Important Words
- Heir – one who inherits 2. Speculated – guessed 3. Forensic reconstruction – to rebuild and understand how a death was caused through studies use of scientific tools in lab
4. Pharaoh – Emperors of Egypt 5. Eerie – unnatural and frightening 6. Cemetery – a burial ground 7. Dark bellied – (here) moisture laden clouds 8. Veiling – covering
9. Casket – a small box used for storing valuables 10. Glided – moved smoothly 11. Gilded – coated with thin sheets of gold 12. Probe – investigation 13. Murals – decorations created on walls
14. Pondering – thinking deeply 15. Futile – pointless, useless 16. Ransacked – stolen after disturbing and damaging things in haste 16. Antiquity – (here) in ancient times, object from ancient times
17. Resurrection – coming back to life after death 18. Funerary treasures – valuables buried during funeral 19. Three nested coffins – coffins put inside the other in decreasing size
20. Shroud – cloth used to cover the dead 21. Mummy – dead body preserved after treating with natron and resin.
22. Resins – A resin is a thick, sticky substance that can be natural or man-made. Natural resins come from plants, like the sticky gum from trees. Synthetic resins are made by people in factories. Resins can be soft or liquid at first, but when they are changed (cured), they become hard and solid
23. Circumvented – overpowered or found methods to evade the guards 24. Amulet – small piece of jewelry for protection against evil 25. Sheaths – sheet of close-fitting metal covering
26. Iconic – a thing that is now considered as a representation of something 27. Concealed – hid 28. Computed tomography – (CT scan) A type of intense scanning done to create 3D images through multiple X-Rays 29. Demise – death 30. Wacky – crazy 31. Eerie detail – frightening facts 32. Forensics – scientific tests to find out reason for death 33. Anatomy – scientific study of human body
34. Pallbearers – people who carry the coffin
Some commonly used medical terms and their meaning
CT scan – A scan that uses X-rays and a computer to make detailed pictures of bones and soft tissues.
MRI – Magnetic Resonance Imaging; it uses magnets and radio waves to create clear images of body organs and tissues.
Tomography – A method to make 3D images of inside parts of the body.
Autopsy – Examination of a dead body to find the cause of death.
Dialysis – A treatment that works like the kidney, cleaning waste from the blood.
ECG – Electrocardiogram; a quick test to record heartbeats.
Post mortem – Another term for autopsy; checking a body to know the cause of death.
Angiography – A test to look at blood vessels, often to find or treat blockages.
Biopsy – Removal of a small part of tissue, fluid, or cells for lab examination.
Competency Based Questions from Discovering Tut; the saga Continues
Important Questions and answers to understand the Lesson:
Introduction and Initial Mysteries
Q1. Who was King Tut, and what made his story so captivating?
King Tut, or Tutankhamun, was a teenage pharaoh who was the last heir of a powerful family that ruled Egypt for centuries. His story is captivating because he died young, and his tomb was discovered almost completely intact in 1922. This led to much speculation about what happened to him, with murder being the most extreme theory. His tomb’s discovery, laden with immense wealth, became a legendary part of ancient Egypt’s history.
The Modern Scientific Probe
Q2. What was the purpose of the CT scan on King Tut’s mummy?
The CT scan was performed to probe the lingering medical mysteries surrounding the young ruler. It was the first time Tut had left his tomb in nearly 80 years. The scan was intended to provide new clues about his life and death, offering precise data for an accurate forensic reconstruction of his body.
Q3. Describe the scene at Tut’s tomb on January 5, 2005.
On that day, an angry wind stirred up dust as Tut’s mummy was removed from the Valley of the Kings. Dark clouds veiled the stars in a “casket grey” sky. All afternoon, tourists from around the world had descended into the tomb, gazing at the murals and Tut’s gilded face. They stood silently, contemplating his death or wondering about the “pharaoh’s curse.” At 6 p.m., the mummy was taken to a mobile CT scanner.
Howard Carter’s Discovery and Challenges
Q4. Who was Howard Carter, and what was his major discovery?
Howard Carter was a British archaeologist who, in 1922, discovered King Tut’s tomb after years of searching. Although it had been ransacked in antiquity, the contents were surprisingly complete and constituted the richest royal collection ever found.
Q5. Why was Carter’s handling of Tut’s mummy considered controversial?
Carter faced a major challenge when he reached the mummy. The ritual resins used in the burial had hardened, cementing Tut to the bottom of his solid gold coffin. To free the mummy, Carter’s men had to chisel the body away from the hardened material. In doing so, they removed the head and severed nearly every major joint, an action that drew criticism from modern archaeologists like Zahi Hawass.
Q6. How did Carter defend his actions in freeing the mummy?
Carter argued that he had no other choice. If he had not cut the mummy free, thieves would have likely circumvented the guards and ripped the mummy apart to steal the gold. He emphasized the immense wealth Tut was buried with, including precious collars, necklaces, rings, and the iconic gold mask.
The Evolution of Archaeology
Q7. How has archaeology changed since Carter’s time?
Archaeology has evolved significantly. It now focuses less on finding treasure and more on the fascinating details of life and the mysteries of death. It also employs more sophisticated tools, particularly medical technology like X-rays and computed tomography (CT) scans, to conduct non-invasive research.
Q8. What new information did the X-ray reveal about Tut’s mummy in 1968?
In 1968, an anatomy professor X-rayed the mummy and made a startling discovery: Tut’s breast-bone and front ribs were missing beneath the caked resin on his chest.
The Family Dynasty
Q9. Who was Amenhotep IV, and what was his impact on ancient Egypt?
Amenhotep IV, Tut’s father or grandfather, initiated a strange period in Egyptian history. He promoted the worship of the Aten (the sun disk), changed his name to Akhenaten, and moved the religious capital. He shocked the country by attacking the major god Amun, closing his temples and smashing his images. This was described as a “horrific time” that led to the end of a long-ruling dynasty.
Q10. How did Tutankhamun reverse Akhenaten’s policies?
After Akhenaten’s death, Tutankhaten took the throne and changed his name to Tutankhamun, which means “living image of Amun.” He oversaw a restoration of the old religious ways, including the worship of the god Amun, and reigned for about nine years before dying unexpectedly.
The CT Scan Procedure
Q11. Describe the CT scanning process and the images it produced.
A CT scan uses hundreds of X-rays in cross-section to create a three-dimensional virtual body. The machine scanned Tut’s body, creating 1,700 digital X-ray images. His head was scanned in minute 0.62-millimeter slices, which revealed intricate structures. The resulting images showed a grey head formed from pixels, and clearly revealed his neck vertebrae, a hand, and his rib cage, providing a detailed, anatomical view.
Q12. What problem occurred during the CT scan, and what did it lead to?
The million-dollar CT scanner stopped working because of sand in a cooler fan. This led a guard to nervously joke about the “curse of the pharaoh.” However, the issue was resolved by using two white plastic fans, and the procedure was successfully completed. The mummy was then returned to his tomb.
Conclusion
Q13. How did the night end for the people involved in the scan?
After the scan, Zahi Hawass expressed his visible relief, stating that he had been worried and hadn’t slept the previous night. As the team left the trailer, the wind had stopped, and the air was still. Just above the tomb’s entrance, the constellation Orion, which the ancient Egyptians associated with Osiris (the god of the afterlife), watched over the boy king.
