Chapter 3

Discovering Tut: the Saga Continues

Solutions of Questions on Page No 22:

Question 1:
Notice these expressions in the text. Infer their meaning from the
context.

● forensic reconstruction
● scudded across
● casket grey
● Resurrection
● funerary treasures
● Circumvented
● computed tomography
● eerie detail

Answer:

● Forensic reconstruction– It refers to the process of creating a

face on the skull and see how the owner of the skull looked
like. Here, it refers to the construction of the bust of King Tut
based on the data received from CT scan.
● Scudded across– It refers to moving quickly. The phrase is
used with reference to the movement of the ‘dark-bellied
clouds’.
● Casket grey– The words point out to the covering of the stars
by the dark-bellied clouds’, the way jewels are kept in a casket
(a jewel box).
● Resurrection– It refers to a new beginning for something
which is old and long forgotten. Here, it refers to the new life
after death.
● Funerary treasures– The valuable things with which the king
was buried were no less than treasures as most of the items
were made of pure gold. They are, thus, referred to as
 ‘funerary treasures’.
● Circumvented– The thieves would easily bypass the guards
with artfulness and rip the mummy apart to remove the gold.
● Computed tomography– Also known as CT scan, it provides
X-ray image of a body in cross section. It is used for
diagnostic purposes.
● Eerie detail– Uncanny description of the resulting image of the
head of Tut visible through the CT scan.

Solutions of Questions on Page No 28:

Question 1(i):
King Tut’s body has been subjected to repeated scrutiny.

Answer:

Since the time King Tut’s body was first discovered in 1922, it has been
subjected to repeated scrutiny. This is due to the fact that King Tut died
at a very young age. He died as a “boyish pharaoh” leaving behind
numerous mysteries associated with his death.

Various investigations, from discovering his remains to excavating his

body and studying it under the CT scan, have been done just to find out
the medical mysteries of his death.

Question 1(ii):
Howard Carter’s investigation was resented.

Answer:

Howard Carter, a British archaeologist, was the first archaeologist to

discover King Tut’s tomb in the year 1922. His was a great discovery but
during the investigation process, he damaged the mummy to a great
extent. As the body was found cemented to its gold coffin, it was
impossible to move it. Finally, to separate the mummy from its
adornments, Carter decided to remove its head and break nearly every
major joint. Due to this his investigation was resented.

Question 1(iii):
Carter had to chisel away the solidified resins to raise the king’s
remains.

Answer:

Due to the hardened resins, the King’s body was found cemented to the
solid gold-bottom of the coffin such that “no amount of legitimate force
could move them”. The mummy had to be separated as the thieves
would escape the eyes of guards and rip the mummy apart to steal away
the gold. He even tried to loosen the resins by putting the mummy under
the blazing sun. However, every effort went in vain. The only way left for
him was to “chisel” it “beneath the limbs and trunk”. Thus, Carter decided
to remove the mummy’s head and break the major joints to separate it
from its coffin.

Question 1(iv):
Tut’s body was buried along with gilded treasures.

Answer:

King Tut was buried in a coffin made of pure gold “lavished with glittering
goods”. The gilded treasures found included precious collars, inland
necklaces and bracelets, rings, amulets, a ceremonial apron, sandals,
sheaths for his fingers and toes. In those times, the royals believed in the
idea of taking their wealth with them. Tut was adorned with all such
riches for his journey after life. It also gives the idea of the Egyptian
belief in resurrection.

Question 1(v):
The boy king changed his name from Tutankhaten to Tutankhamun.
Answer:

‘Tutankhamun’ means the ‘living image of Amun’. Amun was the major
god in the ancient Egyptian society whose temples and images were
destroyed by a preceding ruler named Akhenaten. He destroyed the
ancient religious order of the Egyptians. Tut’s changing of his name
represents his efforts in the restoration of the old ways that were once
destroyed.

Question 2(i):
List the deeds that led Ray Johnson to describe Akhenaten as “wacky”.

Answer:

The deeds that led Ray Johnson to describe Akhenaten as “wacky” and
comment that “it must have been a horrific time” are listed below.

● Amenhotep IV (later known by the name of Akhenaten) led to

one of the aberrant periods in the history of ancient Egypt.
● He made many unpleasant changes in the social and political
order of the country.
● He promoted the worship of the Aten, the sun disk, and
changed his name to Akhenaten or ‘the servant of the Aten’.
● He moved the religious capital from the old city of Thebes to
the new city of Akhetaten.
● He destroyed the images and temples of Amun, a major god.

