rolling heavy rocks to the top of cliffs for a decent ambush , cutting down trees to block the road , and digging a pit lined with spikes while still keeping a wicked edge on a dagger probably involved a much greater expenditure of thought and muscle than more socially-acceptable professions but , nevertheless , there were still people misguided enough to endure all this , plus long nights in uncomfortable surroundings , merely to get their hands on perfectly ordinary large boxes of jewels .