Discovering Tut : The Saga Continues Class 11th English chapter 3 answer

Chapter 3  = Discovering Tut : The Saga Continues 

 Class 11th answer 

QUESTIONS FROM TEXTBOOK SOLVED

A. Understanding the Text

Question 1. Give reasons for the following:

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

Answer: The mummy of King Tutankhamun has earned world wide fame for the riches it was

buried with. There is also speculation about the manner of his death and his age at the time of

death. Hence King Tut’s body has been subjected to repeated scrutiny.

(ii) Howard Carter’s investigation was resented.

Answer: Howard Carter’s investigation was resented because he used unscientific methods

and illegitimate ways. He was focusing more on treasure and less on cultural and historical

aspects.

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

Answer: Carter found that the ritual resins had hardened. The result was that Tut’s body had

been cemented to the bottom of his solid gold coffin. Proper force could not move the resins.

Even the scorching sun failed to loosen the resins. So he got the resins chilselled away to raise

the king’s remains.

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

Answer: The people of ancient Egypt believed in resurrection of the dead. Their kings were

extremely rich. So Tut’s body was buried with gilded treasures. Their eternal brilliance was

meant to guarantee resurrection. Things of everyday use were also buried with the king.

(v) The boy king chahged his name from Tutankhaten to Tutankhamun.

Answer: Tutankhamun means “living image of Amun”. He was a major god in ancient Egypt.

King Amenhotep IV who changed his name to Akhonaten smashed the images of Amun and

got his temples closed. Tut oversaw a restoration of the old ways. He changed his name to

express his belief in Amun.

Question 2.

 (i) List the deeds that led Ray Johnson to describe Akhenaten as ‘wacky’.

 Discovering Tut: the SagaContinues

Answer: Akhenaten means the servant of the Aten i.e. the sun disc. He moved the religious

capital from the old city of the Thebes to the new city of Akhetaten, known now as Amama. He

smashed the images of Amun, a major God and closed his temples. These deeds led Ray

Jonson to describe Akhenaten as ‘Wacky’.

(ii) What were the results of the CT scan?

Answer: The results of the C.T. scan were quite encouraging. 1700 digital X-ray images in

cross-section were created. A gray head appeared on screen. Neck vertebrae were quite clear.

The images of hand, ribcage and skull were equally bright. These revealed that nothing had

gone seriously wrong with Tut’s body

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

Answer: The advances in technology have helped in improving forensic analysis. Many

scientific tests can be carried out to determine the causes of crime. These include X-ray,

ultrasound, C.T. scan, post mortem, autopsy and biopsy. All these help in diagnosis and

provide exact information.

(iv) Explain the statement, “King Tut is one of the first mummies to be scanned— in death as

in life”

Answer: King Tut’s mummy was the first one to be X-rayed by an anatomy Professor in 1968.

On 5 January 2005 CT scan created virtual reality and produced life-like images. King Tut is

one of the first mummies to be scanned. Thus in death as well as in life Tut moved regally

ahead of his countrymen.

B. Talking About the Text

Discuss the following in groups of two pairs, each pair in a group taking opposite points of

view:

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

(Students are expected to debate on issue raised in the text related to rediscovering history

with the help of technology; respect for traditions, etc. While answering these questions,

students are required to reflect on the issues and give their points of view.)

Answer: For the motion.

Every nation glorifies its past history, culture and civilization. However, certain mysteries lie

buried with them. Rituals and legends are insufficient to clear the wrap of mystery surrounding

them. For example, take the case of Tutankhamun’s mummy. He was laid to rest laden with

gold more than 3,300 years ago. Since the discovery of his tomb in 1922 AD, the modem world

has speculated about him. Some people believe that the boy king might have been murdered.

There is a mystery around his life as well as death. Scientific intervention is necessary to clear

the dust and cloud of mysteries around him. Hence, if we want to study archaeology properly

we must take help of scientific techniques.

