Egypt Discovers New Tombs Near Pyramids

CAIRO — Egyptian archaeologists discovered a new set of tombs belonging to the workers who built the great pyramids, shedding light on how the laborers lived and ate more than 4,000 years ago, the antiquities department said Sunday.

The thousands of men who built the last remaining wonder of the ancient world ate meat regularly, worked in three months shifts and were given the honor of being buried in mud brick tombs within the shadow of the sacred pyramids they worked on.

The newly discovered tombs date to Egypt's 4th Dynasty (2575 B.C. to 2467 B.C.) when the great pyramids were built, according to the head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, Zahi Hawass.

Graves of the pyramid builders were first discovered in the area in 1990, he said, and discoveries such as these show that the workers were paid laborers, rather than the slaves of popular imagination.

"These tombs were built beside the king's pyramid, which indicates that these people were not by any means slaves," said Hawass in the statement. "If they were slaves, they would not have been able to build their tombs beside their king's."

Evidence from the site, Hawass said, indicates that the approximately 10,000 laborers working on the pyramids ate 21 cattle and 23 sheep sent to them daily from farms in northern and southern Egypt.

He added that the workers were rotated every three months and the burial sites were for those who died during the construction.

Discoveries like these reveal other aspects of ancient Egyptian society besides just the stone monuments and temples frequented by priests, rulers and nobles, explained Salima Ikram, a professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo.

"It is important to find tombs that belong to lower class people that are not made out of stone that tell you about the social organization and the relative wealth of a range of people," she said.

Workers' tombs from the 4th Dynasty were typically made of mud bricks and shaped like cones and covered in white plaster, probably echoing the nearby limestone-clad pyramids of the kings.

The most important new tomb discovered, according to Hawass, belonged to a man named Idu and the statement described it as rectangular in structure, with a plaster covered mud brick outside casing.

The tomb also featured burial shafts encased in white limestone.

Further grave sites were found around the main tomb, including burial shafts containing skeletons and clay pots.

Comments

[JohnSawyer]

09:37 AM on 01/13/2010

As to the slaves vs paid, respected workers argument: why not a mix of both? The archeological evidence for paid workers has been found, but what would the archeological evidence for slave worker encampments look like, and has anything been found that might look like this? If their housing was less substantial, would any such evidence last 4000 years, unlike the mud brick houses of the paid workers? Or are there less elaborate mud brick houses around the Pyramids, that might have housed slaves?

[Durango]

02:16 PM on 01/12/2010

The theory I always liked was that the Pyramids were a giant Public Works Administration project.

The Nile floods each year (or rather it used to) leaving the farmers out of work. The Pyramids were a way of keeping people employed and paid at a time they would otherwise be idle.

Who says government can't supply jobs?

These are some of the oldest in history.

[WorkhelpWorkhelp]

02:24 AM on 01/12/2010

Interesting how some of you want to talk in absolutes.
"They were slaves!"
"They were not slaves!"
"They were slaves!"
"They were not slaves!"

Well, here's an absolute

They were hard working m.f.'rs.....

Other than that who cares.

[btemple]

07:55 PM on 01/11/2010

If you've ever taken even a basic class on archaeology this isn't a new revelation, though finding the workers burial sites is. Archaeologists have thought for a long time that people who worked on the pyramids did so voluntarily in exchange for food, beer, etc. Americans assume slavery because of the bible, which may or may not even be a valid claim.

[Byronator]

09:40 PM on 01/11/2010

The workers were probably entombed next to their king so that they could continue to serve him in the after-world. Thinking ahead ....

[wm1066]

11:40 AM on 01/13/2010

This is so true, and it is known that surrounding villages that sent their people to Egypt learned building skills and organizational skills as well, so they profitted as well. Thats not to say that some Grand Vizier would not take advantage of some groups and treat them as slaves, or renege on their contracts, and I do believe there were contracts, no matter how rudimentary or simple they were.

