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Discovering Tut: The Saga Continues
Things placed along with Tut’s dead body in his tomb form the richest royal collection ever found anywhere. Why did Egyptians put such things beside the dead body? What did the tourists see inside the tomb?
There was a custom in Egypt to place all valuables including gold and jewellery beside the dead body. Not only that, they also placed things of everyday use that the dead would need in the afterlife. Egyptians believed in life after death. They hoped that all such things would be used by them in the afterlife.
Tut died unexpectedly very young. The boy king was laid to rest in a tomb. His tomb was discovered in 1922 by Carter. Its contents were surprisingly complete. They remain the richest royal collection ever found anywhere. His gilded face and stunning artefacts in gold caused a sensation at the time of discovery. Their eternal brilliance meant to guarantee re-birth. But Tut was also buried with everyday things he would want in the after life. Board games, a bronze razor, linen garments and cases of food and wine were placed along with his dead body.
Tourists from around the world came to see Tut’s rock-cut tomb. They gazed at the wall paintings and the gilded face and gold coffin of Tut. Some of them pondered over his untimely death while others feared ‘the Pharaoh’s curse falling upon those who disturbed him’.
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Give reasons for the following:
List the deeds that led Ray Johnson to describe Akhenaten as “wacky”.
Give reasons for the following:
What were the results of the CT scan?
Give reasons for the following:
List the advances in technology that have improved forensic analysis.
Give reasons for the following:
Explain the statement, “King Tut is one of the first mummies to be scanned — in death, as in life ...”
Discuss the following in groups of two pairs, each pair in a group taking opposite points of view.
1. Scientific intervention is necessary to unearth buried mysteries.
2. Advanced technology gives us conclusive evidence of past events.
3. Traditions, rituals and funerary practices must be respected.
4. Knowledge about the past is useful to complete our knowledge of the world we live in.
Read the following piece of information from The Encyclopedia of Language by David Crystal.
Egyptian is now extinct: its history dates from before the third millennium B.C., preserved in many hieroglyphic inscriptions and papyrus manuscripts. Around the second century A.D., it developed into a language known as Coptic. Coptic may still have been used as late as the early nineteenth century and is still used as a religious language by Monophysite Christians in Egypt.
1. What do you think are the reasons for the extinction of languages?
2. Do you think it is important to preserve languages?
3. In what ways do you think we could help prevent the extinction of languages and dialects?
Given below are some interesting combinations of words. Explain why they have been used together.
(i) ghostly dust devils (ii) desert sky
(iii) stunning artefacts (iv) funerary treasures
(v) scientific detachment (vi) dark-bellied clouds
(vii) casket grey (viii) eternal brilliance
(ix) ritual resins (x) virtual body
Here are some commonly used medical terms. Find out their meanings.
|
CT scan |
MRI |
tomography |
|
autopsy |
dialysis |
ECG |
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post mortem |
angiography |
biopsy |
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)
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?
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