WHAT DOES MAHALO MEAN
Egyptian art commonly depicts pharaohs as being trim and statuesque, but
this was most likely not the case. The Egyptian diet of beer, wine,
bread and honey was high in sugar, and studies show that it may have
done a number on royal waistlines. Examinations of mummies have
indicated that many Egyptian rulers were unhealthy and overweight, and
even suffered from diabetes. A
notable example is the legendary Queen
Hatshepsut, who lived in the 15th century B.C. While her sarcophagus
depicts her as slender and athletic, historians believe she was actually
obese and balding.
WHAT DOES MAHALO MEAN
The life of a pyramid builder certainly wasn’t easy—skeletons of workers
commonly show signs of arthritis and other ailments—but evidence
suggests that the massive tombs were built not by slaves but by paid
laborers. These ancient construction workers were a mix of skilled
artisans and temporary hands, and some appear to have taken great pride
in their craft. Graffiti found near the monuments suggests they often
assigned humorous names to their crews like the “Drunkards of Menkaure”
or the “Friends of Khufu.” The idea that slaves built the pyramids at
the crack of a whip was first conjured by the Greek historian Herodotus
in the fifth century B.C., but most historians now dismiss it as myth.
While the ancient Egyptians were certainly not averse to keeping slaves,
they appear to have mostly used them as field hands and domestic
servants.
