Chapter 3: Discovering Tut: the Saga Continues

Tut’s body had been examined numerous times because it was the world’s most famous mummy. Aside from the gold-plated face of the coffin, visitors to the tomb believed that there was a mystery surrounding the young ruler’s untimely death. They also wondered if the pharaoh’s curse, which befell those who disturbed his resting place, was true or not.

(ii) Howard Carter’s investigation was resented.

Howard Carter’s investigation, which took place in the 1920s, was criticised because King Tut’s body was badly damaged in an attempt to separate it from the golden coffin. He had used unethical methods to extract the gold and had made no effort to investigate the cause of death.

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

Howard had to chisel away the solidified resin to raise Tut’s remains, which had become cemented to the bottom of the coffin and showed no signs of breaking apart. No amount of force could separate the body from the coffin; not even exposing it to the scorching sun could melt the solid resin.

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

Tut’s body was buried alongside gold and other treasures because, at the time, the royals and rich individuals wished and believed that they might take their wealth with them when they died and use it in the afterlife.

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

Tutankhamun, the boy-king, changed his name from Tutankhaten to Tutankhamun in order to restore everything that his father had destroyed.

Ray Johnsen described Akhenaten as “wacky” because he promoted the worship of Aten (the sun disc) over Amun the major God, changed his name from Amenhotep to Akhenaten, relocated the religious capital from Thebes to Akhetaten, and destroyed Amun temples and idols, thus shocking the entire country.

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

The CT scan revealed King Tut’s neck vertebrae, a hand, several views of the rib cage, and a skull transection. Everything indicated that nothing serious had gone wrong.

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

The introduction of medical technology that focuses on the aspects of life, rather than the treasure buried with the remains, has shaped the future of archaeology in forensic analysis. The x-ray was invented, followed by the CT scanner, which made diagnostic imaging possible. It creates a three-dimensional virtual body from ancient remains, revealing body parts that have been preserved for thousands of years.

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

According to this statement, King Tut was the first pharaoh whose mummified body was scanned 3,300 years after his death. When he was alive, he was a well-known figure. Even though he was only a boy, he was intelligent and practical, making bold decisions and restoring lost customs and traditions that his father had destroyed. He ruled for nine years, but he died unexpectedly, leaving the cause unknown.