CBSE Class 11 English Discovering Tut The Saga Continues Worksheet Set 02

Introduction

The chapter deals with the mysteries and theories regarding the life and death of the youngest teenaged Pharoah of ancient Egypt – Tutankhamun. It was speculated that the Pharoah was murdered. King Tut’s tomb was discovered in 1922 by the famous archaeologist Howard Carter. After Carter’s investigation, Tut’s mummy was also subjected to an X-ray and a CT scan. The investigations, though not conclusive, were able to provide some insights into the mysteries surrounding the young King’s death.

THEME

The chapter ‘Discovering Tut: the Saga Continues’ is an account of the passion of a team of researchers and the struggles they faced to unravel the mystery of the Pharoah’s sudden death. The story highlights the developments in the field of archaeology. Modern technology gives us a hope to be well equipped to solve crimes if it has taken place.

Summary

Tutankhamun was the last leader of the great Pharaoh Dynasty. He was young when he died. According to some people, his death was a murder. In the year 1922, his tomb was exposed by Howard Carter, an archaeologist. After 80 years, he was taken for a CT scan to solve the mystery of his life and death through a forensic reconstruction. His father or grandfather, Amenhotep III, was a very powerful Pharaoh who ruled over a period of 40 years. Moreover, his son, Amenhotep IV, succeeded him and initiated the strangest period in the history of Egypt. His name changed to Akhenaten, which means ‘servant of the Aten’. He changed the religious capital from Thebes to Amarna. Later he attacked Amun, a god, ruined his images and shut his temples. Another mysterious ruler succeeded him who died very soon. Tutankhamun sat on the throne and ruled for 9 years.

Carter found Tut’s mummified body after years of searching, in a cramped, rock-cut tomb 26 feet underground, which also had some wall paintings. He was laid with lots of gold and wealth. Many parts of the treasure in the tomb were already misplaced. After conducting research on the treasures, Carter planned to examine his 3 nested coffins. It revealed that he was buried in the months of March or April. One of the coffins put Carter into trouble. The gums used to paste Tut to the bottom of the solid gold coffin had hardened, making it impossible to displace. He placed the box under the sun for several hours so that the resins loosen up, but that didn’t work. At last, he removed the adhesive with a chisel and hammer. Carter sensed he didn’t have any choice other than cutting the mummy from limb to limb. If not, then thieves would have robbed the gold and the treasures. His men first removed the head of the mummy, then they cut off nearly every major joint. After the process of removing all the body parts, they reassembled the parts on a layer of sand in a wooden box and placed it at the original place.

Later, in January 2005, the body was taken for a CT scan, which takes hundreds of X-Rays and generates a 3D image. That night of the scan, the workmen carried his body from the tomb into a box. They went through the ramp and stairs, and lifted the body on a hydraulic lift into the trailer that was holding the scanner. The scanner suddenly stopped working and the process of the CT scan stopped. After the use of spare fans, the scan was finally completed. After 3 hours, they transferred his body back to his tomb where the pharoah is now resting in peace.

About the Author

A.R. Williams developed a love for reading at a very young age and in the fourth grade, when an assignment to write their own works of fiction was given, it occurred to him that he too could craft tales for others to enjoy. During a membership in a book club, Williams discovered that there were books dedicated to teaching amateur writers more about the craft of writing. He started putting that knowledge to the test, crafting imaginative stories in science fiction and fantasy genres.

Questions

Question. Give reasons for the following.
(i) King Tut’s body has been subjected to repeated scrutiny.
(ii) Howard Carter’s investigation was resented.
(iii) Carter had to chisel away the solidified resins to raise the king’s remains.
(iv) Tut’s body was buried along with gilded treasures.
(v) The boy king changed his name from Tutankhaten to Tutankhamun.
Answer: (i) King Tut’s body has been subjected to repeated scrutiny because of his ancestry, the treasures he was buried with and to unravel the mystery that surrounded his untimely death.
(ii) Howard Carter’s investigation was resented because of his unscientific methods. He resorted to cutting the body of the Pharoah to take him out of the tomb. He also focused more on protecting Tut’s funerary treasures, and less on finding solutions to the mystery of his life and death.
(iii) Carter had to chisel away the solidified resins to raise the king’s remains because the body was cemented to the bottom of the solid gold coffin as a result of the hardening of the resins. It was impossible to extract the body from the coffin. Keeping the body in the sun, under 149 degrees Fahrenheit also did not help.
(iv) Tut’s body was buried along with gilded treasures as the ancient Egyptian royals were extremely wealthy. They also believed that the royalty would take all the treasures with them for their use in the afterlife.
(v) Tutankhamun means ‘living image of Amun’. Amun was a major god of ancient Egypt. Amenhotep IV smashed his images and closed his temples. When the boy king sat on the throne, he changed his name to Tutankhamum, the living image of Amun, and oversaw the restoration of the old ways.

