Students will explore what historical and recent research has revealed about
King Tut in an effort to solve the mystery of how he died. They will then learn more about how new technology is helping scientists clarify the circumstances surrounding Tut's death. Additionally, they will discuss how ancient Egyptians used and advanced the technology present at the time to preserve information about their culture that has lasted for generations. They will create a timeline depicting important discoveries in the history of Tut research and note different technology used to explore Tut's tomb, both in the past and through the future. Finally, they will consider ways in which modern society is preserving clues about our culture through modern technological advances.
Activity 1: Whodunnit?—Tut "Murder Mystery" Theories
Below are links to two articles about King Tut's death. Assign half of your students to read one of the articles and half of them to read the other. Each article presents a competing theory about King Tut's death, so do not let students know that they are reading different articles.
King Tut Not Murdered Violently, CT Scans Show (This article discusses research completed in 2005. Note that this article includes a discussion of Tut's "lost penis;" preview the article and offer an edited printout if that would be more appropriate for your students.)
Who Killed King Tut? (This article was written in 2002.)
Tell the students to take notes on the articles as they read. When they have finished reading, group the students according to the article they have read (again, without letting students know that they read different articles) and have them discuss what they learned. Be sure to position the groups far enough away from each other so that neither group can hear what the other is discussing. Have each group discuss the following questions:
- How do you think King Tut died?
- What evidence supports your theory?
- What questions remain unanswered, if any?
Once they reach a consensus, groups should elect one person to present their theory on King Tut's death. Have each group representative state the group's theory about Tut's death and briefly outline the supporting evidence. Once both groups have presented their theories, it should become obvious to students that they were assigned to read different articles. Tell the students that half of them read an article from 2002 and half of them read an article from 2005.
Activity 2: Just the facts?—Evidence of an Ancient Reign
Ask students how modern scientists have been able to explore the mystery of Tut's death. What is the scientific process when interpreting archaeological evidence? Students should realize that different pieces of preserved artifacts and physical evidence are the subject of modern scientist's studies. These pieces of evidence range from writings and artwork to King Tut himself. Because these pieces of evidence were so well preserved, scientists can use modern technology to examine that evidence in new ways and apply their interpretation of his life and culture to develop theories about what that evidence might reveal about Tut's mysterious death. Have students consider the specific information researchers have based their theories on:
- What physical evidence do scientists have of King Tut?
- What do they know about his life and the way he lived?
- In what ways are scientists examining this evidence? Have their methods of examination changed over time?
- What modern and ancient technologies have made these examinations possible?
Have students consider that technology is not just important in allowing modern researchers to interpret ancient Egyptian culture. The technology present in ancient Egypt at the time enabled them to preserve information in remarkable ways. Ask students to offer ideas about the types of technology available to or developed by ancient Egyptians. (Some ideas include embalming, mummification, building of sealed tombs, etc.) What types of information did this technology preserve? Why was it so important to Egyptians to preserve themselves well?
Activity 3: Or a Matter of Opinion?—Examining the Evidence through Modern Lenses
Discuss with the class how technological advances allow scientists to continually update their theories about how King Tut died. For example, when Tut's mummy was discovered in the 1920s, all scientists could do was visually inspect the body. Later, scientists used x-ray technology, and, more recently, CT scans. Have students explore the following Web sites to learn more about the various theories surrounding Tut's death. Tell them to take notes on the following as they read:
- the article's title, source, and URL
- the theory (or theories) presented in the article
- the evidence to support the theory or theories
- any technology used to gather evidence
Who Killed Tut?!!
Who Killed King Tut?
King Tut Not Murdered Violently, CT Scans Show
Bring the class back together to discuss the various theories and supporting evidence. Ask students:
- How do the theories conflict with and/or support one other?
- What discovery led many scientists to believe Tut was murdered? (evidence of head trauma)
- Do any of the different theories use the same evidence to make a different argument?
- How has technology helped scientists clarify what likely happened to King Tut?
- Using CT scan technology, have scientists been able to effectively rule out any previous theories?
Now ask students to think of technological advances that have been developed to support or disprove scientific theories. (For example MRIs and CT scans have allowed scientists to inspect the insides of people's bodies, DNA testing has enabled forensic scientists to link people to crimes, etc.) Have students watch the National Geographic Channel video clip,
King Tut's Final Secrets, to see how scientists are using technology to learn more about King Tut. Then have them work through the
National Geographic magazine interactive
Unraveling the Mysteries of King Tutankhamun. Direct them to take notes on the following:
- What information was gained from the CT scan that refutes earlier theories that Tut suffered a blow to the head?
- Where did the bone fragments in Tut's head likely come from?
- What does Tut's mummy reveal about the method of embalming used at the time?
- What aspect of the CT scan was able to confirm Tut's age?
- What questions remain about damage to King Tut's torso?
- How might Tut's broken bones have contributed to his death?
After they work through the interactive, bring the class back together to discuss their findings. Ask them to share what the CT scan revealed about King Tut that was not previously known. Are there questions that remain unanswered? Ask the class if they feel that they can now confidently reach a consensus as to how King Tut died.
Using the various Web sites explored in this lesson, have students create a timeline of King Tut research from 1923 through the future. They should focus on specific discoveries and technologies used to prove or disprove theories about his death. To fill in the "future" portion of the timeline, they should consider what other information we may obtain as technology evolves. (Examples of new or evolving technology could include cloning, DNA analysis, MRI scans, etc.)
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