Hornbill Chapter 3 Discovering Tut: The Saga Continues

King Tut died unexpectedly at a very young age. His untimely death gave birth to many speculations. His body has been subjected to repeated scrutiny. It has been done so as to know how he died and what his age was at the time of his death.

Carter, an English archaeologist was the first to discover Tut’s mummy in 1922. But his investigation was resented by many. Carter’s work resulted in great damage to Tut’s mummy. Later on, it was found that mummy’s breast-bone and front ribs were missing.

When Carter finally reached the mummy, he ran into trouble. The ritual resins had hardened. It cemented Tut’s mummy. It got stuck to the bottom of his solid gold coffin. He tried to loosen it but failed. At last, he had to chisel away the solidified resins and free the mummy.

It was a belief in Egypt of Tut’s times that gilded treasures and other such valuables were meant to guarantee rebirth. The royals believed that the dead could take their riches with them in the after life.

The boy king was named Tutankhaten. But he changed his name to Tutankhamun. It meant ‘living image of Amun’. By doing so, he expressed his respect to god Amun.

Akhenaten was called ‘wacky’ for so many reasons. He was a crazy king. He moved his religious capital from the old city of Thebes to the new city of Akhetaten. Now it is known as Amaran. Another ‘wacky’ act of Akhenaten was that he attacked Amun—a major god. He smashed his images and closed his temples.

The results of the CT scan revealed some wonderful images of Tut on the computer screen. His neck-bone appeared very clearly. So were the other images — a hand and several views of rib cage and skull.

Technology has made many advances. Forensic analysis has become easier and more accurate. CT technology employs hundreds of digital X-rays. They create a three dimensional virtual body.

Tut’s mummy is certainly ‘one of the first mummies to be scanned in life as in death’. The purpose of the CT scan was to reveal how the boy king met his unexpected death. The aim was to remove the mist over his mysterious death. The other aim of the scan was to reveal Tut’s age at the time of his death.

1.

Group A : Favouring the statement

Group B : Against the statement

Group A : Scientific intervention is necessary to unearth buried mysteries.

Group B : No, scientific intervention causes unnecessary complications.

Group A : How ?

Group B : Let archaeology take control of buried mysteries. Science should not come in between.

Group A : Archaeology has changed substantially. It employs sophisticated methods to unearth buried mysteries.

Group B : Archaeologists with their groundings in history, architecture and culture can provide sufficient knowledge.

Group A : CT scanning can give wonderful results. Don’t you know that CT scans of young Egyptian king Tut were used to create a three-dimensional virtual body ?

Group B : Scientific intervention only gives birth to many controversies. Never forget archaeology and anatomy are totally different branches of learning.

2. Group A : Advanced technology gives us conclusive evidences of past events.

Group B : No, historical knowledge and understanding is the basic thing.

Group A : Do you see any conflict between the two ?

Group B : Yes, certainly. A historian is not a scientist. He deals with human beings and different aspects of their lives which they lived centuries ago.

Group A : Without advanced technology, archaeology is reduced to mythology.

Group B : And advanced technology degenerates archaeology into an experimental science.

Group A : Advanced technology like CT scan can reveal and unearth many secrets lying buried deep in the earth.

Group B : The focus is on evidences. Where is the soul and spirit of times and people ? It is lost in the lab.

Group A : Without conclusive evidences, archaeology is wrapped in mystery.

Group B : Spirit of the age and historical facts are the basic things.

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

Group B : All traditions and rituals need not deserve respect.

Group A : Traditions and rituals reflect the spirit of the age and its people.

Group B : Many of them are nothing but mere superstitions and blind faiths.

Group A : Even funerary practices like placing gold and other necessary articles near the dead so that they might be used by them in the after life deserve our attention.

Group B : The very idea of rebirth is superstitious. Such practices defy reason and good sense.

Group A : Everything can’t be judged from the yardstick of science and reason.

Traditions and rituals are an integral part of our social and cultural life.

Group B : Superstitions and funerary practices need not deserve our respect and attention.

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

Group B : Past is dead. Let us live in the present.

Group A : What is the present? It is nothing but the extension of the past.

Group B : The present demands our immediate attention. We should care for people and things of the contemporary world.

Group A : That’s right. But remember knowledge about the past saves us from many blunders and mistakes.

Group B : Every age has its problems. They are unique and need different solutions than what were tried in the past.

Group A : Human progress is a continuous process. Present times can’t be separated from the past. The shadow of the past wraps the world we live in. The bond is inseparable.

Group B : It’s nothing but nostalgia. It promotes escapism. Let us live the moment we are living in.

