A recent study uncovered that workers involved in the construction of the Giza pyramids were exposed to copper poisoning. The research not only identifies copper as a poison but also sheds light on the timeline of this practice.
Pyramids are among the most enigmatic structures in the world. Despite numerous revelations, they continue to spark controversy and remain a topic of intense interest for historians. The study suggests that while working at the Giza pyramid complex, the labourers were exposed to high levels of copper, marking one of the earliest instances of metal contamination or poisoning in history.
This discovery, along with the presence of toxic copper in ancient soil, also indicates a well-established tool-making industry during that era. A team of geochemists from Aix-Marseille University in France began drilling at the 4,500-year-old port of Khufu in 2019.
This port, the oldest ever found in the city, is situated near the pyramids of Pharaoh Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure. Using a technique called plasma-free spectrometry, the scientists measured levels of copper, as well as other metals such as aluminium, iron, and titanium, in the deposited samples.
The study found that copper contamination began around 3265 BCE suggesting that humans started using this technology 200 years earlier than previously believed. The contamination peaked after 750 years and finally disappeared around 1000 BCE.
Alain Véron, a faculty member at Aix-Marseille University, noted that copper levels were “naturally 5 to 6 times higher.” The study highlights that these tools, tainted with copper, were crucial for the construction of the pyramid complex.
Comments
0 comment