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Short & Long Answer Question - Discovering Tut: the Saga Continues | English Class 11 PDF Download

English Class 11 chapter "Discovering Tut: the Saga Continues" explores the life and death of Tutankhamun, the last heir of the Pharaoh Dynasty, who died in his teenage years after ruling for nine years. His death remains a mystery to this day, and the chapter delves into possible explanations such as the curse, the location of his tomb, and his entire life story. Let's have a look at some Short & Long Answer Questions of the chapter.

Short & Long Answer Question - Discovering Tut: the Saga Continues | English Class 11

Short Answer Type Questions

1. Who was Howard Carter? What was his discovery?   
Ans. Howard Carter was a British archaeologist renowned for his discovery of King Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922. This tomb had remained untouched for over 3,300 years following the young king's death.

King Tut, the last ruler of a powerful dynasty that had governed Egypt for centuries, died at the age of 19. The circumstances surrounding his death are still shrouded in mystery, with some theories suggesting it may have involved murder.

 Q2. Why did King Tut’s mummy have to undergo CT scan?
Ans. King Tut's mummy underwent a CT scan to investigate the medical mysteries surrounding his life and death. This examination aimed to uncover details about the circumstances of his death and his age at that time.
Q3. Which questions still linger about Tut?
Ans. The two biggest questions that still linger about King Tut are how he died and how old he was at the time of his death. Despite being the last of his family's line and the funeral of a dynasty, the details of his passing and aftermath remain unclear.
Q4. Why was Tut’s dead body subjected to CT scrutiny?
Ans. King Tutankhamun's body underwent X-ray examinations in 1968 and a CT scan in 2005. These procedures were conducted to investigate the cause of his death and to address various medical inquiries related to his health.
Q5. In 1968 what was the startling fact revealed by a professor of anatomy about king Tut?
Ans. In 1968, a professor of anatomy X-rayed King Tut's mummy and discovered a startling fact: beneath the resin layers on his chest, both his breastbone and front ribs were missing. This remarkable discovery astonished everyone.
Q6. What did the tourists do at that time?
Ans.  Tourists from around the world queued up as usual all afternoon in the narrowed rock-cut tomb. They lined up to pay their homage to King Tut. Visitors watched the murals on the walls of the burial chamber, while some read from their guidebooks. Others stood silently, peering at Tut’s gilded face.
Q7. Who did point out that the mummy was in a bad condition? Who was held responsible for it?
Ans. Zahi Hawass, the Secretary General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, closely examined the mummy and stated that it is in a very poor condition. He attributed this deterioration to the actions of Howard Carter in the 1920s. Notably, it was in 1922 that Carter discovered the tomb of King Tutankhamun.
Q8. What was the fate of the contents of Tut’s mummy?
Ans. For over 80 years after the discovery of Tut’s tomb in 1922, surprisingly all its contents were complete. They remain the richest royal collection every found till 2005. They have now become part of the pharaoh’s legend.
Q9. Why did the artifacts cause a sensation at the time of discovery?
Ans. The artifacts discovered caused a great sensation at the time due to several remarkable features. Firstly, they were made of pure gold, which is a highly valued material. Moreover, their eternal shine has remained unchanged since their discovery, captivating all who beheld them. This brilliance is thought to symbolize a promise of revival from the grave, further enhancing their significance and allure.
Q10. What was king Tut’s demise a big event, even by royal standards?
Ans.  King Tut’s death was a significant event, even by royal standards. He was the last ruler of his family line, marking the end of a dynasty that had ruled Egypt for centuries. His funeral symbolised the decline of this dynasty. The event was particularly notable because he died unexpectedly at a young age, and the details surrounding his passing and its aftermath remain unclear.
Q11. Why did some people think King Tut’s untimely death was the Pharaoh’s curse?
Ans. After the death of King Akhenaten, a mysterious ruler briefly ascended to the throne before passing away. Following this, a very young Tutankhaten became king and later changed his name to Tutankhamun, meaning “Living image of Amun.” He restored the worship of Amun, whose images had been destroyed and temples closed by Akhenaten. This restoration was seen as a disturbance to Akhenaten, leading some to believe that a curse had befallen Tutankhamun, contributing to his untimely death in his late teens.
Q12. What problem did Carter face when he reached the mummy of King Tut? How did he find a way out?  
Ans:   When Carter and his men were working at the tomb of King Tut, they discovered that the ritual resins had hardened. These resins had effectively cemented the mummy in place, making it impossible to remove it intact. To address this issue, the solidified material needed to be removed using chisels.

Carter's team proceeded to cut the mummy free. They carefully removed Tut's head and severed every major joint. The dismembered parts were then placed in a box on a layer of sand. Carter justified his actions by asserting that the mummy should not fall into the hands of thieves seeking gold.