1. Languages live so long as they are spoken. Egyptian is now extinct. Changing situations and times didn’t favour its continuance. They switched over to more convenient scripts.
2. Languages symbolize the evolution and growth of human civilization. They are means of communication, vocal as well as written, for different linguistic groups and communities. They should be preserved.
3. Only effective and prompt steps in this direction can help prevent the extinction of languages and dialects. Study of ancient languages and dialects must be given due attention. Language museums can prevent the extinction of languages and dialects.

These interesting combinations of words have been used together to produce special effects. Their combinations add to the visual and musical effects. Moreover, their combination gives a wider and deeper meaning and scope to the situations, surroundings and contexts in which they are used.

(i) URSA MAJOR (Saptarishi mandala). It is a group of 7 bright stars that are circumpolar. It can be seen from northern latitudes all the night. According to Indian traditions they are associated with seven rishies or sages, including Vishwamitra and Vashista.

(ii) POLARIS (Dhruva tara). It is the second magnitude star in a fixed position in other northern hemisphere. It is the brightest star of Ursa Major and is 680 light-years away from Earth. Indian traditions link it to the legend of Dhruva.

(iii) PEGASUS (Winged horse). As per Greek Mythology Pegasus was the winged horse of the Muses.

(iv) SIRIUS (Dog star). It is the brightest in Earth’s sky. Its colour is bluish white. It lies in constellation canis major. It is 8.7 light-years away from Earth. Its rotation period is 50 years.

(v) GEMINI (Mithuna). It lies in the Constellation of the Zodiac. There are two stars in Gemini Constellation-Castor and Pollux.

‘Lotus’ and ‘Cornflower’ are quite common in India.

Leaves used as adornments are: Mango, banana and peepal.

Flowers used as adornments are: Rose, jasmine, marigold, lotus etc.

Tut was a boy king of Egypt. He belonged to a very powerful dynasty which ruled for centuries over Egypt. Young Tutankhaten changed his name to Tutankhamun but he was popularly known as Tut. He ruled over his kingdom for about nine years. He died unexpectedly giving rise to many doubts and speculations. He was the last heir of his powerful family.

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Tut belonged to a powerful dynasty that ruled over Egypt for centuries. Amenhotep III was Tut’s father or grandfather. He was a powerful Pharaoh who ruled for almost 40 years. His son Amenhotep IV succeeded him. He shocked the people by attacking Amun, a major god. The boy king Tut changed his name to Tutankhamun but was more popular as Tut. He ruled for 9 years and was the last ruler of his dynasty.

Akhenaten ascended the throne as Amenhotep IV but then changed his name that meant “servant of the Aten”. He moved the religious capital from the old city of Thebes to Amarna. He further shocked the country by attacking Amun, a major god worshipped in Egypt. He smashed his images and closed his temples.

Young Tut belonged to a very powerful dynasty that ruled Egypt for centuries. He changed his name to Tutankhamun, “living image of Amun”. He ruled for about nine years. He enforced and restored old ways and traditions. He died unexpectedly more than 3300 years ago. His untimely death gave birth to many doubts and speculations. He was the last king of his powerful dynasty.

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A large number of tourists from around the world came to see the famous rock-cut tomb of Tut. They came down some 26 feet underground to pay their respect. They watched at the murals on the walls. They gazed at Tut’s gilded face and the outer coffin lid. Some stood there pondering Tut’s untimely death.

Many things were placed along with Tut’s dead body in his tomb. They remain the ‘richest royal collection ever found’ anywhere. They have become a part of Tut’s legend. Wonderful artefacts in gold were placed there. Their eternal brilliance meant to guarantee Tut’s rebirth. But Tut was also buried with everyday things. Board games, a bronze razor, linen garments and boxes of food and wine were placed with him. They were placed there as Tut would need them in the afterlife.

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Howard Carter, was a British archaeologist. He was the man who first discovered Tut’s tomb in 1922. He found three nested coffins of Tut. He finally reached the most famous and beautiful mummy of the world. He ran into some trouble. He cut the mummy free lest it should fall into the hands of thieves who were in search of gold.

Howard Carter, a British archaeologist discovered Tut’s tomb and his mummy in 1922. However, he ran into trouble when he reached the mummy. The ritual resins had cemented the mummy to the bottom of his solid gold coffin. He had to cut the mummy free. He defended his act. Had he not done so, thieves would have escaped with gold. However Carter’s act damaged the mummy. Forty years after Carter’s discovery, Tut’s breast bone and his front ribs were found missing.

