# Did the Egyptians even build in brick?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-egyptians-even-build-in-brick/437211>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 11, 2008, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-egyptians-even-build-in-brick/437211 "2008-02-11T22:43:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-egyptians-even-build-in-brick/437211/1 "2008-02-11T22:43:39Z")

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The Book of Exodus says Pharoah commanded the Hebrews to make bricks without straw. But all the ancient Egyptian ruins of which I’ve seen pictures are built of stone. Then again, maybe the brick structures didn’t last. Did the Egyptians have brickmaking technology?

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**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-egyptians-even-build-in-brick/437211/2 "2008-02-11T22:48:18Z")

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Before building stone pyramids, the ancient Egyptians [mastabas](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastaba) out of mud brick. Here’s a picture of one: [http://egyptphoto.ncf.ca/meidum%20mastaba%20no17%20detail\_640.jpg](http://egyptphoto.ncf.ca/meidum%20mastaba%20no17%20detail_640.jpg)

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**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-egyptians-even-build-in-brick/437211/3 "2008-02-11T22:52:37Z")

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Most Egyptian construction was brick. Something like the pyramids might be built with limestone, but limestone is too expensive for ordinary building, not to mention inconvenient (you have to dig it out of the quarries, ship it to where you need it, shape it, etc.). Meanwhile, mud is available all along the Nile, it’s easy to get, and bricks aren’t that hard to make. (In fact, the word “adobe” comes from the Egyptian word for brick)

Here are pictures of brickmaking in modern (1985) Egypt:

[http://www.flickr.com/photos/brooklyn\_museum/sets/72157594275159545/](http://www.flickr.com/photos/brooklyn_museum/sets/72157594275159545/)

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**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\
**Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-the-egyptians-even-build-in-brick/437211/4 "2008-02-11T23:04:27Z")

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The workers that built the pyramids [were housed in mudbrick buildings](http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/gizavillage.htm):

> [@](#):
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> In the early 20th century George Reisner excavated a series or rather run-down Old Kingdom mud-brick houses in the area around Menkaure’s valley temple. These turned out to be the homes of those who served the royal cult after the building had ended. Houses in the ancient town excavated by George Reisner were built of mudbrick and some had wooden roofs.