A new study shows that workers at the ancient Giza Pyramid got copper poisoning because they were around copper tools for too long.
A cool new study has shown that the people who built the famous Giza Pyramids probably got really sick from being around too much copper.
A team of archaeologists and doctors looked at the bodies of these workers and found copper in their bones, which means they were probably around the metal for a long time.
Using copper tools to cut through huge limestone blocks was super important for making the pyramids, but it also made the workers really sick.
The study points out that the workers breathed in copper dust and got the metal through their skin, which caused all sorts of health problems like breathing issues, skin rashes, and even damage to their brains.
Ancient Egyptian Pyramid Builders Were Poisoned by Copper, Study Suggests https://t.co/hbIRm5lsfo
— Gizmodo (@Gizmodo) September 1, 2024
They found signs of copper sickness in the bones of people buried near where the workers lived at Giza.
The bones showed high levels of copper, which the researchers think built up over a long time. This finding gives us a new look at how tough it was for the people who worked so hard to create these ancient wonders.
The results have started conversations among historians about how sick the workers were and what the long-term effects of working with metal were like back then.
This study also helps us understand the real price people paid for one of history’s biggest building projects.