Page 18 - Demo

King Tutankhamen was still a teenager when he died around 1322 b.c. He ruled Egypt for ten years, the last king of a powerful family that had ruled the country for centuries. After his death, the body of King Tut (as Tutankhamen is usually known today) was placed in agold-filled tomb. There, he lay forgotten until the tomb%u2019s discovery in 1922. Although we know a lot about his life, the reason for King Tut%u2019s death at such a young age has remained a mystery, withmurder the most extreme possibility. Now, improved X-ray technology1 and DNA2testing are offering new clues into the life and death of the boy-king.Discovered and DamagedWhen British archeologist Howard Carter opened King Tut%u2019s tomb, it was full of gold and other amazing items. Carter spent months carefully recording the treasures. When he and his team attempted to remove King Tut%u2019s mummy, they found that it had becomeattached to its solid gold coffin. Unfortunately, they caused a great deal of damage to the mummy while removing it. Theories about Tut%u2019s DeathIn 1968, archeologistsconducted an examination of King Tut%u2019s mummy using simple X-ray technology. Three important discoveries led to various theories about his death.%u2022The X-rays showed that bones in Tut%u2019s chest3 were missing. Some guessed the damage was caused by a warinjury or an accident.%u2022There was a small hole in the back of the skull, and pieces of bone inside it, causing many to believe that Tut was killed by a blow to the back of the head. Was he murdered by people wanting to take control of Egypt?%u2022A serious fracture was discovered on Tut%u2019s left leg. Tut had been hurt a few hours before his death. Could an infection from the injury have killed Tut?ABC1X-ray technology is a special way of taking pictures of the inside of something.2DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) is the material that carries information on how a living thing will look or function.3Your chest is the top part of the front of your body.WASKING TUTMURDERED?Tutankhamen%u2019s tomb was decorated with colorful paintings of gods and goddesses.Unit 3A39