Question 2(ii):
What were the results of the CT scan?

Answer:
King Tut is one of the first mummies to undergo a CT scan. The CT scan
came up with some new clues about the life and death of King Tut. It
provided precise data for an accurate forensic reconstruction of King
Tut. The CT scan displayed the mummy from head to toe creating 1,700
digital X-ray images in cross section. It showed a grey head, neck
vertebrae, a hand, several images of rib cages and a transection of the
skull.

Question 2(iii):
List the advances in technology that have improved forensic analysis.

Answer:

Technology has been making a rapid development. The advancements in

technology are responsible for improvements in the field of forensic
sciences. From the use of X-rays, technology has advanced to the use of
advanced Computed Tomography (commonly known as CT scan). In a
CT scan, hundreds of X-rays are created in cross-section, like slices.
They create a three-dimensional virtual body and with intricate
structures. This change in forensic analysis has helped in discovering
the mysteries behind Egyptian mummies.

Question 2(iv):
Explain the statement, “King Tut is one of the first mummies to be
scanned — in death, as in life …”

Answer:

The above line indicates that King Tut’s body was the first to be scanned
under a computer tomography machine. Just like King Tut might have
led his kingdom when alive, he led the experience of being scanned
among the mummies.

Question 1:
Scientific intervention is necessary to unearth buried mysteries.
Answer:

For:

● Science helps determine the facts related to the past even in

the absence of any living evidences.
● It leads to good amount of knowledge about the past events
without which things would go in mere speculations.
● It helps determine information about ancient cultures,
tradition, and people.
● The use of advanced scientific tools helps in extracting
important facts related to past events.
● It helps in determining the time and place of the event.
● It gives us important information about the unsolved
mysteries.

Against:

● There is no use of digging the past.

● Present is valuable and we must live in the present.
● Delving into the past is waste of time and energy.
● It is the job of the historians and not scientists.
● It is always better to invest one’s resources on the
development of living rather than investigating the dead.

Question 2:
Advanced technology gives us conclusive evidence of past events.

Answer:

For:
 ● With advanced technology such as CT scan, it is possible to
solve medical mysteries related to deaths.
● It is possible to create a 3-D view of the various body parts.
● It provides intricate details through forensics, radiology and
anatomy.
● It helps find new clues related to life and death.
● It provides data for forensic reconstruction.
● Technology such as satellite imaging helps find buried sites.
● Date and time of an event can be confirmed through
advanced technology.

Against:

● No use of gathering facts about the past.

● It’s important to focus on the present issues and events rather
than investigating the past.
● Even with the help of CT scan, no conclusive evidence could
be constructed about Tut.

Question 3:
Traditions, rituals and funerary practices must be respected.

Answer:

For:

● Traditions, rituals and funerary practices are born out of the

sentiments and feelings of a community.
● They provide identity to a community.
● They maintain continuity of a culture.
● They help in transferring the values of ancestors to the new
 generation.
● They add to our knowledge the progress of human civilisation.

Against:

● Traditions, customs and funerary practices may encourage

superstition.
● They may hamper the development of the society.
● They affect unity.
● They could lead to violence and friction between people
belonging to different cultures.

Question 4:
Knowledge about the past is useful to complete our knowledge of the
world we live in.

Answer:

(Such questions are to be done by the students on their own. However,

pointers have been provided for the students’ help.) For:

● Past acts as a mirror to our mistakes and teaches us lessons.

● Present is the outcome of past.
● It helps us understand the progress of the events down the
history.
● It builds foundation for our present and future.

Against:

● One must live in the present.

 ● Past is infinite and should be left as it is.
● Past should not affect our present life.
● Past should not be delved in and must be considered as a
gone phase.

Solutions of Questions on Page No 29:

Question 2:
What do you think are the reasons for the extinction of languages?

Answer:

Below are listed a few reasons for the extinction of languages.

● Migration of people to other lands

● Influence of the rulers
● Evolution of language due to cultural fusion
● Limitation of vocabulary
● Absence of written script along with prevalence of oral
tradition
● Constant changes in the society
● Globalisation, as it has led to the use of only dominant
languages

Question 3:
Do you think it is important to preserve languages?

Answer:

Yes, it is important to preserve languages as they are responsible for the

development of culture of the community. It helps in preservation of
one’s heritage and traditions. Language preservation ensures contact
with one’s history and literature.

Question 4:
In what ways do you think we could help prevent the extinction of
languages and dialects?

