高中英语 Unit 5 Meeting your ancestors Workbook reading task

Reading TaskA GREAT ARCHAEOLOGICAL

DISCOVERY IN THE 20TH CENTURY

NOTE: Pharaoh Tutankhamun Pharaoh Tutankhamun was the most famous of all pharaohs but very unimportant as a ruler as his rule was so short. He ruled for about 8 or 9 years from 1334 to 1325 BC. So we know more about him after his death than we do

about his rule when he was alive. The Egyptians believed in life after death. So they got all the goods they wanted to have with them in the next life buried in their tomb. The richer the person, the greater the number of goods. As Tutankhamun was a pharaoh, his tomb was filled with many wonderful treasures.

It also contained statues of gods that would protect his tomb from evil spirits or thieves who might steal his treasures. The walls of the tomb, too, were covered with spells to preserve the pharaoh till he got safely to the Hall of Judgement. In the same way his body inside its three coffins was protected by four goddesses of the dead.

By the tomb was a box containing four jars. They held the internal organs of the dead pharaoh, which were removed when he was turned into a mummy. First his brain was taken out of his head through his nose. Then his organs were removed and put into the jars.

Only his heart was left inside the body. Finally his body was covered in a special salt and left for forty days to “dry”. After this time the body was a mummy and was ready to be wrapped up and buried. As well as the body there were instructions in the coffin on how to make the journey to the afterlife.

Now act as an archaeologists and record all the goods that

were found apart from the Pharaoh’s coffins.

Object Material ColourTwo statues Chairs Boxes

Decoration

/

Gold /

Wearing gold shoes and Black carrying royal insignia With heads of Golden animals and gods / Beautifully painted

Flowers Vases Boxes Chests Seat Cart

/ / / / /Gold

/ /Black White

/With beautiful flower designs

GoldenGolden

/ / / /

Try and work out the answers to these questions. 1. How did they know whose tomb it was? 2. Why do you think they thought these things came from another civilization? 3. Why did Carter get excited when henoticed the door to the tomb was still

fastened?

1. How did they know whose tomb it They read his name on a black box. was?2. Why do you think they thought these things came civilization? Because theyfrom wereanother so strange and wonderful — more wonderful than anyone could imagine.

3. Why did Carter get excited when he noticed the door to the tomb was still fastened? Because it meant that the tomb had not

been opened by thieves.

An important task of archaeologists is to secure the site from thieves. In pairs,

think of what you would do if you wereHoward Carter. Write down the first

three things you would do to protect thesite.

1. I would have to lock the tomb securely so that thieves could not steal the finds. 2. I would have to lock the tomb securely so that the sunlight and temperature would no

t affect the finds in the tomb. Otherwise the finds may be spoiled. 3. I would have to lock the tomb securely so that I could record all the finds carefully, and I would not want any of the finds to be moved.