to kings. That is because they were lacking gold or other valuables. Also, the bodies were not mummified.
According to popular belief, the builders of the Great Pyramids were slaves. However, experts have long dismissed the notion as myth. The location of the workers' tombs, Hawass says, proves the idea wrong once and for all.
"These tombs were built beside the king's pyramid. [This shows] that these people were not by any means slaves. If they were slaves, they would not have been able to build their tombs beside their king's."
So where did the myth come from? Experts have several ideas.
Dorothy Resig is an editor of Biblical Archaeology Review. Resig suspects the myth likely arose from the biblical book of Exodus. It says: "So the Egyptians enslaved the children of Israel with backbreaking labor. [The king put them to work to build buildings]."
Herodotus was an ancient Greek historian. He also described the pyramid builders as Israelite slaves. This myth was later spread, experts say, by Hollywood movies.
Dieter Wildung used to be the head of Berlin's Egyptian Museum. "The myth of the slaves building pyramids is only the stuff of...Hollywood," said Wildung. "The world simply could not believe the pyramids were built without...forced labor, but out of loyalty." Wildung added that it is common knowledge among experts that the pyramid builders were not slaves.
The newly discovered tombs support the notion that the pyramid builders were indeed free citizens. Slaves or not, however, the pyramid builders did lead a life of hard labor. The skeletons show signs of great toil. Their lower back bones show lives passed in difficulty.
"Their bones tell us the story of how hard they worked," said Adel Okasha. Okasha oversaw the unburying of the tombs.
The laborers' work was highly respected, Hawass said. The laborers were granted the honor of being buried near the pyramids.
"No way would they have been buried [with such honor] if they were slaves," Hawass said.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