[astrozombie]

07:24 PM on 01/11/2010

There are quite a few people on this thread who seem to have fallen under the spell of Graham Hancock and his ilk. If you want to believe in theories about sunken continents, lost civilizations, master races and space gods that's fine, but let's call this what it really is: a new form of religious belief and not science. You accuse Egyptologists of being part of some vast conspiracy to hide the truth from the public in order to maintain their power and influence, yet Graham Hancock and others like him are the ones raking in millions of dollars peddling their shoddy research to a gullible public who aren't really interested in reading boring academic works by actual scholars. I can tell you from experience that Egyptologists (and archaeologists in general) are not rich and powerful people. If money and fame were their sole interest they certainly wouldn't be archaeologists, they'd be writing books like Hancock because that's where the real money is! And what an easy job: no need for a real education in the subject, and no need to submit to the peer-review process (which is the gold-standard for all scientific inquiry). All you need to do is stitch a few half-baked ideas into some grand conspiracy narrative concerning a lost master race and voila: you're laughing all the way to the bank. Nice work if you can get it!

[Ergon]

10:43 PM on 01/11/2010

Graham Hancock asks good questions, which, if you knew how to answer, you wouldn't need to resort to sarcasm.

[astrozombie]

11:59 PM on 01/11/2010

Which questions? There are so many! And when it turns out there are already perfectly acceptable explanations supported by the majority of experts in the field, he discards them and publishes another book filled with psuedoscientific fantasies. Without the burden of having to back up his assertions in a scholarly fashion, he is free to say whatever he wants and get rich in the process.

[Durango]

02:21 PM on 01/12/2010

I have no idea who Graham Hancock is or hat he has written. But I have seen enough wacko heories about the Pyramids.

And what they say to me is that their creators show absolute contempt for incredible feats of engineering, not to say imagination, and the hard work of our ancestors.

Human beings are capable of amazing things.

And the Pyramids of Egypt were only some of the first.

[Lonni]

01:46 PM on 01/11/2010

All we know that the Hebrews built while enslaved in Egypt are bricks, do we not? I still think the Pyramids were built by the Nephillim.(wink) Yet, when it's all said and done, no matter who is doing the postulating, it's still just conjecture and theory.

[Mortifyd]

06:02 PM on 01/11/2010

The Hebrews built two storage cities for Paroh, we didn't ever claim we built the pyramids.

[Durango]

02:25 PM on 01/12/2010

It was my understanding from my classes that there is no archeological evidence the Hebrews were ever in Egypt or ever left.

Which, had that occurred, would have left very clear evidence in the archeological record.

And despite what you say, it is not all theory or postulating.

There is evidence and there are facts. Even in archeology.

[astrozombie]

02:51 PM on 01/12/2010

Here is a great book on the subject:

http://www.amazon.com/Egypt-Canaan-Israel-Ancient-Times/dp/0691000867/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_1

[Durango]

03:20 PM on 01/12/2010

My Professors theory based on the archeological record was called the Yahweh Revolution.

The people of Israel(?) overthrew their kings. And in order not to allow another kingdom be formed they made up the myth about Egypt and Moses and escaping from the Pharaohs as the justification for being ruled by God and not a king.

It was an intriguing theory supported by the fact there is no archeological evidence indicating the Hebrews lived in Egypt in Egypt. And the archeological record, at least culturally speaking, was continuous in Israel during the times in question. Ramses and all that.

But the record did show conflict among the people living there at the time. But not from invaders.

Had a new people and culture moved into the region it did not appear in the record.

At any rate it was a fascinating theory. having nothing to do with the Pyramids of course.

[Nate the Heretic]

01:12 PM on 01/11/2010

So...when are they gonna drain that labyrinth and show us that?

Egypt has so much going on, many times a possible site gets so caught up in red tape and Mr. Hawass's personal preference that it doesn't get attention for quite awhile after it was actually discovered. Yes, these things have their processes that they need to go through, but I think a lot of this stuff could get done quicker if he had the will and the imagination of what's possible when you let more people in to help.

[jamminjoe]

03:46 AM on 01/11/2010

My bad, I misspelled Hawass's name...