Q13. List some adornments on Tut’s body. Why had the adornments been buried along with the body?
Ans. The mummy of Tut was decorated with precious collars, inlaid necklaces, rings, bracelets, amulets, and a ceremonial apron. There were sandals, sheaths for fingers and toes, and the inner golden coffin and mask. All of them were made of pure gold. According to the beliefs, it was thought that they could take their riches with them to the great beyond.

Short & Long Answer Question - Discovering Tut: the Saga Continues | English Class 11

Q14. How did Carter defend his action of cutting the mummy free?
Ans. Carter defended his decision to cut the mummy free by stating that had he not taken this action, thieves would have evaded the guards and dismembered the mummy to extract its wealth, which included numerous gold ornaments.
Q15. How can C.T scan prove more effective than X-Rays?
Ans. CT scan can prove more effective than X-rays because it produces hundreds of X-ray images in cross-sections. These images are then combined, similar to slices of bread, to create a three-dimensional virtual representation of the body.
Q16. How was Tut’s body carried to the CT scanner?
Ans. On the night of the scan, workmen carried Tut from the tomb in his box. Like pallbearers, they climbed a ramp and a flight of stairs into the swirling sand outside. Then they rose on a hydraulic lift into the trailer that held the scanner.
Q17. How was King Tut’s mummy scanned by the CT scanner?
Ans.  To unravel the mystery surrounding the death of King Tut, a portable CT scanner was transported in a trailer to the sandy area near his tomb. His body was carefully moved from the tomb in a box to this location.

The CT scanner conducted a thorough examination of the mummy, scanning it from head to toe. This process generated 1,700 digital X-ray images in cross-section, allowing for an intricate analysis of the body. The entire mummy was scanned in slices measuring just 0.62 millimetres thick.

Q18. What snag did the million-dollar scanner develop? How was it set right?
Ans. The million-dollar scanner encountered a snag due to sand obstructing its cooling fan. To resolve the issue, substitute fans were employed, which effectively allowed the procedure to continue.
Q19. Explain the statement, “King Tut is one of the first mummies to be scanned – in death, as in life…”
Ans. The statement, “King Tut is one of the first mummies to be scanned – in death, as in life…” signifies that the mummy of King Tutankhamun was among the first ever to undergo a CT scan. This scanning aimed to uncover the mysteries surrounding his reign and the circumstances of his death.

Furthermore, it provided insights into the cause of his death, which remains a topic of intrigue given that it occurred just nine years after he ascended to the throne.          

Q20. List the deeds that led Ray Johnson to describe Akhenaten as Wacky.
Ans. Ray Johnson described Akhenaten as “wacky” due to his unconventional and impulsive actions as a ruler. Some notable deeds include:
  • Attacking Amun, a major deity in ancient Egypt.
  • Breaking the statues of Amun and closing his temples.
  • Shifting the religious capital from the traditional city of Thebes to the newly established city of Akhetaten.

These actions contributed to the perception of Akhenaten as a radical leader who deviated from established norms.

Q21. What did the CT scan of Tut’s mummy reveal?
Ans.CT scanning provided surprising and fascinating images of Tutankhamun's body. The scan revealed a gray head on the computer screen, while the neck bones were clearly visible. Additional images depicted various parts of Tut's body, including a hand, several views of the rib cage, and the skull.
 Q22. “Curse of the Pharaoh”, joked a guard nervously. What is the curse and why did the guard say so?
Ans. The curse of the Pharaoh refers to the death or misfortune that befalls those who disturb a Pharaoh's tomb. This belief is widely considered to be true among many. In this instance, during the scanning of a mummy, the fans of the CT scan machine became clogged with sand dust and ceased to function. The guard, noticing the malfunction, jokingly remarked that it was the curse of the Pharaoh. Fortunately, another pair of white plastic fans was procured, which worked effectively.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q1. Who was King Tut? Why was his mummy taken out for a C.T. Scan?
Ans. King Tut, also known as Tutankhamun, was the last pharaoh of his family line that ruled Egypt for centuries. He ascended to the throne at a very young age in 1332 B.C., and soon after, he adopted the name Tutankhamun, which means "living image of Amun." During his reign, he worked to restore the old religious beliefs of Egypt. King Tut ruled for approximately nine years before his unexpected death in 1322 B.C., an event that marked a significant moment in Egyptian history as he was the final pharaoh of his dynasty. The details surrounding his death and the events that followed remain unclear.

