The Laborer’s Work Was Physically Demanding
Laborers ate well, but it was one of their few creature comforts. The work was physically difficult and took a toll on their health. Physical remains found in the Great Pyramids worker’s tombs show a lot of muscle strain, bent spines, and death from injuries they received on the job. Their skeletons show arthritis and damage to their lower vertebrae. Dieter Wildung of the Berlin Egyptian Museum says, “But let’s not exaggerate here, they lived a short life and tomography skeletal studies show they suffered from bad health, very much likely because of how hard their work was.” Pyramid building for the Pharaoh was a community project. For some it was a social obligation for some, for others, a way to honor the gods. While not actual slavery, pyramid work may have been a sort of expected labor, a social and national obligation for some of the workers.