ARCHAEOLOGICAL ARTEFACT RESEARCH

WORKSHEET
ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONTROVERSIES (7ACP2) - BENCHMARK TWO
Name:

Abbey evans

1:1
4

M4

This research worksheet has been designed so you can thoroughly investigate an
archaeological artefact, re-write your research in the spaces on this worksheet.
For every website you use, record it in the Bibliography section of this document.
1. Basic artefact details:
What important artefact are you researching?

The valley of kings( Tutankhamun tomb the eleventh pharaoh )

How old is the artefact you are researching?

More than 3,000 years old

Describe the artefact that you are researching (e.g. its shape; its colours; its size; its
texture).

King tuts tomb is composed of 4 main rooms; the

antechamber, the annex, the burial chamber, and the
treasury room. The whole tomb is covered in hieroglyphs and
ancient Egyptian paintings. The rooms interconnect through
small passages the passages were relatively intact and still
remain today
Where was the artefact discovered?

KV62 ( KV stands for the valley of kings and 62 is where the

tomb is located)
In the debris near the entrance of the nearby tomb of King
Ramses IV in the Valley of the Kings. The valley of king is
located on the Nile's west bank near Luxor
Find an image of the artefact that has been discovered at this site. Print it out and stick it
below, then write a caption to go with it (we call this annotating). Remember to record your
image source in your bibliography.

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This is king
Tutankhamuns burial
tomb as you can see its
walls are covered in
ancient Egyptian
hieroglyphs and painting these paintings generally consist of
gods and pharaohs

2. Archaeological site type / method of discovery:

Who found the artefact?

Howard Carter,
He was born in 1874 in Swaffam in Norfolk, England.
How was the artefact discovered?

Shortly after World War 1, Howard Carter began his search for
king tuts tomb. He began to look around the entrance of king
Ramses IV tomb when finally found the first steps leading to
the entrance of king Tutankhamun tomb.
Describe the type of geological environment in which the artefact was found (e.g. was it
found in cave? Or in sandy soil? Etc.)

The bank of the river Nile to Egyptians represents the area of

the rising and setting sun. King Tutankhamun tomb was found
in sandy soil near the entrance of King Ramses tomb.
3. Scientific Dating Techniques:
What scientific dating techniques were used to date the artefact?

Radio carbon dating

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Identify and explain each of the scientific dating methods that you listed above.
For example, if radiocarbon dating was used explain how this dating technique
works.

Tip: Revisit the definitions from the Scientific Dating Techniques Mix n Match for easier
descriptions of some common scientific dating techniques.
Scientific dating technique explanation #1

All living things contain a type of carbon called C14. Living

things stop absorbing C14 when they die. C14 is radioactive,
which means that, over time, it breaks down at a known rate
into different types of carbon. Scientists are able to work out
how much C14 is still present in a once living organism. Using
this information they can accurately work out how long ago
the organism died, and therefore how old it is.

Scientific dating technique explanation #2

I think radio carbon is the only dating tactic used on king tuts
tomb.
4. Research conservation details for the artefact:
Where is the artefact kept now?

Tutankhamuns tomb is located on the east bank of the river

Nile where it will stay as it is immoveable. Though some of
the artefact within the tomb have been moved to museums.
Explain how the artefact is being conserved/protected from deterioration.

You are not allowed to touch the things inside the tomb and
Tutankhamun himself is kept in a glass case (like snow white)
where you can see him. And there are archaeologist working on
preserving it and the walls of paintings and hieroglyphs

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Can the artefact be viewed by the public? Why or why not?

Yes you can see king Tutankhamuns tomb and walk through
most of the rooms though you are not allowed to touch
anything
Is the site where the artefact was found listed on the UNESCO heritage register? Why?

I looked on the list and it had no evidence that it was ever

listed
5. Relevance / context of this artefact to the ancient society which
created it.

What was the artefacts original intended use or purpose?

To be used as a burial tomb and a passage to the afterlife.

What can this artefact tell us about the ancient society which produced it?

The traditions and beliefs, there art tells us how they saw
things, there death rituals, the family tree and how they built
things.

6. Drawing on all of your research, what is your view on the

controversy that surrounds your artefact? Why?

I think the controversy about his death is interesting as we

dont know and there are so many possible outcomes that it is
unlikely we will ever find out. I think the best answer in my
opinion is that he survived an assassination attempt but got
away injured and later died from those injuries.
I think the controversy about his family would be extremely
hard to solve as Egyptians generally cross-breed so the family
tree would be tied in some knots.

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I also think the controversy about his tomb and how there
could be more to it as it other passages and if that is true that
would be awesome!
I am sure there are many other archaeological controversies
surrounding this topic but I think these 3 are the main ones
-abbey

7. Bibliography:
List your references here (for text and images). For websites, remember to add the date
you viewed the website.

http://www.kingtutone.com/tutankhamun/tomb/ date 3/3

http://klarke.tripod.com/ date 3/3
https://www.google.com.au/url?
sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact

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=8&ved=0ahUKEwiRqbnMrqPLAhWmGKYKHWA_AGAQjhwIBQ
&url=http%3A%2F%2Flooklex.com%2Fegypt
%2Fluxor25.htm&psig=AFQjCNGtEmS1bYhMJVkxFfMkDH4e7h
LdwA&ust=1457054884754591 date 3/3
Scientific dating mix n match
http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/archaeology/v
alley-of-the-kings/ http://www.bbc.com/news/10345875
http://www.getty.edu/conservation/our_projects/field_projects/
tut/
http://www.unmuseum.org/mummy.htm
http://www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk/tutcurse.html
https://youtu.be/H7ukJSMlazc
http://www.getty.edu/conservation/our_projects/field_projects/
tut/
http://classroom.synonym.com/come-king-tuts-tomb-neverdiscovered-robbers-9795.html

Driving question:
DRIVING QUESTION: King Tutankhamun's tomb lay undisturbed for millennia, whilst
tomb raiders stole from tombs throughout The Valley Of The Kings. Why? Fact or fiction,
the curse of King Tutankhamun's tomb?

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Website http://classroom.synonym.com/come-king-tuts-tomb-never-discovered-robbers9795.html
First Robbery
It is speculated that the first robbery of Tutankhamen's tomb occurred within a few years of his
burial. This is evidenced by the types of items the robbers took: oils, perfumes and cosmetics,
all of which had a limited shelf life. If they had been stolen more than a few years after the
burial, they would have been worthless because the ingredients would have spoiled. It is
thought that these first robbers also stole metal adornments and fixtures from the tomb walls.
When the robbery was discovered, the priests in charge of protecting the tombs resealed the
entrance holes.
The Second Robbery
The second set of robbers likely arrived soon after the first set and had a much larger haul than
the first robbers, though they mainly looted the antechamber -- the first room they came to at
the end of the entrance passage. Based on the discovered tomb inventory, it is assumed the
robbers stole over half the jewels and many precious-metals containers. It is thought that they
spent hours tunneling and passing baskets of treasure along the passageway, and because of
the lengthy operation they were caught or interrupted, which is why they left the rooms past
the antechamber undisturbed. The tomb was once again resealed, and it remained sealed until
being discovered by Howard Carter.
The tomb was buried under/close to the tombs of Ramses the II and IV. This would have
attracted tomb raiders more than king tuts tomb as it was much smaller and king tut was much
unknown as a ruler as he only ruled for 10 years.