The Pyramids of GizaRAWI Publishing
Building the Giza Pyramids was a major state project. Around 10,000 ancient Egyptian engineers, architects, stonecutters and labourers had to be mobilized to create this wonder of the ancient world.
While millions of people may stand in awe of these monuments today, few consider the logistics and organization involved in their construction, much less the food, drink, and accommodation required for the massive workforce.
Mark Lehner's ExcavationRAWI Publishing
A History-changing Discovery
In 1988, archaeologist Dr Mark Lehner discovered the ancient town where the pyramid builders lived. Excavations by Ancient Egypt Research Associates (AERA), directed by Dr Lehner, have uncovered many of the town’s buildings. The large amount of archaeological data from the site has helped us understand what people ate and the logistics and economics of food provisioning, providing estimates of how much food was required to keep the pyramid-building workforce well-fed, healthy, and probably happy, too.
The Treasures of Heit El Ghorab
The vast ancient settlement, titled Heit el-Ghorab, included barracks that could shelter and feed up to 1,400 rotating labourers. They worked in seasonal shifts, following the well-established Egyptian pattern whereby town and village leaders from all over the country would send teams of local workmen to take part in great national (and religious) projects.
Data on the pyramid-builders came from various sources, so the analysis of the findings required an interdisciplinary approach. Osteologists examined human remains found in cemeteries, while archaeobotanists and archaeozoologists used plant remains and animals bones to identify that the workmen’s diets would have consisted of bread and beer, sheep, goat, pig, and cattle, as well as various species of fish.
Relief fragment showing fishing scene (ca. 2649–2100 B.C.)The Metropolitan Museum of Art
An Army Marches on its Stomach
Using the calorie estimate and the data from the study of animal bones and plant remains at the site, archaeologists suggest that 3,800 kg of barley, 3,900 kg of emmer wheat, 10 cattle, 36 sheep/goats, and 1,700 kg of fish were necessary every ancient Egyptian 10-day week to sustain the 10,000-strong workforce.
Tomb Chapel of Raemkai: East WallThe Metropolitan Museum of Art
A Logistical Marvel
Providing for the pyramid builders was a titanic task. The infrastructure necessary to supply the barracks with animal protein was particularly astounding. Fish, birds, and wild game were procured locally, while cattle, sheep, and goat were raised in the Delta in state-sponsored settlements established specially for the purpose. Pigs probably lived in the town. Although far fewer cattle were consumed, beef was still eaten twice as often simply because of the substantially larger size of the animal.
Emmer wheat and barley were cultivated all over Egypt and brought into the town for storage in silos, before being processed into bread and beer.
Two of thef Giza Pyramids at SunsetOriginal Source: Unsplash
The pyramids could not have existed without these immensely sophisticated logistics, a monumental achievement just as deserving of our admiration as the magnificent structures themselves.
For more of what the ancient Egyptians ate and drank, check out this story on beer.
Author:
Dr Claire Malleson
Story courtesy of:
AERA: Ancient Egypt Research Associates (http://www.aeraweb.org/)
