Just an FYI: I've been hearing more and more recently that the Pyramids of Egypt were built by free engineers, not slaves. It has been recently theorized that methodologies they used to hurl great stones across the desert required far fewer laborers. By pouring water in front of the stones, the desert sand would become slippery, and thus much much fewer people would be needed for the task. (Early estimates was that it took ~100k people to build a pyramid. Modern estimates point at only ~10k, based on newly found food consumption records)

IE: The Pyramids were more akin to the Great Cathedrals across Europe: 100 or 200 year projects completed by generations of engineers, architects, and artists. Not necessarily the elites of society... but at least those with free will. Some motivated by Religion, others motivated by simple glory and the joy of building great things.

I think people think that Egyptian Slaves built the pyramids... Sometimes people think they were Jewish Slaves: some time between Joseph and Moses in Biblical times. But if they were simple slaves, why were the workers of the Pyramids buried either near, or even within the Pyramids? This was a great honor that was normally reserved only for Pharaohs!

http://news.discovery.com/history/ancient-egypt/pyramids-tom...