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KAIROINFO4U/CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

MAKING MUDBRICKS. A relief in the tomb of Rekhmire shows Semitic and Nubian slaves making bricks. Egyptian supervisors monitor them as they gather mud and water, mix the materials, form mudbricks, carry dried bricks, and measure a mudbrick wall. Located in Thebes, Rekhmire’s tomb dates to the 15th century B.C.E. A hieroglyphic text identifies that the bricks in this scene were intended for renovating workshops at Karnak Temple. In ancient Egypt, brickmaking was a specialized form of labor relegated to slaves.