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?

Give reasons for the following:

Howard Carter’s investigation was resented.

Give reasons for the following:

Carter had to chisel away the solidified resins to raise the king’s remains.

Give reasons for the following:

Tut’s body was buried along with gilded treasures.

Give reasons for the following:

The boy king changed his name from Tutankhaten to Tutankhamun.

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?