Against the motion:

If present is perfect and future certain, why many about the past? Let the dead past bury its

dead and the mysteries surrounding them. In the present world full of competition, we must

devote our money, time and energy to build up our resources and sustain the life style.

Scientific techniques should be employed to feed the hungry millions and clad the naked ones.

Some mysteries of the past have lost their relevance with the passage of time. Won’t it be

futile and wastage of precious resources of a developing nation in this idle pursuit? Let the

thinkers, philosophers and priests worry about mysteries—not the scientists.

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

Answer: For the motion.

I fully subscribe to the observation that advanced technology gives us conclusive evidence of

past events. Even my opponents will agree that there is no proper written record about many

past events. Myths and legends surround even the most celebrated personalities and events

of their life or circumstances of death. Facts and fiction are mingled together and  sometimes have become inseparable. Various persons have given coloured versions of the past events to

suit the demands of their masters or to serve their own ends. The evidence that opposed their

point of view has been condemned and rejected. Thus sometimes we get a warped version

and subjective account of past events. Only advanced technology can help us understand the

past in right perspective.

Against the motion:

I disagree with the remarks that advanced technology gives us conclusive evidence of past

events. It may hold good in certain cases where evidence can be reconstructed and examined

closely with the sophisticated techniques of modem science available now. However, it will be

unfair to generalise and hold it true in all cases. Sometimes the processing of available data

may yield contradictory accounts and create more confusion than unravelling the knotted

issues. Moreover, the available evidence may not be worthy of analysis and examination. The

tests may determine the possible time period of the action, but it is quite difficult to assess the

causes that prompted it or the results that followed it.

Question 3. Tradition, rituals and funerary practices must be respected.

Answer: For the motion.

Different religions, cultures and civilizations follow various traditions, rituals and funerary

practices. The dead bodies buried under the earth, are supposed to he in rest peacefully till the

doom’s day or the day of resurrection or after life. The ancient Egyptians had mastered the art

of mummifying. Certain traditional rituals were performed while treating the dead body with

special oils and wrapping it in cloth. Ritual resins held the mummy close to the bottom of the

coffin. The burial chamber and grave contained all the important things that the king might

need in after life. The funerary practices had a certain sanctity for the followers of that

particular religion. We must learn to be more tolerant of the belief of others. Hence I conclude

that traditions, rituals and funerary practices must be respected.

Against the motion:

The world is on the move. We have to be forward looking. We can’t remain content with the

achievements of the past or rest on our laurels. If traditions, rituals and certain funerary

practices block the flow of information and knowledge, these may be overlooked for the

greater benefit of humanity, i.e. clearing the air of mystery, ignorance and superstitions

surrounding some of the age-old beliefs. However, in our quest for knowledge, we should not

be intolerant or disrespectful. We must conduct our probe objectively and dispassionately.

Facts must be given more weightage than the beliefs attached to them. A detached outlook

can provide clear understanding of past events.

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

live in.

Answer: For the motion.

Modem world has expanded the frontiers of knowledge. In fact the whole world has become a

global village. Within a few seconds we become aware of incidents happening thousands of

miles away. Information technology has indeed brought a revolution in the field of knowledge.

Still our knowledge of the world is incomplete without the knowledge about past lives. We are

the direct descendants of our ancestors and we must be aware of the circumstances in which

they existed and how they coped with them. The structure of future is rooted in the past. We

draw lessons from the past and make improvements. The fives of the people of the past are

like beacon fights to guide and inspire us and enlighten us about the world we five in.

Against the motion:

We are constantly learning new things about the world we live in. The knowledge of our

present circumstances and future prospects is more important than the knowledge about past

fives. Their traditions, rituals, tools, ways of conduct and ethos are not going to help us in our

struggle for existence in the highly competitive and complex modem world. The knowledge about past lives can at best make us retrograde instead of being progressive. For many of us

the world means their sphere of activities and the environment they five in. People aim at

specializing in restricted fields instead of being Jack of all trades. As such the knowledge of

the world we need is also restricted to our requirements and we need not bother about

knowledge about past fives.

