The curse of King Tut
Hoax or Horror?
Hey conspirators,
Egypt. King Tut. Curses. Reader beware…
It belongs in a museum!
King Tutankhamun, or King Tut, is perhaps the most recognized Egyptian ruler aside from Cleopatra. He is known for becoming pharaoh at the young age of 10, an unusually short reign, and well... his tomb.
In 1922, Howard Carter and his team of archaeologists discovered Tut’s tomb underneath some workman’s huts that had been built during the third Ramesside period. That means the tomb, and Tut’s remains, had been left dormant for 3,000 years before Carter found it.
The tomb was filled with Tut’s mummy, gold, and a multitude of ancient Egyptian artifacts. But was it also filled with a deadly curse? That remains to be seen. Get it? Remains? (Look, it was going to be a pun or a Brendan Frazier quote so just count your blessings.)
Anyway, the reason we’re here: a handful people who opened or visited the tomb died conspicuous, early deaths. Before we delve into the deaths, let’s get more familiar with these curses.
Who needs security when you’ve got ancient burial curses?
The curse of the pharaohs, or the mummy’s curse, is purported to be cast on anyone who disturbs the mummy of an ancient Egyptian pharaoh. Appearing inside or on the façade of many tombs for the ruling class in ancient Egypt, most frequently in the Old Kingdom, these warnings are aimed to deter anyone who disturbs the remains.
The tomb of Ankhtifi included a warning stating that anyone who does “evil or wickedness to this coffin” would have their religious offerings denied by deities and leave heirs unable to inherit.
The tomb of Khentika Ikhekhi was a bit more…graphic. Its warning stated that any impure men who enter the tomb will be judged and ended – specifically stating “I shall seize his neck like a bird.. I shall cast the fear of myself into him.” Creepy? Yes. But why is this dude seizing the necks of birds in the first place?
Perhaps my favorite warning: "Cursed be those who disturb the rest of a Pharaoh. They that shall break the seal of this tomb shall meet death by a disease that no doctor can diagnose." I mean, unable to treat the disease is one thing, but at least let my internist diagnose me. Geez.
And then there was one…with Hodgkins lymphoma
Carter and his team opened the tomb on 29 November 1922.
The financier of the excavation, George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, was dead 4 months and 7 days afterward. A few weeks after seeing the tomb, he sliced himself shaving and the wound became infected. The associated blood poisoning led to his untimely death. Oh, and the weirdest aspect here – a lesion was found on the same cheek of King Tut’s mummy, matching Herbert’s.
Another George, another death. George J. Gould, a railroad executive, died from a fever he developed shortly after visiting the tomb.
Sir Archibald Douglas Reid, the radiologist who x-rayed the tomb, died from an unknown illness in 1924.
A.C. Mace, a member of the excavation team, died from arsenic poisoning in 1928.
Richard Bethell, Carter’s secretary, died in 1929 – or more accurately, was murdered, the victim of a suspected smothering. (A year later Bethell’s father supposedly committed suicide by jumping off a building.)
Carter developed Hodgkin’s lymphoma, diagnosed after the tomb’s opening. He died in 1939.
Hoax or Horror?
Despite the alleged evidence, the curse has actually been deemed a hoax by many of those who’ve studied it. A 2002 retrospective cohort study in the British Medical Journal compared the mean age of death of 44 westerners who were in Egypt at the time, some who visited the tomb and some who did not. Those who visited reached an average age of 70 versus an average age of 75 for those who did not.
Some believe the deaths were indeed connected the tomb but aren’t fun enough to believe in curses. So they blame it on the tomb’s mold and toxins that modern humans hadn’t adapted to. I don’t know who these people are but I wouldn’t invite them to any parties.
Finally, despite popular misconceptions, there were actually no curses inscribed in King Tut’s tomb. But we all know curses can be spoken.
Take your deeper dives
1. Jacqueline Morley’s book takes the reader through the opening and mysterious deaths, with a bit of humor and entertainment
2. Stuff You Should Know’s podcast looks at the scientific basis behind the curse
3. It wouldn’t be a conspiracy theory about Egypt if Ancient Aliens didn’t have an episode on it.
Next week we'll cover Ong’s Hat and the potential secret to interdimensional travel.
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