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Written by A.R. Williams, this chapter is about the last heir of the powerful Pharaoh Dynasty, Tutankhamun, who died when he was a teenager after ruling for nine years. He died in a mysterious way, this chapter throws light over all the possible mysteries – the curse, where his tomb lies, his life and ultimately death. Egyptians believe that there is life after death and that is the reason why the Pharaohs were buried with wealth and everyday use items.
Q: 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
Ans:
Q1: Give reasons for the following.
(i) King Tut’s body has been subjected to repeated scrutiny.
Ans: King tut's body has been subjected to to repeated scrutiny for the riches it was buried with. There has also been a lot of speculation about the manner of his death and the time of his death.
(ii) Howard Carter’s investigation was resented.
Ans: Howard Carter’s investigation was resented because he used unscientific methods to cut the body away from the wooden base. He also focused more on the discovery of gold than on the fascinating details of Tut's life and the mysteries of his death.
(iii) Carter had to chisel away the solidified resins to raise the king’s remains.
Ans: Carter found that the ritual resin that was used as a polish has hardened. The result was that the mummy was cemented to the bottom of the solid gold coffin. Neither the strongest force could move the mummy nor the burning sun could loosen the remains of the king.
(iv) Tut’s body was buried along with gilded treasures.
Ans: The ancient royals of Egypt were fabulously wealthy. They believed in afterlife. They also believed that they could take their wealth with them. So gilded treasures were buried with them.
(v) The boy king changed his name from Tutankhaten to Tutankhamun.
Ans: Tutankhamun means ‘Living image of Amun. He was a major god in ancient Egypt. King Amennotep smashed the images of Amun and closed his temples. Tut oversaw a restoration of the old ways. He also changed his name to express his belief on Amun.
Q2: (i) List the deeds that led Ray Johnson to describe Akhenaten as “wacky”.
Ans: According to Ray Johnson Akhenten was wacky because:
(ii) List the advances in technology that have improved forensic analysis.
Ans: Today C.T. technology helps us to take hundreds of X-ray images in cross-sections. They can be put together like slices of bread tp create three dimensional virtual body. This provides precise data for an accurate forensic reconstruction.
(iii) Explain the statement, “King Tut is one of the first mummies to be scanned — in death, as in life ...”
Ans: The above statement refers that there are hundreds of mummies in Egypt. But Tut's is the first to be scanned. He remains the first even in death, as he was the first among his countrymen when he lived. He was a ruler, an emperor.
Q1: Scientific intervention is necessary to unearth buried mysteries.
Ans: If you think history has any relevance in our life, we must get at the truth. There are so many mysteries which remain unsolved. For example, we know very little about the Indus civilisation. The seals remain un-deciphered. This needs scientific investigation. Without scientific intervention they will remain in the dark.
OR
Against No doubt we need to know the past. History has relevance in our life. But sometimes we take it too far. King Tut's mummy has been repeatedly investigated. Inspite of spending millions of dollars, nothing new has been revealed. We must utilise our resources to help the living rather than investigating the dead.
Q2: Advanced technology gives us conclusive evidence of past events.
Ans: For
Today technology is so advanced that we can reconstruct the past. For example, we know how Pompeii was destroyed. But now we have reconstructed the whole city. We know
precisely how the people lived.
OR
Against
It is an empty boast that advanced technology gives us conclusive evidence of past events. Let us take the case of King Tut. It has been C.T. scanned. What can it tell us how he died. If he was murdered who murdered him and why ? C.T. scan might give some idea how he died. But it cannot give conclusive evidence.
Q3: Traditions, rituals and funerary practices must be respected.
Ans:
For
People who buried their dead with rituals and funerary practices did so with reverence for their dead. They wanted to lie in peace, undisturbed. We must respect their sentiments.
OR
Against
People in ancient times had some beliefs and funerary rituals. By investigating into them we can know much about them. It adds to our knowledge about the progress of human
civilisation in different parts of the world.
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.”
Q1: What do you think are the reasons for the extinction of languages?
Ans: A language becomes extinct when its use is restricted to specific classes or categories of people. Secondly, the harshness of rules and lack of flexibility in usage also contribute in extinction of languages.
Q2: Do you think it is important to preserve languages?
Ans: 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.
Q3: In what ways do you think we could help prevent the extinction of languages and dialects?
Ans: Extinction of languages and dialects can be prevented through the following reasons.
Q1: 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
Ans:
(i) 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.
(ii) 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.
(iii) stunning artefacts- items found in the tomb were extremely beautiful. Usage of both the words together explains the ‘eternal brilliance’ of the objects.
(iv) 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.
(v) scientific detachment- it refers to an indifference towards science.
(vi) dark-bellied clouds- it refers to the dark clouds containing rain.
(vii) 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).
(viii) 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.
(ix) ritual resins- resins are used as a customary duty in the process of burying a body.
(x) virtual body- a body created through electronic images or CT scan. It resembles a real
body and provides a very clear view.
Q2: Here are some commonly used medical terms. Find out their meanings.
Ans: 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.
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:
Ans:
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?
Ans: Willow, olive, lotus and cornflower are common in our country.
III. Name some leaves and flowers that are used as adornments in our country.
Ans: Roses, Lotus, myrtles, marigolds, champa and chameli flowers and the leaves of mango, peepal, banana and basil are used as adornments in our country.
15 videos|231 docs|46 tests
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1. What is the significance of the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb? |
2. How did the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb impact the field of Egyptology? |
3. What are some of the theories surrounding the death of Tutankhamun? |
4. How did the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb impact popular culture? |
5. What efforts are being made to preserve Tutankhamun's tomb and artifacts for future generations? |
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