Curse of Tutankhamun or how archaeologists paid for their discovery (8 photos)

Why did the people who opened the pharaoh's tomb die very quickly.





A century ago, in February 1923, people first entered burial chamber of Tutankhamen. A few years later, 22 people who participated in the excavations or were somehow connected with them, were are dead.



Opening of the sarcophagus.

Each death was sudden and looked like strange accident. However, the chain of these accidents gave rise to a lot of rumors, the media started talking about the curse of the pharaohs, which amazed archaeologists.

Was Tutankhamen

Tutankhamun's tomb has become one of the greatest discoveries modernity. The tombs of the pharaohs were found earlier, but all of them were looted. Tutankhamen was far from the greatest ruler Ancient Egypt, he died before reaching the age of 20. By this reason at the beginning of the twentieth century, it was generally doubted that he could have a luxurious tomb, and one of the scientists generally questioned reality of the pharaoh. Actually, even the archaeologists themselves practically gave up. Egyptologist Howard Carter searched for the tomb for six years and, once again, having arrived in the Valley of the Kings, he no longer hoped to find anything.



Valley of the Kings in 1922: tomb in the center to the right of the path.

Finally, the search for Carter was crowned with success: it turned out that she hidden under more recent (but also ancient) buildings. tomb found in November 1922, it stood untouched for several millennia seal:. Scientists reached the sarcophagus of the pharaoh only in February 1923 of the year.



Tomb of Tutankhamen.

The opening of the tomb was attended by Lord George Carnarvon, who was also an Egyptologist, funded the search and worked with Carter. He became the first victim of the curse of the pharaohs.

death streak

The first to suffer from the curse was Carter's bird: she lived in the house of an Egyptologist in Luxor. In November, just a few days after the tomb was opened, a cobra entered the house and ate a bird. In the media, this story was interpreted as a bad sign, because the cobra in Egyptian mythology was the protector of the pharaohs and struck enemies.



Opening of the fourth chamber of the tomb, 1923

Well, then a whole series of deaths happened, and the most the first to die was George Carnarvon, who was also the first to enter tomb. Lord was 56 years old, death overtook him in April 1923, when research in the tomb of Tutankhamun was in full swing.

Carnarvon was far from the only one: the next day after the lord, another archaeologist, Arthur Mace, died. Another victim died in May: it was the millionaire from the States, George Gould.



Guards at the entrance to the burial chamber.

In July, the newspapers wrote about the next person who attended the opening of the tomb, but also died suddenly. They became the Egyptian prince Ali Kamel Fahmi Bey: during a quarrel wife shot. In September, Carnarvon's brother accidentally died. Brother was not the last: in total, by 1929, 22 people had died. Of them thirteen were present at the opening personally, the rest were their relatives. And how can you not believe in the curse?

The journalist who gave birth to the legend

How did this myth appear, which many today believe reality? The main culprit for the appearance of the legend of the curse is considered Daily Mail journalist Arthur Weigall. Arthur was a writer, archaeologist, lover and connoisseur of Egyptian mythology. This knowledge made him a good journalist who was well aware of the impact bring mythology to the minds of the people. He regularly reminded readers of mysterious events associated with the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun and necessarily described in all colors the deaths of its discoverers, calling them strange and mystical.



Lord Carnarvon, his daughter and Carter at the tomb.

He also recalled urban legends about scientists, who brought mummies to Britain, and then faced inexplicable phenomena. And so the legend of the curse appeared, in which they willingly believed even great historical figures. In particular, Benito Mussolini once gaveEgyptian mummy, but, having learned about the sequence of deaths, he ordered her to be removed from his palace. Believed in the curse and Arthur Conan Doyle, who in the last years of his life became interested in mysticism.

What is the real cause of death

However, no matter how mysterious these deaths may seem, they everyone has an explanation. For example, six people who were struck curse, have long celebrated their 70th anniversary: this is more than advanced age for the 1920s. Carnarvon himself, deceased First, I've been sick for a long time. Actually, he went to Egypt to heal lungs: dry air was believed to be good for lung diseases.



Artifacts from the tomb.

In addition, there are other versions: in the tomb of the pharaohs the ancient Egyptians laid the poison, which poisoned the participants expeditions. Finally, there is another theory - this is fungal poisoning. Aspergillus, which archaeologists could easily inhale. It develops in grave mold, and for a person with poor health can become deadly. This fungus was also found in the lungs of the mummy itself.

What do you think, is there a curse of Tutankhamen?