Modern Archaeology and Egyptian Ethics

History · Ancient Egypt · ages 11-12

Name ______________________ Date ____________

Scientists think two mummies from one tomb might be mother and daughter. Which modern test can check this?
- CT scanner
- Satellite camera
- DNA test
A CT scan of another mummy shows an arm bone that broke and then healed long before the person died. What can scientists learn from this?
- The person was hurt long before death and kept on living
- The person died the moment the arm broke
- The mummy had to be unwrapped before the scan
What did a DNA test on Tutankhamun's mummy show?
- What he ate at his last meal
- The name of his closest friend
- Who his parents were
What can satellite images help archaeologists find?
- The colors ancient paint had before it faded
- Shapes of buried walls and tombs hidden under the sand
- The exact words a pharaoh once spoke
A satellite camera can show archaeologists the gold and treasures inside a buried tomb.
Circle one: True False
A museum team wants to study a mummy while leaving every bandage in place. Which pair of modern tools can both help?
- CT scanner and DNA test
- Shovel and wheelbarrow
- Paintbrush and camera
The way we study and display ancient Egypt today is based only on scientific facts, never on our own values.
Circle one: True False
A team wants to find a tomb hidden under the sand before they start digging. Which tool can point them to a promising spot?
- Wheelbarrow
- CT scanner
- Satellite camera
After learning that a statue was taken from Egypt without permission long ago, a museum chooses to return it. What does this decision show?
- Museums are never allowed to keep any Egyptian objects
- The museum's values shaped how it chose to treat the object
- The statue was too damaged to display any longer
Zayn says there is only one right answer to whether a mummy should be displayed, and anyone who disagrees with him is simply wrong. What does the lesson say about this?
- Zayn is missing something: this is a question of values, so thoughtful people can disagree
- Zayn is right, because science has already settled the question
- Zayn is right, because museums always know best

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Modern Archaeology and Egyptian Ethics W1-mt_B1LdSGMP66-s1

DNA test · A DNA test reads the family information in genes, so it can show whether two people were related.
The person was hurt long before death and kept on living · A bone that had time to heal broke long before death, and the person lived on afterward. The scan revealed all this while the mummy stayed wrapped.
Who his parents were · DNA carries family information passed from parents to children, so the test on Tutankhamun's mummy showed who his parents were.
Shapes of buried walls and tombs hidden under the sand · Cameras high above the ground can spot patterns in the sand that show where walls or rooms are buried.
False · Satellites spot the shapes of buried walls from above. They cannot see through the ground to the objects inside a tomb.
CT scanner and DNA test · A CT scanner shows the body inside the wrappings, and a DNA test can reveal family links, so both add knowledge while the mummy stays wrapped.
False · Decisions like what to display and how are shaped by our values too, not just facts. That is why people can disagree even when they know the same facts.
Satellite camera · A satellite camera takes pictures from far above and can spot the shapes of buried walls, showing the team where to dig.
The museum's values shaped how it chose to treat the object · Choosing to return the statue is a decision about what is right, so it shows the museum's values guiding how an object is treated.
Zayn is missing something: this is a question of values, so thoughtful people can disagree · Displaying a mummy is an ethical question. The lesson says there is no single correct answer, because the answer depends on people's values.