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A gilded lion bed, clothes chest, and other objects in the antechamber. The wall of the burial chamber is guarded by statues.
In the early 1900s, the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb caught the world’s attention. This young Egyptian pharaoh, who ruled thousands of years ago, lay forgotten until archaeologists unearthed his resting place. It was a momentous find, mainly because the tomb was almost untouched.
But the tomb brought stories of a mysterious curse. People started talking about a string of unfortunate events affecting those who entered the tomb. At the same time, experts looked closely at the mummy and the objects around it. They found many things that needed to match their expectations.
His tomb was filled with gold, and artifacts also had some oddities. The historians learned that the ancient Egyptians believed a pharaoh became close to the gods after death. They spoke to the gods on behalf of their people, making the mummification process extremely important. However, Tutankhamun’s mummy and tomb did not completely follow these sacred traditions.
Tutankhamun’s Tomb: The gold mask in situ on the mummy of the King, still inside the third (innermost) solid gold coffin.
Howard Carter’s Astonishing Discovery
In 1922, archaeologist Howard Carter and his companion, Lord George Carnarvon, made an incredible find. They discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun, a young king of ancient Egypt. This was a huge deal because it was one of the few tombs that robbers hadn’t broken into over the years.
When Carter first opened the tomb, he was amazed. Inside, he saw a small, cramped room that looked more like a storage space than a royal burial chamber. It was filled with treasures and artifacts, but the setup was not what Carter expected for a king’s final resting place.
The location of Tutankhamun’s tomb also raised questions. It was far away from where other royal ancestors were buried. According to ancient Egyptian beliefs, this separation could prevent the pharaoh from reuniting with his family in the afterlife. Carter and other researchers wondered why the king didn’t receive the grand burial typically given to pharaohs. This discovery led to a number of theories.
Theories and Mysteries Surrounding the Young King’s Death
There are many theories about how Tutankhamun died. He was the child of two siblings, which led to several health problems. The young pharaoh had a clubfoot and needed a cane to walk. researchers found over 130 canes in his tomb, showing how much he relied on them. He also had a weak immune system and signs of malaria. These health issues make it hard to know exactly what caused his death. Some think he had an accident, like falling off his chariot, which was a favorite pastime of his.
The condition of Tutankhamun’s mummy adds to the mystery. Unlike other mummies, he had a large cut from his hip to his belly button. Also, his heart was missing, which is strange because the ancient Egyptians usually left the heart inside the body. They believed the heart was the center of a person’s mind. All these unusual details about his mummy make it hard to figure out how exactly Tutankhamun died.
A statue of Anubis on a shrine with pallbearers’ poles in the treasury of the tomb.
The Curse of the Pharaohs
After the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb, a story about a curse started to spread. This curse supposedly caused bad things to happen to people who entered the tomb. Some of the scientists and archaeologists who were there during the opening died under mysterious circumstances. This made many people believe in the curse of the pharaohs.
For example, Lord Carnarvon, who helped discover the tomb, died not long after from an infection. His death and others made the idea of a curse more popular. But many experts think these were just coincidences. The people who died after visiting the tomb were mostly older, and their deaths could be explained in natural ways.
For instance, Carnarvon was already sick before he entered the tomb. Plus, Howard Carter, who was the first to enter the tomb, lived for many years after the discovery. He died of natural causes at the age of 64.
So, while the story of a curse is exciting, it’s more likely that these events were just a series of unfortunate and unrelated incidents rather than a real curse.
Thanks for reading Pharaoh’s newsletter.
Best regards,
Mina Shohdy