[jamminjoe]

01:15 AM on 01/11/2010

I can recommend two excellent books that give an 'alternate' historical perspective, with thoroughly researched overviews of Egypt's megaliths and temples. (I say alternate because they delve into areas of research frowned upon by Hawas and others who express vehement disdain for any views outside their own.)

Secrets of the Pyramids, by Peter Tompkins -- a fun read, gives a comprehensive overview of the pyramids, how they were studied and by whom throughout history, tying in many sources.

Serpent in the Sky: The High Wisdom of Ancient Egypt, by John Anthony West -- Wes pays homage to Schwaller de Lubicz exhaustive work, and explores the mystery of the Sphinx, convincingly arguing is much older than conventional wisdom would have it. Same goes for the Great Pyramid, which is assumed built in the time of Kufu as his tomb (based on one glyph to be found inside the entire pyramid).

While touring the vast Karnak temple, I met an elder Egyptian archeologist who shared with me a temple location off the public path that held Seven Doors carved step-ward into the granite wall inside the Temple of Hek-Djet. He said the Pharaoh would place his head upon the doorway and touch a stone "touch pad" to the left of the doorway and enter another realm of existence. Such doorways can be found all over the globe with purportedly similar uses. (The tale of the Pied Piper comes to mind.)

Above all, Egypt is as unknown and mysterious as ever!

[JDM73]

10:36 PM on 01/10/2010

It's nice to see that others are skeptical of Zahi Hawass, too. The guy always seems to be in too much of a hurry to say that he has the answers, that his findings are beyond question, that everyone should shut up and go home now, he is Zahi Hawass and thank you very much. (His attitude and diction remind me more than a little of Yasser Arafat.)
Meanwhile, we still don't know how the pyramids were constructed. No, I'm not suggesting that they were built by Erich von Daniken's ancient astronauts, but there's not much more evidence that the Great Pyramid was built for Khufu than there is for von Daniken's outlandish claims. And the "how" remains a very, very thorny issue.

[notb observer]

11:12 PM on 01/10/2010

Google the name "Jean-Pierre Houdin". He is a French architect who has come up with not only a great explanation but also proven his theory using computer modeling. All of his theory is based on remains and artifacts that are still in existence, and the most important part (the ramps) are actually part of the pyramid structure. The discovery didn't get as much publicity as it should have, probably because he is not an Egyptologist, but it looks as though he was more clever than they were and asked the right questions... all of this without ever having visited Egypt.
The system he describes is so simple, elegant and indeed obvious that it's almost impossible to believe that Egyptologists never figured it out, despite the evidence and remains right in their faces.
Since he isn't part of the "club", his work will probably have to be studied to death by "experts" before they begrudgingly credit him for it, only after having taken credit for giving him the credit...

[JDM73]

01:33 AM on 01/11/2010

Sounds interesting! I'll check him out.

[FZliveson]

02:40 PM on 01/11/2010

Fanned for your good research
Even if JP Houdin is correct, the massive scale and intricacy of the projects speak of a higher civilization and higher technology than historians give credit to in the design, preparation, and construction of the Giza complex.

There must have been some reason for the occurance and regression of the technology that produced this miracle because all of the great minds and construction companies on the globe could not duplicate this feat today at virtually any price; I wager.
Cheers and thanks for your insights.

[GrownupStewie]

08:03 PM on 01/10/2010

Yes because Im sure this "Paid Labor" was thrilled about lugging 40 ton blocks of stone up a ramp all day in the blistering heat....
Dont make me laugh.

Hawass is always trying to make it look like Egypt didnt use slave labor. He does this to A) hurt any claim that the Hebrew people were slaves, and B) to make the ancient egyptian people look civilized. He has so many politcal motives in everything he does, you would think he was a politician.

The ancient egyptian people were civilized, the same way pre-civil war america was civilized.
These people who built the pyramids were slaves. Just because they had their own huts, food, and were buried like human beings doesnt mean they werent slaves. American slaves were giving shacks to live in, free food, and were also buried on the land that was owned by the plantation owner, but they were still slaves.

I hope that in 2000+ years people wont say that the american slaves werent slaves just lowely paid labor....

