Jammer Wrote:
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> Look at it from a different perspective,
>
> You have this huge workforce that is essentially
> unemployed 4 months a year, with not much to do
> but sit around and possibly get into trouble...
>
> OR you can organize it so its gainfully employed,
> gets paid food and beer, and accomplishes
> something that really works...
>
> I have read an excellent sociologist’s hypothesis
> that the Roman Empire's biggest mistake wasn't
> feeding the masses for free (and, in effect
> spoiling them), but was failing to give them
> something constructive to do FOR the free food.
>
> The Pharaohs knew, idle hands are chaos' tools!
>
> Jammer


It would primarily be the farmers who were idle during the inundation. Most of the other work would be relatively unaffected. Occupations like rope making and chisel grinding would go into their busy season.

It's likely that at least 70% of the Egyptians were farmers and many of them would have little to do when their fields were under water. Surely many worked higher land or had other occupations.

The question remains what, how and why these people were gainfully employed in the service of the king. How much labor was represented here? We only know it was sufficient to build the pyramid, not that this proves any specific method or reason applied.




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Man fears the pyramid, time fears man.