Carter ran into trouble when he finally reached Tut’s mummy. The ritual resins had hardened. The mummy lay cemented to the bottom of his solid gold coffin. Carter had to cut it free. He severed every part and major joint. Carter defended his act. He didn’t want the mummy to fall into the hands of thieves. Had he not cut the mummy free, thieves would have run away with the gold.

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Carter wanted to loosen the hardened resins. He put the body in the blazing sunshine. But it didn’t work. There was only one alternative. The resins had to be chiselled away before raising the king’s remains. Carter’s men removed the mummy’s head and severed nearly every major joint.

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Carter’s men were to separate Tut’s mummy from its adornments. They removed the mummy’s head and cut free every major joint. Once they finished, they reassembled all the remains on a layer of sand in a wooden box. Paddings were placed to conceal the damage.

During the last decades archaeology has undergone a revolutionary change. The focus is not on the treasure. Details of life and mysteries of death are now more important. Now archaeology uses more sophisticated tools. It employs medical technology. Mummies can be X-rayed. When Tut’s mummy was X-rayed, it revealed a startling fact. Tut’s breast-bone and front ribs were found missing.

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Computed Tomography or CT is a sophisticated process. It employs hundreds of X-rays putting them together like slices of bread. The rays create a three-dimensional virtual body. CT scan can answer how Tut died and what was his age at the time of his death.

CT scanning gave astonishing images of Tut’s body. The image of a gray head appeared on the computer screen. Neck bones appeared quite clearly. Other images of Tut’s body appeared on the screen. They included a hand and several views of rib cage and the skull.

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Zahi Hawass was Secretary General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities. He believed that Tut’s mummy was in bad condition because of Carter’s mishandling. He arranged the first ever CT scan of Tut’s mummy for an accurate forensic reconstruction. He was worried about the results. But when astonishing images of Tut appeared on the screen, he felt greatly relieved. Now he could go to sleep.

King Tut was a boy king of Egypt. He belonged to a very powerful dynasty that ruled Egypt for centuries. He was the last heir of his mighty kingdom. He was quite young when he sat on the throne. He ruled for about nine years. He believed in the old ways and traditions and tried to restore them. He died unexpectedly in youth. His untimely death gave birth to many speculations. He was laid to rest laden with gold and forgotten. His tomb was discovered in 1922 by a British archaeologist Howard Carter.

Amenhotep III was Tut’s father or grandfather. He was a powerful Pharaoh who ruled for almost 40 years. His son Amenhotep IV succeeded him. He changed his name to Akhenaten as he was the worshipper of Aten. He was a little wacky. He shifted his religious capital to Amarna. He shocked the country by attacking Amun, a major god. He smashed his images and closed his temples. Then a mysterious ruler Smenkhkare ruled briefly. After him a very young Tutankhaten took the throne. He was more popular as Tut. He changed his name to Tutankhamun, the “living image of Amun”.

A British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered Tut’s tomb in 1922. Carter worked for months. He carefully recorded Tut’s treasures. Then he began investigating his three nested coffins. He found a shroud adorned with garlands of willow, olive and lotus leaves. Perhaps Tut was buried in March or April. Carter ran into trouble when he reached the mummy. The ritual resin had hardened. It cemented Tut to the bottom of his solid gold coffin. No amount of force could separate them. Then Carter tried another way of loosening the resins. He placed the mummy in the blazing sunshine. But the move didn’t work. At last, he decided to cut the mummy free from the resins. The resins had to be chiselled away beneath the limbs and the trunk. In his defence, Carter had little choice. Had he not cut the mummy free, thieves would have run away with the gold.

Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, blamed Carter for “the bad condition” of the mummy. His chiselling did the damage. After 40 years Tut’s mummy was X-rayed. It was found that his breast-bone and front ribs were missing.

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Archaeology is not what it used to be decades ago. It has moved on with the times. Actually, it has changed substantially within a few decades. Now the focus is not on Tut’s treasure. On the other hand, the focus is on the fascinating details of his life and the mysteries surrounding his death. Archaeology now employs more sophisticated tools like CT scanning machines. It employs medical technology. More than 40 years after Carter’s discovery, Tut’s mummy was X-rayed. It revealed a startling fact. His breast-bone and front ribs were missing.

Today diagnostic imaging can be done with computed tomography or CT scan. Hundreds of X-rays are put together in slices to create a three dimensional virtual body. CT scan can answer two of the biggest questions. It can tell how Tut died and how old he was at the time of death. A CT machine scanned Tut’s mummy from head to toe. It created 1700 digital X-ray images. Gradually Tut’s entire body was recorded. Astonishing images of Tut came up on the computer screen. The results were very satisfactory. Neck-bone was clearly visible. Other images revealed a hand. Several views of the rib cage and the skull were quite clear.

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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’.