Read the article An Ancient Mystery before answering Numbers 1 through 5. UNIT 6 WEEK 4 An Ancient Mystery Thousands of years ago, pharaohs, or kings, ruled the kingdom of ancient Egypt. The pharaohs were supreme monarchs for life. When a pharaoh died, he was buried in a great tomb filled with treasures. The Egyptians built these tombs in geographic locations that were difficult to find. One pharaoh was named Tutankhamen. His tomb was buried in desert sands for thousands of years until an amazing discovery would astonish the world. Finding Tutankhamen In the early 1900s, an Englishman named Lord Carnarvon had become convinced that Tutankhamen s tomb was somewhere in the Valley of the Kings, an area along the Nile River. In 1907, Carnarvon became partners with an artist named Howard Carter, who had been working with paleontologists. He made drawings of the fossils and ancient artifacts, or objects made by people who lived long ago, found by the scientists. The two men launched a search for the ancient tomb that would last for 15 years. In November of 1922, Carter s team discovered what appeared to be the entrance to an underground tomb. Workers dug through the rubble and found themselves at the entrance to the tomb of Tutankhamen. When they entered the first room, called the antechamber, they were stunned by the sight of the treasures. There were lifelike statues, vases, pieces of the king s chariot, and golden couches. At one end of the antechamber was a sealed door, and Carter believed it to be Tutankhamen s burial chamber. Carter s team did not want to damage anything that they found, so they used a precise technique to remove all of the artifacts and treasures from the antechamber. It took about two months to record, catalog, and remove all of these items. Once inside the burial chamber, Carter s team made the greatest discovery of all the sarcophagus, or carved stone coffin, that contained the mummy of the young king! There were three magnificent coffins inside the sarcophagus, covered with jewels and made of gold. There, inside the innermost coffin, was the mummy itself. Workers needed three years to remove the coffins and the mummy, and finally, by 1932, the last of the treasures were removed. Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 4 Grade 6 337
UNIT 6 WEEK 4 The mummy was brought back to Cairo, where Howard Carter began an examination. The linen bandages were removed and, for the first time in thousands of years, the face of Tutankhamen was exposed. Further study revealed that the king was between the ages of 18 and 22 when he died. Why did the king die so young? Solving the Mystery The body of Tutankhamen went mostly unnoticed until 1968 when a team of specialists was given permission to x-ray the mummy. A mark on the skull led some to conclude that the king died of a blow to the head. However, injuries to the chest area and some missing ribs were clues that led others to speculate that the king may have been hurt or killed during a chariot race. In 2005, as part of an Egyptian project to research ancient mummies, Tutankhamen underwent a CT scan, which produces detailed images of crosssections of the body. A team of experts examined the images and concluded that the king was about 19 when he died. They also determined that the theory of a blow to the head was incorrect, and that the injuries to the king s chest and ribs were not a result of an accident. Now, the skull and chest injuries seen on previous x-rays appeared to have been caused by Carter and his team s examination of the mummy. Another theory was that the injuries were caused when the young king was mummified. Experts did find a break in the king s thighbone, however, which led them to conclude that Tutankhamen may have died from an infection caused by the leg injury. Using modern technology, scientists have revealed much about King Tutankhamen. Today, mysteries still surround the life and death of the young king, but perhaps in the future, scientists will unlock more secrets of King Tutankhamen. 338 Grade 6 Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 4
Now answer Numbers 1 through 5. Base your answers on An Ancient Mystery. 1 This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B. Part A: Read the sentence from the text. The pharaohs were supreme monarchs for life. The word monarchs comes from two Greek roots, mono and arch. Arch means chief. What does mono most likely mean? A elected B new C one D young Part B: Select the meaning of the word monarchs. A head rulers B strong men C wise people D known leaders 2 How does the author describe the process that Howard Carter s team used to remove artifacts from Tutankhamen s tomb? A by stating how many months the team worked B by describing the artifacts found in the antechamber C by explaining what led the team to the discovery of the tomb D by giving the order in which the artifacts were taken out of the tomb Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 4 Grade 6 339
3 This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B. Part A: Read the sentence from the text. Carter s team did not want to damage anything that they found, so they used a precise technique to remove all of the artifacts and treasures from the antechamber. The origin of the word technique is the Greek root techno, meaning skill or art. What is a technique? A a wish B an idea C a lesson D a method Part B: Which other words have the same root as technique? Select all that apply. A antique B biotech C enact D inspector E protect F technology 4 Which sentence best explains how the section titled Solving the Mystery is organized? A It compares and contrasts multiple events. B It states a problem and explains the solution. C It describes events in the order they happened. D It argues that one development caused another. 340 Grade 6 Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 4
5 Carter s team followed a process to recover the body of Tutankhamen. Put the events in the correct sequence. Write each event in the correct section of the chart. First Second Third Fourth Fifth Sixth Events: The face of Tutankhamen is revealed. The team locates Tutankhamen s tomb. The team removes artifacts from the tomb. The mummy of Tutankhamen is sent to Cairo. The team enters the antechamber of Tutankhamen s tomb. The team enters the burial chamber and discovers the sarcophagus. Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 4 Grade 6 341
