Give reasons for the following.
(i) King Tut’s body has been subjected to repeated scrutiny.
(ii) Howard Carter’s investigation was resented.
(iii) Carter had to chisel away the solidified resins to raise the king’s remains.
(iv) Tut’s body was buried along with gilded treasures.
(v) The boy king changed his name from Tutankhaten to Tutankhamun.
Reason:
King Tut died young and suddenly, and the exact cause of his death remained a mystery. Because he was an important pharaoh and his tomb was rich and almost intact, historians, archaeologists and scientists kept re-examining his body with newer methods to find out how he died and to learn more about ancient Egypt.
Reason:
Howard Carter used rough methods by today’s standards: he cut the mummy into pieces, removed it from the coffin and damaged some parts while trying to separate the body from the hard resins. Many people felt he showed more concern for the gold and treasures than for the king’s remains, so later critics resented his way of investigation.
Reason:
During mummification, large amounts of resin were poured over Tut’s body. With time, these resins hardened like cement and glued the mummy firmly to the bottom of the coffin. The coffin and body were very fragile, and the hot Egyptian sun had further set the resin, so Carter felt he had no choice but to chisel and cut through the hardened mass to free the remains.
Reason:
The ancient Egyptians believed in life after death. They thought the dead king would need clothes, jewellery, weapons, food and other precious objects in the next world. Therefore, Tut was buried with gilded treasures—gold masks, jewellery and other rich items—to provide for his comfort, status and protection in the afterlife.
Reason:
“Tutankhaten” means “living image of Aten”, linking him to the sun‑disk god Aten, whom his predecessor Akhenaten had promoted. After Akhenaten’s unpopular religious changes were reversed, the young king restored the old god Amun to the centre of worship and changed his name to “Tutankhamun”, meaning “living image of Amun”, to show loyalty to the traditional religion and win support of priests and people.