Question. (i) List the deeds that led Ray Johnson to describe Akhenaten as “wacky”.
(ii) What were the results of the CT scan?
(iii) List the advances in technology that have improved forensic analysis.
(iv) Explain the statement, “King Tut is one of the first mummies to be scanned — in death, as in life...”
Answer: (i) According to Ray Johnson, Akhenaten was wacky because of the following reasons:
(a) He smashed images and closed Amun’s temples.
(b) He worshipped Aten, the sun disk.
(c) He moved the religious capital from the old city of Thebes to the new city of Akhetaten, called Amarna.
(d) He changed his name to Akhenaten.
(ii) The CT scan machine scanned the mummy head to toe, creating 1,700 digital X-ray images in cross section. Tut’s head, scanned in 0.62 millimetre slices to register its detailed structures, takes on strange and frightening details in the resulting image. The neck vertebrae appeared as clearly as in an anatomy class. Other images revealed a hand, several views of the ribcage and a transection of the skull.
(iii) With the advancement in technology, it has become possible for many scientific tests to be carried out with greater accuracy in order to determine the cause of a crime. X-Ray, CT scan, post mortem, biopsy, and autopsy are the processes that are a part of the improved forensic analysis.
(iv) Tut’s mummy was the first one to be X-rayed in 1968 and later, in 2005, the first to be scanned through Computing Tomography (CT). CT scan revealed new three-dimensional images of his body.

TALKING ABOUT THE TEXT

Discuss the following in groups of two pairs, each pair in a group taking opposite points of view.

Question. Scientific intervention is necessary to unearth buried mysteries.
Answer: For: To understand the various mysteries in history, it is important to be aware of the mysterious circumstances that surrounded people and leaders. For this purpose, scientific intervention plays an invaluable role. It can help get the answers to the questions and gives us an idea about what occurred in the past, and the lifestyle of our ancestors. Example – the scientific intervention of Indus Civilization.
Against: There is no doubt that scientific intervention can be useful but it destroys the sanctity and respect that has been accorded to the dead. It interferes in the secrecy of the funerary rituals and treasures. Unnecessary expenses are involved in these processes.

Question. Advanced technology gives us conclusive evidence of past events.
Answer: For: With advanced technology, we can know about the past and those who could have been involved in a supposed crime. Investigation using a CT scan made it possible to get an idea about King Tut and his body. It provided data for forensic reconstruction and satellite images helped find burial sites. Different kinds of software make it possible to get an idea of the time, date and place where an event might have ocurred.
Against: Even after the CT scan images of Tut, no conclusive premises could be drawn. It was not possible to arrive at the cause of his death, which continues to remain a mystery. Instead of using time and money on past events, the government should focus on the present and the future.

Question. Traditions, rituals and funerary practices must be respected.
Answer: For: Every religion has its own traditions, rituals and funerary practices which must be respected. It should not be disturbed as Carter did with King Tut’s tomb. Cutting up the body was the most disrespectful way in which the mortal remains of a dead person was treated.
Against: Traditions, rituals and funerary practices, should be practised only to a level that is logical and sensible. Elaborate and expensive funeral rites must be done away with. It is important to give a respectful burial or cremation to the mortal remains of a person, but indulging in fancifulness is disrespectful to the departed soul.

Question. Knowledge about the past is useful to complete our knowledge of the world we live in.
Answer: For: Knowledge of past events and important personalities help us understand our ancestry. It helps us to know about how the world we live in has evolved. From past experiences and lessons, we learn not to commit the same mistakes and become more sensitised. Knowing about King Tut’s life helped us understand the Pharaoh Dynasty and the Egypt Empire.
Against: Delving into the past doesn’t help us in any way. It only wastes time and resources. No one can change the past. It would be more advantageous if we focus on the present and look forward to what the future has in store for us. Ranting about what happened yesterday cannot help us.