UNIT 6 WEEK 4 Read the article Excavating the Past before answering Numbers 6 through 10. Excavating the Past Some history can be learned through writings and pictures from the past. To study ancient history, however, scientists, historians, and archaeologists work together to find and explain artifacts that help us learn how ancient cultures lived. As technology advances, so does our understanding of the past. Finding Pompeii More than 1,900 years ago, a massive volcanic explosion occurred in what is now Italy, near the small city of Pompeii. Volcanic ash and rocks hit the city like a giant wave, taking the people who lived there by surprise. The entire city and surrounding terrain were covered with nearly ten feet of rock and ash, and Pompeii lay buried and forgotten for hundreds of years. Then, in the mid-1700s, workers found the remains of an ancient building near the site. The lost city had been discovered. In the 1860s, a man named Giuseppe Fiorelli came up with a plan to dig Pompeii out from under the ash and rock. Slowly, the buried city was unveiled through the science of archaeology. The basis of archaeology is excavation, or digging out the land to find what is hidden underneath. In the 1860s, archaeologists began to dig up Pompeii using very basic tools, such as picks, trowels, mesh screens, and brushes. They found homes, bakeries, shops, tools, pottery, and furniture. By studying these kinds of artifacts, we can learn about past civilizations. In addition to studying artifacts, Fiorelli thought of an innovative way to learn more about the day Pompeii was buried under ash. He recognized that many people in the city had died instantly as a result of the volcanic explosion. Their remains had decomposed, leaving a hollow space where their bodies once rested. Fiorelli poured plaster into the hollow spaces, and when the plaster hardened, the stone around it was chipped away. Left behind were plaster casts of people and animals at the moment they were buried. Visitors to the ancient city can see the terror of Pompeii s final moments frozen in plaster. 342 Grade 6 Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 4
UNIT 6 WEEK 4 Archaeology in the United States Archaeologists have unearthed artifacts all across the United States. About 100 years ago, an exciting discovery was made in an area of Colorado called Mesa Verde. Built into the walls of a huge cliff were stone buildings several stories high. At the site, archaeologists found tools, pottery, baskets, and cloth. These artifacts had been left by a civilization known as the Anasazi. By examining the rings of trees at Mesa Verde, the archaeologists determined that there had been a drought around 1300 A.D. A logical conclusion was that the Anasazi suddenly left the area in part because of the drought. More recently, archaeologists have made discoveries related to life in the colonies before the American Revolution. A discovery was made in Boston in the 1990s. At the time, new roads, bridges, and tunnels were being built to help with traffic problems. Archaeologists began to do some digging of their own, and they discovered the foundation stones from the Three Cranes Tavern, built in 1635 and destroyed during the Revolutionary War. They also discovered the tavern s fancy china and glasses that had been imported from Europe. These artifacts provided new details about colonial life. Amazing New Tools Throughout time, archaeology has evolved, and modern archaeologists have tools that are very different from the picks, trowels, and brushes used at Pompeii. For example, they now use special infrared cameras to find buried buildings and cities. These cameras measure thermal changes. Carbon dating can determine the age of artifacts. Archaeologists are using computers to build virtual 3-D models of excavation sites. As they find new ways to use technology, we can learn more about the people that came before us. Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 4 Grade 6 343
Now answer Numbers 6 through 10. Base your answers on Excavating the Past. 6 This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B. Part A: Read the paragraph from the text. More than 1,900 years ago, a massive volcanic explosion occurred in what is now Italy, near the small city of Pompeii. Volcanic ash and rocks hit the city like a giant wave, taking the people who lived there by surprise. The entire city and surrounding terrain were covered with nearly ten feet of rock and ash, and Pompeii lay buried and forgotten for hundreds of years. Then, in the mid-1700s, workers found the remains of an ancient building near the site. The lost city had been discovered. Which sentence best explains how the paragraph is organized? A It describes events in sequence. B It compares one event to another. C It lists problems created by an event. D It explains the relationships between two events. Part B: Select three details from the paragraph that best support your answer in part A. A More than 1,900 years ago,... B... in what is now Italy,... C... near the small city of Pompeii. D... covered with nearly ten feet of rock and ash,... E... Pompeii lay buried and forgotten for hundreds of years. F Then, in the mid-1700s, workers found the remains... 344 Grade 6 Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 4
7 Read the statement. Archaeology was used to uncover Pompeii. Underline the sentence that best states this main idea. In the 1860s, a man named Giuseppe Fiorelli came up with a plan to dig Pompeii out from under the ash and rock. Slowly, the buried city was unveiled through the science of archaeology. The basis of archaeology is excavation, or digging out the land to find what is hidden underneath. In the 1860s, archaeologists began to dig up Pompeii using very basic tools, such as picks, trowels, mesh screens, and brushes. They found homes, bakeries, shops, tools, pottery, and furniture. By studying these kinds of artifacts, we can learn about past civilizations. 8 Read the sentence from the text. A logical conclusion was that the Anasazi suddenly left the area in part because of the drought. The word logical comes from the Greek root logos, meaning reason. What does this suggest about the conclusion about the Anasazi? A The conclusion does not have agreement. B The conclusion requires discussion. C The conclusion is an opinion. D The conclusion makes sense. Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 4 Grade 6 345
9 Which statement best summarizes developments that happened most recently? A Archaeologists learned about the Anasazi civilization. B Archaeologists discovered the ancient city of Pompeii. C Archaeologists used computers to build 3-D virtual models. D Archaeologists made discoveries about the American colonies. 10 This question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B. Part A: Read the sentence from the text. These cameras measure thermal changes. The word thermal comes from the Greek root thermos, meaning warm or heat. What do cameras do when they measure thermal changes? A They tell the age of objects. B They record temperatures. C They predict the weather. D They measure distances. Part B: Which other word has the same root as the word thermal? A breakthrough B therapy C thermostat D weather STOP 346 Grade 6 Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 4
Now answer Number 11. Base your answer on An Ancient Mystery and Excavating the Past. 11 In both texts, scientists study artifacts to advance their knowledge about the past. Choose examples of discovered artifacts mentioned in the texts and explain what scientists can learn from studying them. Support your answer with details from both texts. Weekly Assessment Unit 6, Week 4 Grade 6 347