Egypt tombs suggest free men built pyramids, not slaves

[ccharles000]

Tombs discovered near Egypt's great pyramids reinforce the theory they were built by free workers rather than slaves.

The location of the tombs, where workers who built the pyramids of Khufu (Cheops) and Khafre (Chephren) are buried, suggests they were not slaves.

The tombs, made from bricks of dried mud, date back 4,500 years.

They are the first to be discovered since the first such workers' tombs were found in 1990.

"These tombs were built beside the king's pyramid, which indicates these people were not by any means slaves," Zahi Hawass, the chief archaeologist heading the Egyptian excavation team, said in a statement.

"If they were slaves, they would not have been able to build their tombs beside their king's."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8451538.stm

[SteppingRazor]

1. A lot of this is putting theory before fact and then making sure the facts fit the theory, though.

Since excavation of ancient Egyptian sites was taken over by the government, and especially since Hawass became head of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in the early 2000s, they've been putting forth this theory and trying to find any evidence to back it up, while dismissing counterevidence out of hand. It has more to do with modern Egyptian nationalism than it does with actual archaeology. (Similar to Hawass' rejection of Afrocentric theories of early Egypt, despite good evidence.)

[aquart]

2. Dupe for the 99th time this very old news.

Yes, it disputes the biblical account of Exodus. The Jews were wrong. Go be merry and rejoice.

Perhaps you might examine the source of your jubilation.

[damntexdem]

3. Maybe so -- but they were still pyramid schemes!

;-)

Hey, somebody, pass me the straw so I can make these bricks.