The Great Pyramid could never have been built without specialists organising and performing tasks with great precision (Jacobs 2002, p. 6). “To complete the pyramid complex in the King's lifetime, a constant supply of material, labor and food was needed” (Jacobs 2002, p. 2). Planning, organisation and attention to detail was paramount. Management and specialisation was required to accomplish this. Specialists were in charge of the day to day lives of the pyramid labourers; absentee records, from illness to hangovers, have been discovered (David 1986, p. 74). Specialist titles included “the official in charge of one side of the pyramid” and “overseer of the stone movers” (Bronner 1993, p. 25). Physician-priest specialists were on hand to look
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16-17; Jacobs 2002, p. 5). The bulk of the heavy lifting, though, was performed by a large labour force.
Although the way the labour force was raised is uncertain (Romer 2007, p. 133), the graves of the workers have been excavated. The Upper Cemetery at Giza, near the 'Wall of the Crow' to the southeast of the Sphinx, contains the tombs of the workers. The male and female bodies discovered in the tombs have evidence of stress related to carrying heavy objects; yet they also prove that highly skilled physicians worked on these people, as there is evidence of people living for years after brain surgery, broken bones and amputation (Hawass 2004, pp. 22-23). Although, according to Lehner, their lives were based on a feudal system, they lived in the Giza city which was well equipped to feed the workers (Shaw 2003, pp. 47-49 & 99) and look after their daily needs. Jacobs (2002, p.4) calculates that 20,000-30,000 workers would be on site at once. Graffiti shows that the workers themselves were split into crews of 2,000. The crews were then divided into two gangs, and then into five tribes. Ganges had their own names (Shaw 2003, p. 99), some of which have been found graffitied in hidden places in the Great Pyramid (Hawass 2009, p. 15). These people were highly valued workers, who used both their skills and bodies towards building an everlasting
16-17; Jacobs 2002, p. 5). The bulk of the heavy lifting, though, was performed by a large labour force.
Although the way the labour force was raised is uncertain (Romer 2007, p. 133), the graves of the workers have been excavated. The Upper Cemetery at Giza, near the 'Wall of the Crow' to the southeast of the Sphinx, contains the tombs of the workers. The male and female bodies discovered in the tombs have evidence of stress related to carrying heavy objects; yet they also prove that highly skilled physicians worked on these people, as there is evidence of people living for years after brain surgery, broken bones and amputation (Hawass 2004, pp. 22-23). Although, according to Lehner, their lives were based on a feudal system, they lived in the Giza city which was well equipped to feed the workers (Shaw 2003, pp. 47-49 & 99) and look after their daily needs. Jacobs (2002, p.4) calculates that 20,000-30,000 workers would be on site at once. Graffiti shows that the workers themselves were split into crews of 2,000. The crews were then divided into two gangs, and then into five tribes. Ganges had their own names (Shaw 2003, p. 99), some of which have been found graffitied in hidden places in the Great Pyramid (Hawass 2009, p. 15). These people were highly valued workers, who used both their skills and bodies towards building an everlasting