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The workmen at a pyramid

number of workmen:

The number of people involved in building a pyramid can only be guessed. Herodotus reports that 100 000 men were working at the pyramid of Khufu. Recent research calculates about 20 000 - 30 000 people. Louis Croon in Borchardt 1928: 28 calculated 10 000 workmen for the Meydum pyramid and about 36 000 workmen for the pyramid of Khufu in Gizeh. Dieter Arnold (Arnold 1987: 90-92) calculated for the brick pyramid of Amenemhat III in Dahshur 4770 workmen.

place to stay:

The only pyramid town so far excavated and published is at Lahun. The town is a kilometre away from the pyramid itself, across uneven desert terrain; therefore it is unlikely that the workmen for the pyramid lived there. It is more likely that they stayed in temporary structures closer to the building place. The only fully cleared, planned and published pyramid town is the large settlement at Lahun.

working time:

There are many calculations about the time which was needed to build a pyramid. As each new king seems to have started work on his own pyramid, the main time limit is the length of reigns. The main question outstanding is: Did workmen work over the whole year or did they only work at special times?


 

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