In 1922, the world witnessed one of the most impressive archaeological discoveries in history: Howard Carter and his team discovered the tomb of the young pharaoh Tutankhamun in Egypt. The British archaeologist spent six years searching for royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings near Luxor. They found various furniture, jewelry and treasures in the tomb, but it wasn’t until February 1923 that they discovered the real treasure: the burial chamber where the pharaoh’s mummy rested, intact over the centuries. The opening of the ancient seal marked the beginning of a tragic series of events that fueled the legend of the curse.
Victim of a curse?
It is said that on the same day that the underground staircase to the tomb was completed, Carter’s pet canary was eaten by a cobra, a symbol of the pharaoh’s power. Just two months after the chamber opened, the project’s patron, Lord George Herbert of Caernarfon, died from complications from a mosquito bite. Soon after, his dog Susie died.
According to JSTOR, American financier George Jay Gould died of pneumonia in May 1923, and just months after he visited his grave, rumors of a curse continued. In 1923, Philip Livingston Poe also contracted pneumonia a few months after visiting the grave, but he did not die. In 1929, Howard Carter’s secretary Richard Bethell died, and various reports indicate that he was the ninth, tenth, or thirteenth person connected with the excavation to die .
Uncover the curse
Newspapers put the death toll from the curse at anywhere from nine to more than 20, depending on whether visitors to the tomb and relatives of the diggers were included.
Rumors began to spread about the “Curse of the Pharaohs,” suggesting that those who disturbed the rest of ancient kings and queens were doomed. An inscription on Tutankhamun’s tomb is said to have warned that “death will come quickly to those who disturb the Pharaoh’s rest.”
However, as scientists analyze these events from a more objective perspective, this myth begins to fall apart. While the deaths may seem suspicious or at least surprising, many of them may be attributed to natural causes or arbitrary circumstances. Science is beginning to refute the idea of supernatural curses and point to more earthly explanations.
Fungi and pneumonia: The science explains
The most popular theory is that a fungus may have been the cause of death. Aspergillus fungus can cause coughing and shortness of breath In 2003, two doctors published a letter in The Lancet claiming that Aspergillus, a common mold, may have contributed to Lord Caernarvon’s health condition after a car accident Poor, causing damage to his car. lung.
However, subsequent investigations confirmed that the signs of fungus and bacteria found were no longer active and therefore did not pose a threat to visitors or the painting.
It is impossible to know whether Aspergillus or other fungi actually caused the deaths of Lord Carnarvon or Gould. Today, archaeologists use gloves, masks and sometimes disposable clothing to protect themselves from mold, reports Dangerous Places: Health, Safety and Archeology. Many, many people did visit the tomb, and relatively few people died.
Frank McClanahan, the doctor who treated Lord Carnarvon during his illness at Luxor, said in a 1972 interview. “If you examine a large group of people, you’ll find that a certain percentage of them die.”
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