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Discovering Tut Class 11: Carter and the CT Scan

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EnglishCBSE Class 11 · Discovering Tut: the Saga Continues

Discovering Tut: the Saga Continues (A. R. Williams): Carter's Discovery and the CT Scan, Class 11

Updated 17 October 2026 · Draft, not yet fact-checked

The chapter contrasts two ways of studying King Tut. In the 1920s Howard Carter found the tomb and treasure, but his team cut the mummy free from its gold coffin and damaged it. In 2005 a CT scan examined the mummy without such damage, to look for clues about how Tut died and how old he was, showing archaeology moving from treasure to the details of life and death.

Understand Discovering Tut: Carter's Discovery and the CT Scan

Carter and the tomb. Howard Carter, a British archaeologist, found the tomb in 1922 after years of searching. Its gold treasures caused a sensation, though Tut was also buried with everyday objects, such as board games, a razor, linen and food.

The damage. Hardened resins had stuck the mummy to the solid gold coffin. Heating it in the sun did not work, so Carter's men chiselled it free, removing the head and cutting nearly every major joint, and then reassembled the body in a wooden box. Zahi Hawass says the mummy is in very bad condition because of what Carter did.

Changing archaeology. Archaeology now focuses less on treasure and more on life and death, using medical tools. An X-ray in 1968 showed that the breast-bone and front ribs were missing. A CT scan combines hundreds of cross-section X-rays into a three-dimensional image.

The scan night. On 5 January 2005 the mummy was taken from its tomb in the Valley of the Kings and moved into a scanner. The scanner failed because of sand, which worried the team, and Hawass was relieved when it worked. The text mentions the first images (head, neck vertebrae, a hand, rib cage, part of the skull) but does not say what they revealed; answer only from what the text says.

Tut's family. Amenhotep III ruled for nearly forty years. Akhenaten worshipped the sun disk Aten and moved the capital to Amarna, and Tut restored the old ways. Neighbouring topics (summary and the pharaoh's curse) are on the chapter page.

Key quotations

Short lines worth knowing by heart: who says them, when, and why they matter.

  • The mummy is in very bad condition because of what Carter did in the 1920s

    Zahi Hawass: Before the scan.

    Shows the damage done by early methods.

  • Curse of the pharaoh

    Tourists: Outside the tomb.

    The legend that surrounds the tomb.

Discovering Tut: Carter's Discovery and the CT Scan: key facts

Two methods
1922 Carter | 2005 CT scan
Treasure and force against science and care.
What a CT scan does
Hundreds of X-rays | One 3-D image
Combines cross-section X-rays.
Change in archaeology
Treasure | Life and death
Aim of modern archaeology.

How to answer Discovering Tut: Carter's Discovery and the CT Scan questions

Use this for any question comparing the two methods or the purpose of the scan.

  1. 1State the two dates: 1922 and 2005.
  2. 2Describe what Carter did and the damage.
  3. 3Describe the scan and what it can show.
  4. 4Contrast them: force against technology.
  5. 5End with what remains unknown.

Discovering Tut: Carter's Discovery and the CT Scan in real life

The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Repair or replace

Suppose a museum has a fragile old manuscript. Its curator chooses a scan to read hidden pages instead of opening it, since opening could tear it.

Which idea in the chapter does this match?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. The object is fragile.
  2. Scanning avoids damage.
  3. It gives information safely.

Answer: It matches the 2005 scan of Tut's mummy: modern technology studies the past without damaging it, unlike Carter's cutting.

Memory hook: See inside, do no harm.

Tricks to remember Discovering Tut: Carter's Discovery and the CT Scan

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

  • 22 and 05

    1922 discovery, 2005 scan.

    Use it when: Key dates.

  • Cut vs Scan

    Carter cut, Hawass scanned.

    Use it when: The contrast.

Discovering Tut: Carter's Discovery and the CT Scan: solved examples

Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.

Example 1: Who found the tomb · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

The tomb of Tutankhamun was found by
(a) Zahi Hawass (b) Howard Carter (c) Akhenaten (d) Amenhotep III

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Howard Carter found it in 1922 (1 mark).

Answer: (b)

Example 2: Carter's treatment · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level

How did Carter's team remove the mummy from its coffin? Answer in 30-40 words.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Resins stuck it to the gold coffin (1).
  2. Heating failed (1).
  3. They chiselled it free and cut the joints (1).

Answer: Hardened resins had stuck the mummy to the solid gold coffin. Heating it in the sun did not work, so Carter's men chiselled it free, removing the head and cutting nearly every major joint.

Example 3: The CT scan · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

What is a CT scan and why was it used on Tut's mummy? (40-50 words)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Combines cross-section X-rays into 3-D image (1).
  2. Shows inside without cutting (1).
  3. Might show how he died and how old he was (1).

Answer: A CT scan combines hundreds of cross-section X-rays into a three-dimensional image. It was used to look inside the mummy without damaging it, as Carter's cutting had, in the hope of learning how Tut died and how old he was.

