The discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun became an archaeological find of the century. For exactly three thousand years the tomb stood untouched, untouched by either the greedy tomb robbers or religious fanatics - and such have already opened many other tombs in the Valley of the Kings.
On February 16, 1923, Egyptologist Howard Carter and amateur archaeologist George Carnarvon descended into the tomb. They, like everyone else involved in this case, had less than a year to live.
Child ruler
The young Pharaoh Tutankhamun ascended the throne at the tender age of nine and died at about 18. For ten years Tutankhamun ruled Egypt and during this time managed to accomplish many prominent deeds, from the conquest of the Syrian tribes to the pacification of the two warring religions. His death became as mysterious as his birth: even in those distant times, people very rarely died so early.
Birth puzzle
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Surprisingly, Egyptologists still cannot provide the exact origin of Tutankhamun. There are two versions: according to one, the father of the pharaoh was Akhenaten, according to the other Smenkhkar. Both do not stand up to criticism - radiocarbon analysis showed that Tutankhamun's DNA is not close to either of the groups. Thus, the most famous pharaoh of Egypt literally appeared out of nowhere.
The last of the kings
The discovery of the true tomb of Tutankhamun shocked archaeologists. The tomb stood untouched for three millennia, although all other graves in the Valley of the Kings were plundered long ago by thieves. In 1922, the expedition of British aristocrat George Edward Stanhope to Molyneux Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon first approached the sealed doors of Tutankhamun's tomb.
What was found inside
The treasures found in the tomb are estimated at several billion dollars. The whole world at that time listened to the news from the Valley of the Kings; here numerous crooks and lovers of profit began to flock. However, the celebration did not last long. The sudden death of Lord Carnarvon so frightened the audience that in a few days the space near the tomb was again empty.
Sudden doom
So Carnarvon died. He died under extremely mysterious circumstances, two days after he rose from the tomb to the surface. Moreover, on the neck of the British aristocrat, the coroner discovered a scar identical to that on the neck of the pharaoh's mummy. This fact was documented by the correspondent of the Daily Mail, Arthur Weigall.
Darkness over Cairo
At the time of Carnarvon's death, electricity suddenly went out throughout Cairo. There may, of course, be a simple coincidence - however, there are too many coincidences in this story. The lord's dog died that evening at Highclere Ancestral Castle. The message about the death of Carnarvon came only the next day.
Subsequent victims
Soon, a series of deaths began for everyone who was somehow involved in the opening of the tomb of the pharaoh. Archaeologist Arthur Mays, radiologist Sir Archibald Douglas-Reid, financier George Gould (who also visited the tomb), Carnarvon's brother, traveler and diplomat Colonel Aubrey Herbert. A few months later, the list continued: a member of the Egyptian royal family, Prince Ali Kamel Fahmi Bey, who was present at the opening of the tomb, died (shot by his wife), the younger of Carnarvon, Mervin Herbert, died.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, expressing his personal opinion in favor of the existence of a curse, suggested that the death of Lord Carnarvon was caused by some "elementals" created by the priests of Tutankhamun to guard the royal tomb. This further fueled interest in the media. The explanation given by the famous respected writer was quite flexible, and, if desired, could fit into both the scientific and mystical versions of what happened.
Scared fascist
It was simply stupid not to believe in the power of the curse with such evidence. People around the world were imbued with fear of Egyptian mythology, and Benito Mussolini, upon learning of the death of Carnarvon and Gould, ordered the immediate removal of the Egyptian mummy brought to him from the Palazzo Chigi from the Palazzo Chigi.
Beware of mummies
Of course, today scientists are least inclined to regard the death of people as a consequence of some kind of curse. There are several more scientific theories that can explain sudden deaths. For example, ancient mummies could carry some dangerous types of mold, guano of bats - dangerous bacteria. Richard Bachman of Cornwell University suggests that the death of Lord Carnarvon is clear evidence of this, and he died, according to the researcher, from the contact of a bat's claw with a wound on the body of the Lord.