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Mummy Who Would Be King, The
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Viewing Ideas
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Before Watching
Rameses
I ruled during the New Kingdom period (1550-1070 B.C.), a time of tremendous
growth for the Egyptian empire. Have students research some of the advances
made during this time period and create a newspaper with articles highlighting
the developments that occurred. To put the developments into perspective, have
students research advances being made by other cultures worldwide during the
same period.
Organize the class into five groups. Have each group take notes on what
each of the following techniques revealed about the age of the
mummy—visual examination, X-rays, carbon dating, CT scanning, and
historical records.
After Watching
Discuss with students the techniques that were used to determine the age
of the mummy. Have each group share its notes and discuss what each technique
revealed. Ask about the evidence that supports the idea that the mummy is
Rameses I. Which evidence seemed strongest? Which seemed weakest? What
conclusions, if any, can students make? How confident are students in their
conclusions? Have students explain the reasoning behind their confidence
levels.
Have students consider the reliability of the different dating methods
they took notes on, and then discuss with students why it is useful to rely on
more than a single piece of evidence to determine the age of a mummy.
(Confidence in a conclusion becomes strengthened as it is verified by
several pieces of evidence or it is independently confirmed by additional
scientific teams.)
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