THINKING ABOUT LANGUAGE

Question. What do you think are the reasons for the extinction of languages?
Answer: A language can become extinct due to many reasons. The world adapts and changes according to the advances in technology. Example, the Sanskrit language cannot be seen used on a daily basis by people. However, in ancient times, it was a language used both verbally and for the purpose of writing. Also, if some level of restrictions are imposed on a certain class of people regarding the use of a language, other languages will suffer. E.g., the compulsory use of English in institutions in India. Modernisation, along with westernisation is another cause for extinction of the mother tongue. Generations resort to using the more widely used language and move away from the language of their birth, gradually wiping it off the surface of the earth.

Question. Do you think it is important to preserve languages?
Answer: Yes, it is very important to preserve languages as it helps us understand our culture and traditions. It gives us an identity. It helps in developing oneself culturally, and helps us to connect with the important past events. It gives us knowledge about literature and the history of the language.

Question. In what ways do you think we could help prevent the extinction of languages and dialects?
Answer: We could help prevent the extinction of languages and dialects in the following ways:
(a) Include the teaching of mother tongue/state language in school and college curriculums
(b) Promote the use of different languages and dialects verbally
(c) Conduct seminars and cultural activities to enhance the knowledge of the languages among people
(d) Encourage people to study different languages

WORKING WITH WORDS

Question. Given below are some interesting combinations of words. Explain why they have been used together.
(i) ghostly dust evils (vi) dark-bellied clouds
(ii) desert sky (vii) casket grey
(iii) stunning artefacts (viii) eternal brilliance
(iv) funerary treasures (ix) ritual resins
(v) scientific detachment (x) virtual body
Answer: (i) ghostly dust devils: it refers to the anger of the dusty winds by frightful movements on those people who try to disturb the king
(ii) desert sky: it refers to the dusky sky of the desert
(iii) stunning artefacts: it refers to the beautiful items which were found in the tomb
(iv) funerary treasures: it refers to the gold items which were kept while burying the king because Egyptians believed that there is an afterlife
(v) scientific detachment: it refers to the objectiveness present in science
(vi) dark-bellied clouds: it refers to the dark clouds containing rain
(vii) casket grey: it refers to how the stars were covered by dark-bellied clouds similar to the way jewels are kept in a casket box
(viii) eternal brilliance: it refers to how the timeless luster and shine of the gold and other valuable items of the king
(ix) ritual resins: it is a customary duty in the process of burying a dead body
(x) virtual body: three-dimensional body created by CT scan

Question. Here are some commonly used medical terms. Find out their meanings.
CT scan, MRI, tomography, autopsy, dialysis, ECG, post mortem, angiography, biopsy
Answer: (i) CT scan – a three-dimensional scan of a body with the help of hundreds of X-Rays, in cross section together
(ii) MRI – Magnetic Resonance Imaging, a medical examination with the help of a strong magnetic field and radio waves to create a detailed image of the organs of the body
(iii) Tomography – a technique used to display a cross-section of a human body using hundreds of X-rays or ultrasound
(iv) Autopsy – a post mortem examination used to discover the cause of death of the dead person
(v) Dialysis – the process of purification of blood with the help of a machine which works as a substitute for kidney
(vi) ECG – also known as Electrocardiography, it is a process to test for the signs of any heart disease by recording the electrical activity through small electrodes attached to the chest, arms and legs
(vii) Post Mortem – an examination of a dead body to know the cause of death
(viii) Angiography – radiography of blood or lymph vessels
(ix) Biopsy – examination of tissue removed from a living being to know the reason for the disease

Additional Questions

Extract-based Questions

Read the following extracts carefully and answer the questions that follow. (3 Marks each)

Since the discovery of his tomb in 1922, the modern world has speculated about what happened to him, with murder being the most extreme possibility. Now, leaving his tomb for the first time in almost 80 years, Tut has undergone a CT scan that offers new clues about his life and death — and provides precise data for an accurate forensic reconstruction of the boyish pharaoh.

Question. Who is the ‘boyish pharaoh’?
Answer: The ‘boyish pharaoh’ is King Tutankhamun, an ancient Egyptian king who ruled Egypt and died very young at the age of 19.

Question. Why was his tomb being taken out?
Answer: His tomb was being taken out to be scanned so as to get a precise data of his life and early death.