King Tut was interred in the ancient Egyptian cemetery known as the Valley of the Kings. His burial included a wealth of glittering treasures such as:

  • Precious neckbands
  • Engraved necklaces and bracelets
  • Rings and amulets
  • Aprons and sandals
  • Sheaths for fingers and toes
  • An iconic inner coffin and mask made of pure gold

In 1922, archaeologist Howard Carter discovered Tut’s tomb, which had remained undisturbed for over 3300 years. In 2005, King Tut’s mummy was removed from the tomb for the first time to undergo a C.T. scan. This examination aimed to uncover the medical mysteries surrounding the life and death of this enigmatic young ruler.


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Q2. What problems did Howard Carter face with regard to Tut’s mummy? How did he solve them?
Ans. Howard Carter, a British archaeologist, discovered King Tut’s tomb after years of searching in 1922. He found fabulous treasure in the tomb, even though it had been ransacked earlier. The treasure consisted of golden coffin, gold ornaments and even petty things of everyday need.
Carter found three nested coffin. In the first, he found the garlands of leaves and flowers. But when he reached the mummy, he ran into trouble. The resins spread below Tut’s body had hardened. The coffin was of solid gold. Neither human force nor the scorching sun could loosen the body. So Carter used chisel and hammer to remove the resins. He had little choice. Tut’s mummy also had to be removed part by part. Having taken .out the gold coffin, the body parts were reassembled, put in a wooden box and placed in the tomb again.

Q3. Sum up the main events of the lesson ‘Discovering Tut …’
Ans.  King Tut was just a teenager when he died, and he was the last heir of a powerful dynasty. His rule lasted for only nine years. The mystery of his early and unexpected death remains unresolved.

His tomb was discovered in 1922 by British archaeologist Howard Carter. Inside, he found a remarkable treasure, including ornaments, a gold coffin, and other everyday items, all crafted from pure gold. The pharaohs, or Egyptian kings, believed they would need gold as well as essential items like food and wine in the afterlife, so these were buried alongside their mummies, which were preserved with chemical pastes.

Tut’s untimely death in his late teens sparked curiosity about its cause. Consequently, 60 years later, his mummy was X-rayed. In 2005, the body underwent CT scanning; however, the details of his death and the subsequent events remain unclear to this day.


Q4. In 1922 Tut’s tomb was discovered. Much of the treasure buried in the tomb had already been plundered. Materialistic attitude of man does not allow even the dead to sleep in peace. Will there be any end to this attitude?
Ans.  For a handful of gold, man can go to any extent. Tut’s mummy was buried deep with a lot of gold and other items, believing that the dead pharaoh would need these possessions in the afterlife. This was a matter of faith.

When Tut’s tomb was discovered, much of the treasure had already been looted. The thieves were driven by the mad force of materialism, which disregards beliefs, religious sentiments, and social rites and rituals. Ethics and morals hold no sanctity for them; their sole aim is to acquire wealth by any means necessary.

This materialistic attitude shows no signs of fading. Even if God Himself were to advise man to reject materialism and remind him that all paths lead to death, urging him to stop perpetuating ill deeds, such a sermon would have no effect. Instead, this attitude will only become more pronounced with time.

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FAQs on Short & Long Answer Question - Discovering Tut: the Saga Continues - English Class 11

1. What is the significance of Tutankhamun's tomb in the context of ancient Egyptian history?
Ans. Tutankhamun's tomb is highly significant as it provides invaluable insights into the burial customs, art, and daily life of ancient Egyptians. Discovered largely intact in 1922 by Howard Carter, it contained numerous artifacts that illuminate the wealth and religious practices of the time, making it one of the most important archaeological discoveries in history.
2. What were the main artifacts found in Tutankhamun's tomb?
Ans. The tomb of Tutankhamun contained a wealth of artifacts, including a golden sarcophagus, a solid gold mask, chariots, weapons, furniture, and various ceremonial items. These artifacts reflect the opulence of the young pharaoh's reign and the importance of the afterlife in ancient Egyptian culture.
3. How did Tutankhamun's reign influence ancient Egypt?
Ans. Tutankhamun's reign, though brief, is often seen as a restoration period following the religious upheaval caused by his predecessor, Akhenaten. By reinstating traditional polytheistic beliefs and practices, Tutankhamun helped stabilize the political and religious landscape of ancient Egypt, which had been disrupted during Akhenaten's rule.
4. What theories exist regarding the cause of Tutankhamun's early death?
Ans. Various theories have been proposed regarding the cause of Tutankhamun's early death at age 19, including accidental injuries, malaria, genetic disorders, and possible murder. Recent studies suggest that he may have suffered from multiple health issues, including a broken leg and malaria, which contributed to his untimely demise.
5. How has the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb impacted modern archaeology?
Ans. The discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb has had a profound impact on modern archaeology by sparking global interest in Egyptology and leading to advancements in archaeological techniques. It emphasized the importance of preservation and documentation of artifacts, influencing how future excavations are conducted and how cultural heritage is approached.
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