Pathways Egypt

When the tomb of the boy-Pharaoh Tutankhamun was discovered in 1922, a story quickly spread through the media that the explorers had uncovered an ancient curse. This was propagated by the death of the financier of the exploration, Lord Carnarvon, who died unexpectedly from malaria within four months of the discovery.

With the discovery of the tomb, the intellectual world was suddenly Egypt-crazy, and the current wave of Egyptology began. This spread to the general populace who, entranced by the idea of a curse, sought further media sources to fuel their interest. The media responded by creating stories where there was none; while Carnarvon had indeed died soon after the discovery, the overall death rate of those in the tomb in subsequent years was average. Nonetheless, stories began to surface of curses written in hieroglyphics and doomed endings for those involved in the excavation – and the ‘Curse of the Pharaohs’ was born.

While the stories of curses found within the tomb of Tutankhamun have no factual basis, there is nevertheless a history of curses within the tombs of Pharaohs This seems to have been a common practice during the 9 and 10 Dynasties of Pharaohs; Tutankhamun, by comparison, was Nineteenth Dynasty. The Nine and 10 Dynasty tombs do include inscriptions warning people of disturbing the Pharaoh, but it is more the exception than the rule.

As mentioned previously, the death rate of those involved in the excavation is no higher than a sample population of the population. Carnarvon’s death was unusual – he died following a mosquito bite, which became infected – but was by no means a sign of a curse.

While the boy-king has fascinated the world since the discovery of his tomb, it is unlikely that such a curse exists. However, there is still an ongoing worry in some intellectual circles over the entering of Pharaoh tombs, a superstition which doubtlessly finds its roots in the 1922 excavation of Tutankhamun.