C. Thinking About Language

Read the following piece of information from The Encyclopedia of Language by David

Crystal.

“Egyptian is now extinct: its history dates from before the 3rd millennium BC, preserved in

many hieroglyphic inscriptions and papyrus manuscripts. Around the 2nd century AD, it

developed into a language known as Coptic. Coptic may still have been used as late as the

early 19th century and is still used as a religious language by Monophysite Christians in

Egypt.”

Question.1. What do you think are the reasons for the extinction of languages?

Answer: A language becomes extinct when its use is restricted to certain classes or

categories of people. Secondly, the harshness of rules and lack of flexibility in usage also

contribute to the extinction of languages.

Question 2. Do you think it is important to preserve languages?

Answer: I think it is important to preserve languages. Various languages are the vehicles of

thought and medium of interaction between the users of that language and the outside world.

A language has intimate connection with the lives, culture and civilization of the people and

reflects their thinking.

Question 3. In what ways do you think we could help prevent the extinction of languages and

dialects?

Answer: Certain steps must be taken to help prevent the extinction of languages and dialects.

The most important is to encourage its use. A language thrives as long as it is used by

masses. Measures should be taken to propagate the languages and dialects used in certain

areas. The help of interpreters may be provided for interaction between native users of

language/dialect and non-users. Certain incentives in the form of stipends, scholarships,

preferences in jobs etc. may also prove handy in attracting the youth towards languages and

dialects which are on the verge of extinction. State patronage can also help in the preservation

of languages.

D. Working With Words

Question 1. Given below are some interesting combinations of words. Explain why they have

been used together:

Answer:

In each combination of words, one word is an adjective and it modifies as well as reinforces

the meaning of the noun following/preceding it. Let us try to understand the meaning of each

combination of words:

🔵 ghostly dust devils: ghost-like wicked evil spirits formed by dust .

🔵 dark-bellied clouds: bulging/swelling clouds

🔵 desert sky: the sky over the desert 

🔵 casket gray: the grey sky hiding the stars in it

🔵 stunning artifacts: extremely attractive man-made objects if) 

🔵 eternal brilliance:

everlasting shine

🔵 funerary treasures: treasures stored following rituals of funeral

🔵 ritual resins: resins applied according to religious rites

🔵 scientific detachment: aloofness of a scientist

🔵 virtual body: body made to appear to exist by computer software.

II. Here are some commonly used medical terms. Find out their meanings:

Answer:

🔵 CT scan : a medical-test in which a machine produces a three dimensional picture of the

inside of a person’s body on a computer screen after taking X-rays.

🔵 MRI: an abbreviation for magnetic resonance imaging—a technique for producing

images of body organs by measuring the properties of atomic nuclei in a strong

magnetic field.

🔵 Tomography: a technique for displaying a cross section through a human body (or other

solid object) using X-rays or ultrasound.

🔵 Autopsy: an examination of a dead body to discover the cause of death or the extent of

disease.

🔵 Dialysis: a technique of clinical purification of blood, as a substitute for the normal

functions of the kidney.

🔵 ECG: abbreviation for electrocardiogram or electrocardiograph; preparing a graph

showing the measurement and recording the activity in the heart using electrodes placed

on the skin.

🔵 Post mortem: medical examination of the body of a dead person in order to find out how

he died.

🔵 Angiography : radiography of blood or lymph vessels, carried out after introduction of a

substance that is opaque to X-ray.

🔵 Biopsy: an examination of tissue taken from the body to discover the presence, cause, or

extent of a disease.

III. Notice these expressions in the text. Guess the meaning from the context.

Answer:

🔵 forensic reconstruction:activity of building again something damaged or to help’scientific

test to solve a crime

🔵 scudded across:moved quickly across something

🔵 casket gray: a small gray box or grey sky

🔵 resurrection:a new beginning for something which is old

🔵 funerary treasures:collection of valuable things used at a funeral

🔵 circumvented:found a way of avoiding a difficulty or a  rule eerie 🔵 detail:strange and frightening little bits of facts.