All this discovering is trying to do is attack the claim that egypt didnt have slaves...do you really think a group of free people, even 4000 years ago, could build such pyramids so fast if they werent under threat of death, beatings, or starvation? come on

[Ergon]

09:37 PM on 01/10/2010

Were the Hebrew people living in Egypt during the construction of the Pyramids?
And who were The Hebrews?
I don't think you'd like the answers.

[Rand]

11:45 AM on 01/11/2010

Are you referring to the Hyksos?

BTW, based on your previous postings you're probably correct that no Jew - in fact no one who doesn't hate Jews - will like your "answers"

[notb observer]

10:32 PM on 01/10/2010

All of your arguments are based in opinion, supposition and assumption. There is documented evidence that people who worked on the pyramids were well treated, for example the masons. They had access to the most up to date medical treatments because of their skills. There is also evidence that the labor force was recruited from the population and their work was a substitute for paying taxes. There are also meticulous records of the expenses involved, including food and supplies.
The construction of the pyramids was probably not much different from the building of other famous monuments, the great Gothic cathedrals or the Dark Age castles of Europe for instance.
The fact the Egypt had slaves does not substantiate your claim that these slaves built the pyramids. Additionally, the latest evidence clearly shows that there were no "ramps" used to carry the building blocks, but rather an ingenious system of pulleys and counterweights, the remains of which still exist within the pyramid structures themselves.
Do a little research instead of relying on what your gut tells you.

[Ergon]

11:49 AM on 01/11/2010

Nope, what their collection of founding myths tell them.

[TanzaniaTeacher]

05:03 PM on 01/11/2010

Thank you for saying what I would have if you had not done so first.

[themodernleader]

07:22 PM on 01/10/2010

All civilizations during their haydays have put the surplus laborers to work on public projects.

[beelzabubbleboy]

07:08 PM on 01/10/2010

and how much did those blocks weigh again?

[Ergon]

11:56 AM on 01/11/2010

2.5-15 tons, but, I am also amazed by the three foundation stones of the Temple of Jupiter at Baalbeck, Lebanon, the largest of which is 1000 tons, and are fitted together with mathematical precision.
http://paranormal.about.com/library/weekly/aa031901a.htm

[DFL]

06:58 PM on 01/10/2010

Yes I've visited there and it's great seeing how big they are and touching the old blocks and wondering how they built them, I figure they had real long sand ramps on one side with some kind of blocks on top for a road, pull all the blocks up hill and build the whole thing, then after clear out all the sand, also in Cairo it's great just watching all the crazy traffic and having a cab take me all around town.

[notb observer]

10:41 PM on 01/10/2010

There was a very interesting discovery made not long ago by a French enthusiast named Jean-Pierre Houdin. He is not an Egyptologist or archaeologist, but an architect. He has pretty much conclusively shown and demonstrated using computer modeling that the blocks were raised up the pyramids on sleds using ingenious ramps built INTO the pyramid structures themselves. There was a system of rollers and counterweights in place to assist in the lifting. The remains are all there and easy to see once you realize what you are looking at. Even the scrape and wear marks caused by the rollers going up and down the ramps thousands of times, and there are also clearly visible traces of the lubricant they used to help the rollers turn. Using this system, the estimated manpower required to build the pyramids has been downgraded to about 4,000 people, not 10,000.
Clearly our view of the ramps and other theories were badly conceived...

[blueskybigstar]

06:46 PM on 01/10/2010

Artos I'm a Fan of Artos 92 fans permalink

There is no evidence that you actually exist beyond these posts, for all we know you are merely a contrary computer who likes to be provocative.

Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 03:51 PM on 01/10/2010

blueskybigstar 292 fans permalink

Well done. The whole no evidence argument is false. There is always evidence because evidence is always subjective. For some a butterfly flapping its wing means something extraordinary. Some people believe in contrails as evidence that we are being po.i.soned. Some people can be made to believe that their husband was not ch.eating even though they saw with their own eyes their husbands member in a different person.

The fact is that most often when people use the "no evidence" argument, they are relying that you take them as an authority and because of this you will believe him. It is the perfect way to prevent investigation and coverup crimes.