Example 4: Two methods · 6 marks · Long answerHarder board level

Compare the methods used to study Tut's mummy in 1922 and in 2005. (120-150 words)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. 1922 force (2).
  2. 2005 CT scan (2).
  3. Change in aim (1).
  4. Conclusion (1).

Answer: In 1922 Howard Carter was after treasure. Hardened resins had stuck the mummy to the gold coffin, and his men chiselled it free, removing the head and cutting nearly every major joint. The body was reassembled in a wooden box and left in bad condition. In 2005 the mummy was moved from the tomb in the Valley of the Kings into a CT scanner, which combines hundreds of X-rays into a three-dimensional image without cutting. The aim had changed too, from treasure to the details of life and death, such as how Tut died. Science thus replaced force and respected the dead.

Example 5: Was Carter wrong · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

"Carter's rough handling saved the mummy." Evaluate using the text. (3 marks)

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
  1. Defence: thieves would have torn it apart (1).
  2. Criticism: damage and bad condition (1).
  3. Judgement (1).

Answer: The text says that without this, thieves would probably have torn the mummy apart for the gold, but it also says the mummy is in very bad condition because of Carter. So the handling was both damaging and, in a way, protective.

Where students lose marks in Discovering Tut: Carter's Discovery and the CT Scan

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

  • Mistake: Inventing the scan results

    The text does not report them.

    Wrong working

    The scan proved he was murdered.

    Right working

    The text only says the scan might reveal how he died.

    Do this: Stay with the text.

    Usually costs: 2 marks of 6.

  • Mistake: Mixing the dates

    Dates are tested.

    Wrong working

    Carter scanned the mummy in 1922.

    Right working

    Carter found the tomb in 1922; the scan was in 2005.

    Do this: Learn 1922 and 2005.

    Usually costs: 1 mark of 3.

  • Mistake: Ignoring the contrast

    The question compares.

    Wrong working

    Carter found treasure.

    Right working

    Carter cut the mummy; the scan did not.

    Do this: Use both columns.

    Usually costs: 2 marks of 6.

Exam tips

  • Keep 1922 and 2005 clear.
  • Do not state findings that the text does not give.
  • Explain a CT scan in one line.
  • Use the contrast of force and technology.
  • Keep a 3-mark answer to 40-50 words and a 6-mark answer to 120-150 words.

Practice questions on Discovering Tut: Carter's Discovery and the CT Scan

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

  1. Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level

    In which year was the CT scan performed?
    (a) 1922 (b) 1968 (c) 2005 (d) 2015

    Hint

    Fifth of January.

    Answer

    (c)

  2. Q2 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

    What did the 1968 X-ray show? (40-50 words)

    Hint

    Think of missing bones.

    Answer

    An X-ray in 1968 showed that Tut's breast-bone and front ribs were missing. Archaeology now uses medical tools like this to learn about life and death, and a CT scan might reveal how he died and how old he was.

  3. Q3 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level

    Why did Zahi Hawass feel relieved on the night of the scan? (40-50 words)

    Hint

    The scanner had a problem.

    Answer

    The scanner stopped because of sand in a cooler fan, which worried the team. Spare fans worked, about 1,700 images were made, and Tut was back in his tomb within three hours. Zahi Hawass, relieved, said he could now sleep.

  4. Q4 · 6 marks · Long answerHarder board level

    Write a report for a school magazine on the CT scan of Tut's mummy. (120-150 words)

    Hint

    Headline, date, facts, no invention.

    Answer

    KING TUT'S MUMMY SCANNED IN THE VALLEY OF THE KINGS. On the evening of 5 January 2005, the mummy of King Tutankhamun was taken from its tomb in the Valley of the Kings and moved into a CT scanner. Zahi Hawass, head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, said the mummy was in bad condition because of how it was removed from the coffin in the 1920s. A CT scan joins hundreds of X-rays into a three-dimensional image and may help answer how Tut died and how old he was. Sand in a cooler fan briefly stopped the scanner, but it was soon working again. The scan shows how archaeology now studies life and death instead of only treasure.

  5. Q5 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

    "Science may answer questions, but it cannot lessen the mystery." Discuss with reference to the chapter. (3 marks)

    Hint

    Think of curse legends and unanswered questions.

    Answer

    The scan may explain how Tut died, but the legend of the curse and the human interest in his life remain. The chapter does not report findings, so the mystery continues even as science seeks answers.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

  1. 1.Who wrote the chapter?Show answer

    A. R. Williams.

  2. 2.When was the tomb found?Show answer

    1922.

  3. 3.When was the CT scan?Show answer

    5 January 2005.

  4. 4.Who headed the Supreme Council of Antiquities?Show answer

    Zahi Hawass.

  5. 5.What failed the scanner?Show answer

    Sand.

Discovering Tut: Carter's Discovery and the CT Scan: frequently asked questions

Does the chapter say how Tut died?

No, it only describes the scan and the questions it may answer.

What is the pharaoh's curse?

A legend some tourists whisper about at the tomb.

Why is the mummy in bad condition?

Because of how Carter's team removed it from the coffin.