E. Things to do

I. The constellation Orion is associated with the legend of Osiris, the god of the afterlife.

Find out the astronomic descriptions and legends associated with the following:

(i) Ursa Major (Saptaiishi Mandala) (ii) Polaris (Dhruva tara)

(iii) Pegasus (Winged horse) (iv) Sirius (Dog star)

(v) Gemini (Mithuna)

Answer: (i) Ursa Major (Saptarishi mandala). This bright constellation can be observed all

year long as it never sinks below the horizon. It is also known as ‘Greater Bear’ as it represents

the back and tail of the bear. 

According to Sanskrit mythology this group of seven sages

(sapta rishi) also moves around the constant star ‘Dhruva Tara’ known as Polaris.

(ii) Polaris (Dhruva tara). This star remains constant and always points to the North. The

direction of Ursa Major keeps changing with the passage of the night, but Polaris remains

unchanged. It is associated with the legend of Dhruva, the six year old boy who was blessed by

Lord Vishnu with a permanent and constant abode in the universe.

(iii) Pegasus (Winged horse). This is associated with Greek mythology as the winged horse,

sprung from Medusa’s blood. It carries lightning bolts for Zeus. Pegasus’ constellation may be

seen when stars are out.

(iv) Sirius (Dog star). This is associated with the legend of Orion. It is called ‘Dog Star’ as it

represents Orion’s large hunting dog. The first glimpse of Sirius in dawn announced the rising

of the Nile in ancient Egypt.

(v) Gemini (Mithuna). A combination of two Nakshatras—Aardhara and Punarvasu and having

contradictory qualities.

II. 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: Willow, olive, lotus and cornflower are common in our country.

III. Name some leaves and flowers that are used as adornments in our country.

Answer: Roses, Lotus, myrtles, marigolds, champa and chameli flowers and the leaves of

mango, peepal, banana and basil are used as adornments in our country.

MORE QUESTIONS SOLVED

A. Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1. Why is 5th January 2005 significant in Tutankhamun’s saga ?

Answer: On this date for the first time Tutankhamun was removed from his tomb and taken to

a C.T. scanner brought there to probe the lingering mysteries surrounding this young ruler.

Question 2. How was the atmosphere when Tut’s body was taken for C.T. scan?

Answer: Violent wind raised ghost like shapes of dust. Bulging clouds moved quickly across

the desert sky and hid the stars in the grey sky.

Question 3. How did the visitors to Tut’s grave pay their respects to him?

Answer: They gazed at the murals on the walls and peered at Tut’s gilded face on his mummy

shaped outer coffin lid. Some visitors read from guide book in whisper. Others stood silently.

Question 4. What according to A.R. Williams were the thoughts of the visitors who stood

silently near Tut’s grave?

Answer: Perhaps some of them were thinking deeply over Tut’s untimely death in his teens.

Others might be trembling with fear and wondering if the Pharaoh’s curse was really true.  

Question 5. What was the Pharaoh’s curse? Who refers to it and in what context?

Answer: The pharaoh’s curse was that death or misfortune would fall upon those who

disturbed him. The silent visitors are the first to refer to it. Later on a guard joked nervously

when the million dollar scanner stopped functioning because of sand in a cooler fan.

Question 6. “The mummy is in very bad condition because of what Carter did in the 1920s.”

Who was Carter? What did he do to the mummy ?

Answer: Howard Carter was a British archaeologist. He discovered Tut’s tomb in 1922 after

many years of futile searching. Carter’s men removed the mummy’s head and cut off almost

every major joint to remove the golden adornments.

Question 7. What problem did Carter face when he reached the mummy ? How did he find a

way out?

Answer: Carter found that the ritual resins had become quite hard. These had fixed Tut to the

bottom of his solid gold coffin. The heat of the sun could not melt it. So the solid resins had to

be chiselled away to free the King’s remains from the box.