Answer:

Extinction of languages and dialects can be prevented through the

following reasons.

● Transferring the vocabulary and dialects of the language to

the next generation
● Teaching the languages in colleges and universities and
encouraging students to specialise in the same
● Teaching children to use mother-tongue
● Remaining connected to one’s cultural roots
● Respecting one’s language which will help in taking it forward
to the coming generations

Question 1(i):
ghostly dust devils

Answer:

ghostly dust devils- it points out to the devilish or frightful movement of

the dusty winds. It reflects the anger of the winds for disturbing the king
from his resting place.

Question 1(ii):
desert sky
Answer:

desert sky- it refers to the dusty sky of the desert. The barren sky spread
over the vast desert region portrays a sad and dry picture.

Question 1(iii):
stunning artefacts

Answer:

stunning artefacts- items found in the tomb were extremely beautiful.

Usage of both the words together explains the ‘eternal brilliance’ of the
objects.

Question 1(iv):
funerary treasures

Answer:

funerary treasures- reference is to the fact that king was buried with
numerous things which were no less than treasures as most of the items
were made of pure gold.

Question 1(v):
scientific detachment

Answer:

scientific detachment- it refers to an indifference towards science.

Question 1(vi):
dark-bellied clouds
Answer:

dark-bellied clouds– it refers to the dark clouds containing rain.

Question 1(vii):
casket grey

Answer:

casket grey- the words point out to the stars being covered by the
‘dark-bellied clouds’, the way jewels are kept in a casket (a jewel box).

Question 1(viii):
eternal brilliance

Answer:

eternal brilliance- eternal refers to something that is timeless. Thus,

eternal brilliance refers to timeless lustre and shine of the jewels and
valuables of the king.

Question 1(ix):
ritual resins

Answer:

ritual resins- resins are used as a customary duty in the process of

burying a body.

Question 1(x):
virtual body
Answer:

virtual body- a body created through electronic images or CT scan. It

resembles a real body and provides a very clear view.

Question 2:
Here are some commonly used medical terms. Find out their meanings.
CT scan MRI tomography

Autopsy dialysis ECG

angiograp
Post mortem biopsy
hy

Answer:

CT scan- It refers to Computed Tomography. It provides X-ray image of a

body in cross section. It is used for diagnostic purposes.

MRI- MRI is the short form of magnetic resonance imaging. It is a

diagnostic tool.

Tomography- It refers to taking pictures of various sections of a human

body in a three-dimensional view.

Autopsy- It refers to the post-mortem examination.

Dialysis- It is the process of filtration of bloodstream usually during

kidney failure.

ECG- The electrocardiogram is a diagnostic tool that measures and

records the electrical activity of the heart in exquisite detail.

Post mortem- It refers to the medical examination and dissection of a

dead body to determine the cause of death

Angiography- Angiography is the examination of the blood vessels using

x-rays and injecting of a radiopaque substance.

Biopsy- The removal and examination of a sample of tissue from a living

body for diagnostic purposes is known as biopsy.

Question 1:
The constellation Orion is associated with the legend of Osiris, the god
of the afterlife. Find out the astronomical descriptions and legends
associated with the following. (i) Ursa Major (saptarishi mandala)
(ii) Polaris (Dhruva tara)
(iii) Pegasus (winged horse)
(iv) Sirius (Dog star)
(v) Gemini (Mithuna)

Answer:

(i) Ursa Major (saptarishi mandala)- Ursa major is also known by the
name of “Great Bear”. In Hinduism, Ursa Major is known as ‘saptarishi’ or
the ‘seven sages’.

(ii) Polaris (Dhruva tara)- It is the brightest star in the constellation Ursa
Minor. It is the current northern pole star.

(iii) Pegasus (winged horse)- It is the constellation in the northern sky. It

is named after the winged horse Pegasus in Greek mythology.

(iv) Sirius (Dog star)- Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. It is
called the “Dog Star”. It is classically depicted as Orion’s dog.

(v) Gemini (Mithuna)- It is a zodiacal constellation in the northern

hemisphere. In Greek mythology it is associated with twins, Castor and
Pollux.

Question 2:
Some of the leaves and flowers mentioned in the passage for adorning
the dead are willow, olive, celery, lotus, cornflower. Which of these are
common in our country?

Answer:

Lotus is a common flower in India.

Question 3:
Name some leaves and flowers that are used as adornments in our
country.

Answer:

Rose, Orchid, Lily, etc. are some flowers used as adornments in our
country.