It is amazing what one can accomplish with an endless supply of disposable slaves.
But also... It was an employment program according to some studies.
It is amazing what one can accomplish with an endless supply of disposable slaves.
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No one knows (beyond conjecture and assumptions) who, how, or why the Giza monuments were built. All of Egyptian Old Kingdom history is in turmoil, as all of the dating is way off from when they were supposedly built by 500 years or more - according to optical thermolucient dating of supposed youngest Pyramid of Menkaure [the small one].
Further, the monuments were planned and build as one grand geometric structure, not as separate monuments, and none were used as tombs. In fact, the tombs of the supposed builder pharaohs have never been found.
There is every likely hood that the First Dynasty kings found them and did not build them. Rather they took them as their own as happened repeatedly thorough out Egyptian history, repurposing them to suit their needs - as the later muslims stripped the monuments of their casing stones to make buildings in Cairo.
One thing is known about the time of the Pharaohs - the workmen at Giza where NOT slaves and where well cared for, fed, housed and had medical attention. It was a well paying job, with prestige. They were likely building all the other temples and mastabas found across the plateau.