Question. In which of the following sentences has the word ‘speculate’ been used differently from the context in the extract?
(a) She could only speculate about her friend’s motives.
(b) He speculated as to whether she would come.
(c) If you want me to speculate, I’d say it ran far deeper than that.
(d) Only speculate with money you can afford to lose.
Answer: (d) Only speculate with money you can afford to lose.

In his defence, Carter really had little choice. If he hadn’t cut the mummy free, thieves most certainly would have circumvented the guards and ripped it apart to remove the gold. In Tut’s time the royals were fabulously wealthy, and they thought — or hoped — they could take their riches with them. For his journey to the great beyond, King Tut was lavished with glittering goods: precious collars, inlaid necklaces and bracelets, rings, amulets, a ceremonial apron, sandals, sheaths for his fingers and toes, and the now iconic inner coffin and mask — all of pure gold.

Question. ‘...Carter really had little choice.’ What does this statement indicate?
Answer: This statement indicates that Carter was compelled to cut the mummy free, otherwise thieves would have ripped it apart to steal the gold.

Question. Explain the phrase, ‘journey to the great beyond’.
Answer: The phrase ‘journey to the great beyond’ means the afterlife where one is said to go after dying.

Question. What is a mummy?
(a) A body of a human being that has been ceremonially preserved by removing the internal organs.
(b) A body of a human being that has been treated with natron and resin.
(c) A body of a human being that has been wrapped in bandages.
(d) All of the options
Answer: (d) All of the options

Archaeology has changed substantially in the intervening decades, focusing less on treasure and more on the fascinating details of life and intriguing mysteries of death. It also uses more sophisticated tools, including medical technology. In 1968, more than 40 years after Carter’s discovery, an anatomy professor X-rayed the mummy and revealed a startling fact: beneath the resin that cakes his chest, his breast-bone and front ribs are missing.

Question. What was Carter’s discovery?
Answer: Carter discovered the largely intact tomb of King Tutankhamun after years of futile searching.

Question. In what way has archaeology changed?
Answer: Archaeology has changed substantially in the intervening decades, focusing less on treasure and more on the fascinating details of life and intriguing mysteries of death.

Question. What was the startling revelation made about Tut’s mummy?
(a) That his kidneys were missing
(b) That his breast-bone was missing
(c) That his front ribs were missing
(d) Both (b) and (c)
Answer: (d) Both (b) and (c)

The night of the scan, workmen carried Tut from the tomb in his box. Like pallbearers they climbed a ramp and a flight of stairs into the swirling sand outside, then rose on a hydraulic lift into the trailer that held the scanner. Twenty minutes later two men emerged, sprinted for an office nearby, and returned with a pair of white plastic fans. The million-dollar scanner had quit because of sand in a cooler fan. “Curse of the pharaoh,” joked a guard nervously.

Question. Who are pallbearers?
Answer: Pallbearers are those who carry the coffin to the grave.

Question. What happened to the scanner?
(a) It stopped working due to malfunctioning of a fan.
(b) It functioned more efficiently.
(c) It stopped taking images.
(d) It got short circuited.
Answer: (a) It stopped working due to malfunctioning of a fan.

Question. What was the pharaoh’s curse?
Answer: The pharaoh’s curse was that death or misfortune would fall upon those who disturbed him.

The boy king soon changed his name to Tutankhamun, ‘living image of Amun,’ and oversaw a restoration of the old ways. He reigned for about nine years — and then died unexpectedly. Regardless of his fame and the speculations about his fate, Tut is one mummy among many in Egypt. How many? No one knows. The Egyptian Mummy Project, which began an inventory in late 2003, has recorded almost 600 so far and is still counting.

Question. Why has the phrase ‘boy king’ been used for Tut?
Answer: The phrase ‘boy king’ has been used for Tutankhamun because he was a very young boy when he became the king.

Question. How many mummies are there in Egypt?
Answer: The Egyptian Mummy Project has recorded almost 600 mummies so far but no one knows the exact count of mummies that exist in Egypt.

Question. Which of the following informations is incorrect about Tutankhamun?
(a) He changed his name to Tutankhamun.
(b) He oversaw a restoration of the old ways.
(c) He ruled for more than ten years.
(d) All of the options
Answer: (c) He ruled for more than ten years.