Question 8. How did Carter defend his action of cutting the mummy free?

Answer: Carter said that if he hadn’t cut the mummy free, thieves would certainly have found a

way of avoiding the guards. Then they would have tom apart everything forcibly to remove the

gold.

Question 9. List some of the adornments and golden objects on Tut’s body.

Answer: Precious collars, inlaid necklaces and bracelets, rings, amulets, a ceremonial apron,

sandals, sheaths for fingers and toes and the inner coffin and mask. All of them were made of

pure gold. His coffin was of solid gold.

Question 10. Why do you think the royals carried so much gold to grave?

Answer: There were two reasons: first, the royals were extremely wealthy. Secondly, they

thought or hoped that they could take their riches with them to the great beyond.

Question 11. What is so special about the contents of Tut’s tomb?

Answer: Stunning artifacts in gold found in Tut’s tomb remain the richest royal collection ever

found. These caused a sensation at the time of the discovery. Even now they get the most

attention.

Question 12. Which evidence proves the burial of Tut in March or April?

Answer: Tilt’s shroud was found adorned with faded garlands of willow and olive leaves, wild

celery, lotus petals and cornflowers. Since some of them are available only at the end of winter

season, Tut must have been buried in March or April.

Question 13. How did Carter’s men treat Tut’s body while removing gold?

Answer: They removed the mummy’s head and cut off every joint to remove the golden

adornments. Then they reassembled the remains on a layer of sand in a wooden’box and filled

it with soft material to hide the damage caused by chiselling.

Question 14. What startling fact came to light in 1968 through X-ray?

Answer: In 1968, an anatomy Professor X-rayed the mummy. He revealed a startling fact. Tut’s

breast-bone and front ribs were missing beneath the resin that covers his chest with a thick

layer.

Question 15. How can CT scan prove more effective than the X-ray?

Answer: In CT scan, hundreds of X-rays in cross section are put together like slices of bread to

create a three-dimensional virtual body. X-ray provides only a two-dimensional image.

Question 16. Which two questions still linger about Tut?

Answer: Two questions still remain unanswered. The first is: “How did Tut die?’ The second

one is, “How old was he at the time of death?”

Question 17. How has Archaeology undergone change in the twentieth century?

Answer: The change is in two ways: approach and techniques. Now Archaeology focuses less

. on treasure and more on the fascinating details of life and interesting mysteries of

death. Secondly, it uses more sophisticated tools including medical technology.

Question 18. How was Tut’s body carried to the C.T Scanner?

Answer: Workmen carried Tut from the tomb in his wooden box. They climbed a ramp and a

flight of stairs in the sand outside. Then they rose on a hydraulic lift and went into the trailer

that held the scanner.

Question 19. What snag did the million dollar scanner develop? How was it set right?

Answer: The million dollar scanner had stopped functioning because of sand in a cooler fan.

Two men ran to an office nearby and brought a pair of white plastic fans. These substitute

fans worked well enough for the scanner to work.

Question 20. Why do you think Zahi Hawass smiled and felt relieved?

Answer: Clear images of C.T. scan revealed that the head, neck vertebrae and ribcage were in

proper order. Zahi Hawass smiled and felt relieved that nothing had gone seriously wrong.

Evidently, the curse of the Pharaoh had not hindered the work of the technicians. –

Question 21. How was the atmosphere when the CT scan of Tut was over?

Answer: It was nearly midnight. The wind that blew in the evening had now stopped. The dust

storm and clouds had. cleared off. The winter air lay cold and still. Just above the entrance to

Tut’s tomb stood Orion—the soul of Osiris, the god of afterlife.

B. Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1. How has Tut’s mummy fascinated the scientists and commoners alike over the

previous decades?

Or

Give a brief account of the exploration of Tut’s mummy from 1922 to 2005.

