Well then probably paid from the profits of slavery. That much labor could not have been cheap.
Also I imagine they had divisions of labor. The guys who knew how to calculate the angle of the triangle or artisans who could shape the stone were probably not the same guys pushing rocks.
Depending on how exactly you draw the line on ‘slavery’… maybe? Kinda?
For the Great Pyramid, the current approximate consenus is that it was basically a corvee labor system for a large amount of the population of Egypt.
Basically, when the farmers were all in their off season, they’d be drafted for a number of months a year to aid construction as general laborers.
They were housed, fed, and paid for this, by the state/royal coffers.
They were paid in material goods like foodstuffs, as currency in the way we think of it wasn’t really a thing at the time.
And yes, they absolutely did have divisions of labor, they had basically nobility or psuedo nobilility people who could largely read and write as trained architects and engineers and mathematicians and record keepers and accountants, and had a whole slew of the craftsmen / stone mason class below them.
So… it is forced labor, you couldn’t really opt out, but you would be compensated.
Egypt did have roughly chattel slaves at the time, they probably participated as well, but they are estimated to be about 10% of the total population of Egypt at the time.
(Compare this to say, 1st century AD/CE Rome, where I think the estimate is more like roughly 20-30% being slaves)
There is also the religious component: It is likely that many of the drafted laborers viewed this as a privilege or sacred duty to construct the tomb of their living god-king, who they would have believed became essentially immortal, his spirit would be preserved for eternity, as a consequence of their work.
So maybe think of it as an extremely intensive mission trip to go build shelters for the needy, as a rough analogue to modernity… it was some kind of good, moral, holy thing to do.
Team, we’ve been reviewing some of history’s most successful large-scale projects for inspiration, and the data is clear! The absolute best results came from teams who believed their CEO was literally a god.
While we can’t quite arrange that, we’ve found the next best thing!
After a productive meeting, we’ve received a special clarification directly from the Vatican! Turns out, Colossians 3:23 (“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord”) is now considered binding corporate policy.
So, effective immediately, hitting your quarterly goals is a direct path to salvation. Slacking off… well, let’s just say the paperwork for eternal damnation is a real hassle for everyone involved.
Slavery?
The current understanding is actually that the builders would have been paid.
Well then probably paid from the profits of slavery. That much labor could not have been cheap.
Also I imagine they had divisions of labor. The guys who knew how to calculate the angle of the triangle or artisans who could shape the stone were probably not the same guys pushing rocks.
Depending on how exactly you draw the line on ‘slavery’… maybe? Kinda?
For the Great Pyramid, the current approximate consenus is that it was basically a corvee labor system for a large amount of the population of Egypt.
Basically, when the farmers were all in their off season, they’d be drafted for a number of months a year to aid construction as general laborers.
They were housed, fed, and paid for this, by the state/royal coffers.
They were paid in material goods like foodstuffs, as currency in the way we think of it wasn’t really a thing at the time.
And yes, they absolutely did have divisions of labor, they had basically nobility or psuedo nobilility people who could largely read and write as trained architects and engineers and mathematicians and record keepers and accountants, and had a whole slew of the craftsmen / stone mason class below them.
So… it is forced labor, you couldn’t really opt out, but you would be compensated.
Egypt did have roughly chattel slaves at the time, they probably participated as well, but they are estimated to be about 10% of the total population of Egypt at the time.
(Compare this to say, 1st century AD/CE Rome, where I think the estimate is more like roughly 20-30% being slaves)
There is also the religious component: It is likely that many of the drafted laborers viewed this as a privilege or sacred duty to construct the tomb of their living god-king, who they would have believed became essentially immortal, his spirit would be preserved for eternity, as a consequence of their work.
So maybe think of it as an extremely intensive mission trip to go build shelters for the needy, as a rough analogue to modernity… it was some kind of good, moral, holy thing to do.
To: All Staff
From: HR
Subject: EXCITING new partnership!
Team, we’ve been reviewing some of history’s most successful large-scale projects for inspiration, and the data is clear! The absolute best results came from teams who believed their CEO was literally a god.
While we can’t quite arrange that, we’ve found the next best thing!
After a productive meeting, we’ve received a special clarification directly from the Vatican! Turns out, Colossians 3:23 (“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord”) is now considered binding corporate policy.
So, effective immediately, hitting your quarterly goals is a direct path to salvation. Slacking off… well, let’s just say the paperwork for eternal damnation is a real hassle for everyone involved.
Let’s get to work, saints!