Discovering Tut: The Saga Continues Class 11 English Summary & Notes

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Chapter 3: Discovering Tut: The Story Continues | Complete Summary

Introduction

Written by A.R. Williams, this story is about a famous young king named Tutankhamun (King Tut). He was the last heir of a powerful family in Egypt. He died as a teenager after ruling for nine years. Because the Egyptians believed in life after death, he was buried with gold, wealth, and everyday items. This chapter explores the mysteries of his life, his death, and the famous "curse."

The King’s Family: From Strength to Madness

  • Amenhotep III: Tut’s father or grandfather. He was a very strong leader who ruled for 40 years.

  • Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten): He started a "strange" time in Egypt. He forced people to worship Aten (the sun) and moved the capital city. He even attacked the temples of the god Amun.

  • King Tut: When he took over, he changed everything back to the old ways and worshipped Amun again. But he died very suddenly and mysteriously.

The 1922 Discovery: Howard Carter

In 1922, a British history expert named Howard Carter found Tut’s grave 26 feet deep in the ground.

  • The Boxes: Inside the first box, he found flowers (meaning Tut was buried in March or April).

  • The Struggle: The "glue" (resin) used in the burial was so hard that the body was stuck to the gold box.

  • The Damage: To stop thieves from stealing the gold, Carter used a hammer and a sharp tool (chisel) to cut the body into pieces to get it out.

Later Discoveries: New Names & New Secrets

As years passed, new experts used better technology to study the King:

  1. The Anatomy Professor (1968): Over 40 years after Carter, a professor X-rayed the mummy. He found a shocking secret: Tut’s chest bone and front ribs were missing.

  2. Zahi Hawass (2005 & 2009): He was the Secretary General of Egypt’s Council of Antiquities. He led the team that took Tut for a CT scan to create a 3D digital image of his body. This was done to finally find out how he died.

The Legend of the Curse

There is a famous story that a "Curse" protects the King’s grave. It says: "Death or bad luck will fall upon anyone who disturbs the King."

Did the curse happen?

  • During the CT scan on January 5, 2009, the expensive machine suddenly stopped working because sand got into the cooling fan.

  • The workers were nervous. One guard even joked, "This is the curse of the Pharaoh!" * However, they used two spare plastic fans to finish the job, and the team survived!

Conclusion: Back to Rest

After three hours of scanning, the workers carried King Tut back to his grave in the Valley of the Kings. He is now resting in peace, watched over by the stars of the Orion constellation.

Simple Facts to Remember

  • Howard Carter: Found the tomb in 1922.

  • Anatomy Professor: Found the missing ribs in 1968.

  • Zahi Hawass: Led the CT scan in 2005/2009.

  • The Curse: A legend about bad luck for anyone who moves the body.

  • The Fans: The scan was finished using simple plastic fans after the main machine failed.


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