Answer: King Tutankhamun was the last of his family line. His funeral marked the end of a

dynasty. He was laid to rest laden with gold as the royals in Tut’s time were extremely wealthy

and thought they could take their riches with them. His tomb was discovered by Howard

Carter, a British archaeologist in 1922, more than 3000 years after his death. The rich royal

collection’ of jewellery and golden artifacts fascinated Carter. Visitors thronged the boy King’s

tomb. The particulars of King Tut’s death and its aftermath are not clear. In 1968, more than

40 years after Carter’s discovery, an anatomy Professor X-rayed the mummy. He revealed a

startling fact. The breast¬bone and front ribs of Tut were missing. On 5 January 2005 a CT

scan was done to obtain precise data for an accurate forensic reconstruction of King Tut. It

was hoped that it would offer new clues about his life and death. Thus Tut’s mummy has been

the centre of fascination throughout the previous decades.

Question 2. “He was the last of his family line.” What do you learn about Tut’s dynasty from

the extract ‘Discovering Tut: The Saga Continues’?

Answer: Tut’s grandfather, Amenhotep III, was a powerful Pharaoh who ruled for almost four decades at the height of the dynasty’s golden age. His son Amenhotep IV promoted the

worship of the Aten, the sun disc. He changed his name to Akhenaten, or “Servent of the Aten”.

He moved the religious capital from the old city Thebes to the new city of Akhetaten. He

further shocked the country by attacking Amun, a major God, breaking his images and closing

his temples. Thus the wacky king started one of the strangest periods in the history of ancient

Egypt. After Akhenaten’s death, a mysterious ruler named Smenkhkare appeared briefly and

departed without leaving any sign. Then a very young Tutankhaten took the throne. He is

widely known today as king Tut. The boy king soon changed his name to Tutankhamun, “Living

image of Amun.” He supervised the restoration of the old ways. Tutankhamun ruled for about

nine years and then died unexpectedly. The details of his passing away are not available. The

modem world has speculated about what happened to him. How did he die and how old was

he at the time of his death?” are two unanswered questions.

Question 3. Why did Tut’s body have to undergo a C.T. scan? How was it carried out and

what results did it yield?

Answer: A veil of mystery surrounded Tut’s life and death. Old methods of archaeology did not

provide satisfactory clues to the circumstances of his death and his age at the time of demise.

An X-ray of the mummy in 1968 further complicated the confusion. CT scan was undertaken

to create a three dimensional virtual body.

A scanner was taken in a trailer to the sandy area near Tut’s tomb. Tut’s body was carried

there from his tomb in a box. The CT machine scanned the mummy head to toe, creating 1700

digital X-ray images in cross section. Tut’s entire body was scanned in 0.62 millimetre slices.

The C.T. scan produced clear images of Tut’s head, neck vertebrae, ribcage, hand and skull.

The results proved satisfactory. A team of specialists in radiology, forensics and anatomy are

busy probing the secrets lying buried in Tut’s grave with his body.

Question 4. AR Williams says, “King Tut is in death, as in life moving regally ahead, of his

countrymen, How far do you agree with the assertion and why?

Answer: Perhaps no other Pharaoh of Egypt has fascinated the public mind so greatly as the

boyish king Tutankhamun. Although he died in his teens and ruled for about nine years only, he

introduced certain changes during his brief rule. These were significant as they marked

restoration of the old ways of worship of Amun. The unanswered questions about the causes

and modes of his death as well as his age at the time of death kept public curiosity alive.

After his death, his dead body has been a centre of scientific examination. Howard Carter, the

British archaeologist discovered Tut’s tomb in 1922. In 1968, an anatomy Professor X-rayed

the mummy. The Egyptian Mummy Project begem an inventory in late 2003. It has so far

recorded 600 and is still continuing. The next phase of CT scanning with a portable CT

machine began an 5 January 2005. The pride of place went to King Tut, whose mummy was

the first to undergo C.T. scan. Thus I fully endorse the aforesaid assertion.