11-A
Building the Pyramids
The pyramids and other tombs were built on the west bank of the Nile River. The egyptians chose the west bank as the `land of the dead` because that was where the dying sun disappeared each evening.
The building of the pyramids was generally started during the dry season of May and June. That was when the Nile River was at its lowes level. the corps of the year before had been harvested. The ground was now dry and cracked under a baking sun. The farmer had no work to do in the fields.
The farmers became pyramid builders. They were paid for their labor in food and clothing. The workers were provided with tools. There were no coins or other types of money used in Egypt at that time. Many of the farmers probably worked on the pyramids of their own free will rather than as forced labor.
The work was a means of adding to their livelihood.
Once ther Nile flood began, barges were able to bring stones down the river from the distant quarries. The ¡¦(»ý·«)
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