The labourers would have been enticed by the mix of high-quality food and the opportunity to work on such a prestigious project. Today, many of the highly experienced archaeological workmen at the pyramids come from the same region, though they are paid in hard currency, rather than prime beef and accolades.
The Pharaohs were large plantation owners with enormous surplus foodstuffs, including livestock and garlic (which was highly prized for its medicinal value). And the workers were, in many ways, members of an enormous enthusiastic cult community that rewarded the construction of these mega-projects both economically and socially.
So, not all that far off from capitalism in the modern sense.
You mean the wealth inequality, gig economy, being paid below a fair living wage, and unaffordable rent/bills keeping people in jobs they hate and aren’t fit for?
Sounds more like slavery now than what the ancient Egyptians had. Sign me up to build the next pyramid.
Ancient Egyptians were able to sell themselves and children into slavery in a form of bonded labor. Self-sale into servitude was not always a choice made by the individuals’ free will, but rather a result of individuals who were unable to pay off their debts.[
Several departments in the Ancient Egyptian government were able to draft workers from the general population to work for the state with a corvée labor system. The laborers were conscripted for projects such as military expeditions, mining and quarrying, and construction projects for the state. These slaves were paid a wage, depending on their skill level and social status for their work
They used slaves for everything and paid them, so having a paid receipt is a weird distinction to try and make something less worse than it was.
Whips. Lots of whips and middle managers.
Were the Egyptian pyramids built by slaves?
The Pharaohs were large plantation owners with enormous surplus foodstuffs, including livestock and garlic (which was highly prized for its medicinal value). And the workers were, in many ways, members of an enormous enthusiastic cult community that rewarded the construction of these mega-projects both economically and socially.
So, not all that far off from capitalism in the modern sense.
“Capitalism in the modern sense”
You mean the wealth inequality, gig economy, being paid below a fair living wage, and unaffordable rent/bills keeping people in jobs they hate and aren’t fit for?
Sounds more like slavery now than what the ancient Egyptians had. Sign me up to build the next pyramid.
Jesus fucking Christ.
I mean at the same time
They used slaves for everything and paid them, so having a paid receipt is a weird distinction to try and make something less worse than it was.