The pyramids were built by farmers during the season when the Nile flooded their fields, so there was no farm work. These farmers were conscripted [con-SCRIPT-ed], which means they were called in to work by the officials in charge of the pyramid project. Unlike slaves, who might be forced to work for someone else for their entire lives, conscripted farmers worked on a pyramid for a set time, then returned to their farms.
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Building the Pyramids
The proud workers signed their names on the pyramids next to the name of their pharaoh. They wrote them in sets of symbols called a cartouche [car-TOOSH]. You will now watch a video to learn more about how the pyramids were built.
Click on the left to watch the video. After watching the video, answer the question below.
Why was the building of the pyramids such a great achievement for the ancient Egyptians?