Introduction
The question of how the Egyptian pyramids were built has been of concern to scientists and archaeologists for many centuries. Scholars are questioning whether the construction of the Great Pyramid at Giza involved the use of slave labor. The arguments in favor of this theory include historical evidence and the need for a cheap and abundant labor force. Arguments against the theory are based on evidence of the presence of hired workers on the construction site. After studying the evidence and opinions of Egyptologists, I concluded that both slave labor and hired labor were used during the construction of the pyramids.
Overview of the Arguments
The first argument supporting the presence of enslaved people during construction is historical evidence. Herodotus (2019) argued that Cheops was a ruler who encouraged slavery to build his legacy. Drummond & Platt (1959) also state that extensive slave labor was used during the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza. Egyptologist Zahi Hawass claims that archaeologists have discovered tombs of individuals who participated in the construction of the pyramid, and it is evident from the type of burial that they were not enslaved people (Kratovac, 2010). His colleague, Mark Lehner, points to graffiti that shows the composition of the work brigade and evidence of workers’ proximity to power (NOVA, 1997).
The most plausible version, in my opinion, is put forward by researcher Mark Shiffman. He argues that some workers had respectable graves and were hired, while others may not have been honored with a burial (Carter, 2011). I think that some workers could be hired; they left graffiti and were honored with graves. The rest, as Herodotus testifies, were slaves, and their remains have not survived to the present.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the question of whether enslaved people were involved in the construction of the pyramids remains open. I think that the slave force had a place to be, as well as hired labor. This version is supported by the records of Herodotus and the apparent benefits of using slave power. Some workers were hired and honored with respected graves. Unfortunately, neglecting the burial procedure, the bodies of enslaved people have not survived to the present, so it is not possible to directly prove the use of slave labor during the construction of the Egyptian pyramids.
References
Carter, J. (2011). Maybe the Egyptian pyramids weren’t built by union workers after all. First Things.
Drummond, M. J., & Platt, N. (1959). Our world through the ages. Prentice-Hall.
Herodotus. (2019). An account of Egypt. BookRix.
Kratovac, K. (2010). Egypt: New find shows slaves didn’t build pyramids. The Seattle Times.
NOVA. (1997). Who built the pyramids? Pbs.org.