The Truth Behind King Tut's Curse: Myth or Reality?

Was the Curse of King Tut’s Tomb real, or just a tale to thrill the masses? In this video, we unravel the mysteries surrounding the legendary discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922 and the so-called ‘mummy’s curse’ that followed. Explore the chilling stories, historical context, and scientific theories behind one of history’s most fascinating enigmas. Whether you’re a history buff, a fan of ancient Egypt, or just curious about the truth behind the legend, this video will take you deep into the sands of time. Dare to discover the truth—if you’re brave enough!" 

https://daily.jstor.org/was-it-really-a-mummys-curse/ 

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/curse-of-the-mummy#:~:text=%22My%20research%20has%20not%20only,Montserrat%20stressed%20to%20the%20Independent. 

https://www.livescience.com/ancient-egyptian-mummy-curse.html 

https://egymonuments.gov.eg/monuments/tomb-of-tutankhamun/ 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Carter 

https://artsandculture.google.com/story/the-curse-of-pharaoh-tutankhamun/eAJyYyD6emhtIw 

Transcript

You are listening to An Ounce, Season 6, Episdoe35, The Truth Behind King Tut's Curse: Myth or Reality? 

It was 1922. Hot sand and dust permeated everything—clothing, food, and even your bed. The dust, at times, choked even those accustomed to it. Though air conditioning was invented 20 years earlier, most people hadn’t even heard of it, let alone having it available in a tent at some remote archaeological dig in the sands of Egypt. All one could hope for was a little shade and perhaps some lukewarm liquid refreshment to try to beat the heat. But no one could escape the sand. 

The pursuit of treasures buried in the sands of Egypt had been ongoing almost since the Kings and Pharaohs were first interred, and it continued over the centuries. In the 18oos and early 1900s, Egyptians searched for artifacts to sell to tourists in the marketplace. It was a good way to feed a family. The trade with tourists and scholars was ongoing, and a little bit hopeful. Who knew? Maybe one day, they’d find that artifact that would make them rich. 

The big score in the early 1900s was the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun. But we’ll talk more about that later. 

Digging up Trouble? 

Today, uncovering and selling artifacts is tightly controlled and regulated by the government. Trying to work under the radar in the black market is a good way to earn some prison time—or worse. Meddling with the dead and looting their graves has never been for the faint-hearted or weak. There are scoundrels and thieves to contend with too. 

During the European exploration and treasure hunts of the 18th and 19th centuries, you might get lucky enough to secure a position working with a crew digging in the Valley of the Kings. It was still hard manual labor, but it was also a steady paycheck. And if you were sneaky enough, you might even manage to smuggle out a little something to sell on the side. As for those rumored curses—well, they weren’t really part of the history or culture in Egypt. Grave digging was frowned upon, as it is in any culture. But if curses were to be doled out, they were going to fall on those responsible for disturbing the dead—in the big digs, that would be the bosses and financiers, not the peasant diggers. 

Curses: Whose Idea Were They? 

in the Western world, stories and books were published that romanticized the idea of treasures and supernatural hexes associated with the great rulers of Egypt. Louisa May Alcott, famous for her work Little Women, also published a well-received short story, Lost in a Pyramid; or, The Mummy’s Curse. 

Perhaps some of these ideas of dark danger were perpetuated by Egyptomania, an obsession started by Napoleon a hundred years prior. Now, here’s where it gets a bit weird: mummies found in Egypt were transported back to Europe, along with artifacts. The artifacts were prominently displayed, and the mummies… well, the upper class would hold parties, inviting their closest friends to watch as a mummy was unwrapped. From this macabre and humiliating practice, the notion that folks would pay a price for such unseemly behavior somehow took root. Voilà—the idea of the mummy’s curse was introduced: a curse where the mummy would wake up, or return from the dead, and take revenge on those who dared disturb their rest. 

A Cursed Case Study 

Back to 1922. The tomb of Tutankhamun was discovered during a dig in the Valley of the Kings. Tut passed some 3,000 years earlier at the age of 17. His tomb remains one of the best and most well-known examples of the way Pharaohs were interred. Inside, there were amazing riches, priceless artifacts, and the sarcophagus and mummy of the boy pharaoh. As spectacular as this discovery was, according to accounts and legends, there was a curse on anyone who disturbed King Tut’s tomb. 

As proof, we see the well-publicized demise of those who supposedly fell under the curse because they dared to denigrate the Pharaohs. 

The Tut excavation was funded and monitored on-site by George Herbert, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon. About six months later, in early 1923, the Earl was dead—blood poisoning. And his half-brother passed from the same cause. 

But the Earl’s wife, Lady Evelyn Herbert, who also entered the tomb, lived until 1980. She was 93. I guess the curse worked a little slower on her. 

George Jay Gould, an American financier, visited the tomb. He died less than a year later, in 1923, of pneumonia. 

Howard Carter, the head archaeologist who was the first to peer into the tomb, died of Hodgkin’s disease in 1939—over 15 years after cracking into Tut’s tomb. 

Then there’s the troubles faced by Sir Bruce Ingham, a friend of Howard Carter. He accepted the gift of a paperweight made of a mummified hand… and then his house burned down, was rebuilt, and flooded. 

Was it the curse? 

It seems that the supposed curse, unlike how it is portrayed in adventure fiction, was not written anywhere in the tomb, or in legend—or anywhere else. And a curse may not have had anything to do with any of this. 

To move beyond supernatural explanations, some have studied the microbes in the tomb’s environment. They found some nasty stuff, like Aspergillus Niger and Aspergillus Flavus, which can cause bleeding in the lungs. However, these toxins were not found in large enough amounts to do any harm to anybody. 

Then the mathematicians got involved. They looked at the death rates of the time, matching these against the life spans and causes of death of the leadership and crew who exposed the tomb. They found no increase in death rates or tragedies endured. 

So, what happened? Why are we still talking about the curse of the mummy? And why are the stories of the curse so prevalent and enduring? 

I don’t know. But it might have something to do with headlines that sold newspapers, like, "Pharaoh’s 3,000-year-old Curse is seen in [the death of George Herbert, the 5th Earl of] Carnarvon." And other headlines of the time. It was such a good story that it just took off, manifesting in movies and books to thrill the public. 

Curse or No Curse? 

There is no proof that there is now, or ever was, a mummy’s curse. Some can make the case that it never existed. There is also no proof that establishes there isn’t a curse. And there are those you will never convince otherwise. 

What’s your opinion? Let us know what you think in the comments! 

Whether you think there might be a curse or not, there is an ounce or two—maybe three—of wisdom and insight that might be found in this story of the mummy’s curse… or non-curse. For now, let’s just focus on one. 

Sometimes people tell the truth. Sometimes they just think they are. Sometimes they embellish, exaggerate, tell stories, or just flat-out lie. When it comes to this, credibility and verification matter. Because lies often move easily in the company of truth. 

We live in a world where most of us have to gather our own set of facts—truths that we lean on and live by. And they are not the same for everyone. 

Look—if they can demote Pluto from being a planet, a real physical location in space, a decent-sized rock (that I was taught was a planet), to not being a planet, well, we all need to be ready, and humble enough, to embrace newly revealed and confirmed truth when we are looking at it. Especially when it conflicts with what we thought we already knew. 

So, here’s An Ounce: 

There are facts, and there are falsehoods. There is truth, and there are lies. And our perspective on these facts may shift at times. But if something was really true yesterday—it will be today as well—and tomorrow too. The question is whether or not we can understand it in a new light. 

And that’s it—An Ounce, submitted for your consideration.