10 great places to be dazzled by humans' labor

— -- Just as man "does not live by bread alone," humankind does not toil merely to eat. Civilizations are driven to create magnificent monuments. To celebrate the accomplishments symbolized by Labor Day, Barry Goldmith, professor of architectural history at New York University, shares with USA TODAY his picks of tremendous achievements created by the brains and brawn of people through the ages.

Pyramids of Giza/Abu-SimbelEgypt

The Great Pyramid, dating to the 25th century B.C., is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World to survive and is part of a complex that includes other pyramids and the Sphinx. Located near Cairo, the giant tomb was built for a single human being, the Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops), by thousands of human beings. "Even today, the proportions are dazzling," Goldsmith says. Farther south near Aswan, a modern-day feat of engineering in the 1960s moved the Abu-Simbel temple and its four gigantic statues of Ramses to save it for posterity. ce.eng.usf.edu/pharos/wonders/pyramid.html

Hoover DamNevada/Arizona border

"The Hoover Dam was the largest concrete structure ever built when it was constructed between 1931 and 1936," Goldsmith says. "In fact, the amount of concrete used could pave a two-lane highway from San Francisco to New York." New technology had to be developed for such a huge mass of concrete to set and dry evenly. Unfortunately, building the dam claimed 100 lives. 702-494-2517; www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam

Angkor WatCambodia

Angkor Wat is the world's most extensive temple complex: It's made up of more than 70 Buddhist temples primarily built from the ninth through 12th centuries. Its 77 square miles were lost until rediscovered by the French in the 19th century. "Almost every inch of these stone temples is covered with exquisite carving," Goldsmith says. "These masterpieces are ever more amazing because they were created in the middle of an unbearably hot, steamy jungle." angkorwat.org

Panama CanalPanama

The country was carved out of Colombia by the administration of President Theodore Roosevelt so the United States could build this canal linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. "For 10 years, up to 45,000 men at a time dug through swamps infested by mosquitoes carrying yellow fever and malaria," Goldsmith says. "Their wages, at least, were considered high: 30 cents a day, plus meals." pancanal.com

Golden Gate BridgeSan Francisco

There are longer suspension bridges than the Golden Gate Bridge, but none have held the record for being the longest longer: 27 years, from 1937 to 1964. And it held the record for the world's tallest suspension towers for even longer. "The art-deco aesthetics of this beautiful bridge are enhanced by the artfully positioned lighting," Goldsmith says. "No wonder the Golden Gate is the most photographed bridge ever." 415-921-5858; goldengate.org

Great Wall of ChinaPeople's Republic of China

It took the Chinese 1,800 years (from the second century B.C. to the 16th century A.D.) to complete the world's longest structure. "What makes it so spectacular is that it follows the varying topography of China for thousands of miles, from straight, barren deserts to riding up the crests of mountains and down to valleys," Goldsmith says. "Contrary to popular myth, it cannot be seen from space." china.org.cn/english/kuaixun/74853.htm

Channel TunnelThe English Channel

Great Britain joined the European Union in 1973, but it took until 1994 for the British Isles to be physically linked to the continent with the completion of the "Chunnel," the 31-mile tunnel under the English Channel. The Eurostar high-speed train now connects Paris with London in less than three hours. "Modern technology has fulfilled this age-old dream," Goldsmith says, "and by connecting Britain to France, it has indirectly fulfilled another dream — getting better food to England." raileurope.com/us/rail/eurostar/channel_tunnel.htm

Mount Rushmore National MemorialBlack Hills of South Dakota

The largest work of art in the world, Mount Rushmore is the culmination of 14 years of combining engineering and sculpting skills with the muscle of 400 men detonating explosives and wielding huge drills. (Remarkably, there were no fatalities.) "To get an idea of the scope of the project, the face of each of the four presidents is 60 feet tall, more than three times the size of the head of the Statue of Liberty," Goldsmith says. 605-574-2523; nps.gov/moru

Machu Picchu/SacsayhuamanPeru

Machu Picchu is another wonder that was hidden and forgotten until its rediscovery in the early 20th century. The 15th-century Inca city was entirely self-sufficient: Man-made terraces literally supported farming. "Machu Picchu was created under incredible hardship," Goldsmith says. "We still do not know how they got the huge chiseled stones up the steep mountain. Nor did the Incas use mortar: The massive hewn boulders — even larger at nearby Sacsayhuaman — were intricately stacked and fitted together like pieces in an enormous jigsaw puzzle." machupicchu.org

PeterhofSt. Petersburg, Russia

"One of the world's most beautiful palace complexes has the world's most magnificent display of artistic waterworks: dozens of cascading fountains, as far as the eye can see, propelled only by gravity," Goldsmith says. "This would be an engineering marvel today, let alone when it was created in the early 18th century." Almost destroyed by the Nazis, the palace and fountains were meticulously restored and replicated after World War II. peterhof.org/english