I always thought the pyramids were built by slaves, but a museum trip changed my mind

I was at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts last month and saw an exhibit on Giza. One display said workers' tombs were found right next to the pyramids, which they wouldn't do for slaves. It said the builders were likely skilled laborers who got paid in food and beer. That really surprised me because every documentary I watched as a kid said it was slave labor. Has anyone else found info that flipped a common belief they had?

2 comments

2 Comments

derek_burns1mo ago

Yeah, that tracks. The slave thing was always a simple story for TV. Finding actual worker settlements nearby proves it was organized labor.

gray_gibson1mo ago

That worker village at Giza even had its own bakery and hospital.