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When archeologist Howard Carter first opened the tomb of King Tutankhamen in 1922, and realized that it was filled with gold, the world was captivated. It was a momentous occasion for Egyptology and for history. This was huge, and the world was excited. At least until people started dying.
Then, all everyone could talk about was the curse of the Pharaoh and the endless death and destruction that was unleashed on everyone that disturbed his eternal slumber. According to historians, within the first decade of the tomb opening, 20+ people associated with the excavation, died under suspicious circumstances.
That’s spooky.
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While today it’s assumed that every Egyptian tomb has an inscription that curses everyone, back then, no one knew. It wasn’t until the beginning of the 19th century that Egyptologists were able to decipher Hieroglyphs and realize that they were being cursed. So most archeologists, egyptologists and grave robbers thought they were just the victims of bad luck.
After the opening of the Tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922, that perception changed.
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Arguably the most famous tomb in Egyptian history, the burial site of Tutankhamun almost wasn’t found. Plenty of teams had spent time in the Valley of Kings (where the majority of Egyptian Tombs are located) in the early 1900’s looking for anything and everything they could find, and by 1907, it was decided that the area’s secrets had been exhausted.
Enter a British aristocrat with deep pockets named George Edward Stanhope Molyneus Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnavon and Egyptologist Howard Carter. They ended up becoming curious about a group of abandoned huts and decided to dig below. Discovering stairs, they eventually dug their way to the front door of an unknown tomb full of gold, riches and the body of the boy king.
They also opened up a whirlwind of mysterious deaths, all attributed to the disturbance of this final resting place.
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George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon
The first to go was the benefactor; Lord Carnarvon. A few months after the tomb was opened, he accidentally tore open a mosquito bite while shaving his cheek, and ended up dying of blood poisoning shortly after. It was reported that all the lights in his house back in England, mysteriously went off at the moment of his death.
The first to go was the benefactor; Lord Carnarvon. A few months after the tomb was opened, he accidentally tore open a mosquito bite while shaving his cheek, and ended up dying of blood poisoning shortly after. It was reported that all the lights in his house back in England, mysteriously went off at the moment of his death.
Even more spooky, was once they got around to conducting X-rays on the mummy of King Tut, they found he had a lesion on his cheek in a similar spot.
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Sir Bruce Ingham
Ingram was a publisher and philanthropist, who was a friend of Howard Carters. While he didn’t die from the curse, he got incredibly unlucky due to it. Carter gifted him a paperweight that consisted of a mummified hand wearing a bracelet that supposedly was inscribed with the words “cursed be he who moves my body.”
Ingram was a publisher and philanthropist, who was a friend of Howard Carters. While he didn’t die from the curse, he got incredibly unlucky due to it. Carter gifted him a paperweight that consisted of a mummified hand wearing a bracelet that supposedly was inscribed with the words “cursed be he who moves my body.”
Ingham’s house burned to the ground shortly after he got the gift, and repeated floods prevented him from rebuilding it.
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George Jay Gould
Gould was a wealthy American financier and railroad executive, who visited the tomb of Tutankhamen in 1923. Immediately afterward, he fell sick. He never recovered and died of pneumonia a few months later.
Gould was a wealthy American financier and railroad executive, who visited the tomb of Tutankhamen in 1923. Immediately afterward, he fell sick. He never recovered and died of pneumonia a few months later.
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Aubrey Herbert
Herbert was a half brother to Lord Carnarvon, so just by being related to him, became victim to the supposed curse. Born with a degenerative eye condition, he was totally blind by the time he was 40. A doctor suggested to him that his rotten, infected teeth were to blame, so he had every single tooth pulled from his head in an effort to get his sight back.
Herbert was a half brother to Lord Carnarvon, so just by being related to him, became victim to the supposed curse. Born with a degenerative eye condition, he was totally blind by the time he was 40. A doctor suggested to him that his rotten, infected teeth were to blame, so he had every single tooth pulled from his head in an effort to get his sight back.
It didn’t work. He got sepsis and died, 5 months after his half-brother.
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Hugh Evelyn-White
Evelyn-White was a fellow archeologist and visited Tut’s tomb. He also may have helped excavate the site. After seeing death sweep over almost two dozen of his fellow excavators by 1924, he hung himself. Written in blood on the wall of his room was this phrase: “I have succumbed to a curse which forces me to disappear.”
Evelyn-White was a fellow archeologist and visited Tut’s tomb. He also may have helped excavate the site. After seeing death sweep over almost two dozen of his fellow excavators by 1924, he hung himself. Written in blood on the wall of his room was this phrase: “I have succumbed to a curse which forces me to disappear.”
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Aaron Ember
Ember was an American Egyptologist who was friends with Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon. He died in 1926, when his house in Baltimore burned down after he and his wife had had a dinner party.
Ember was an American Egyptologist who was friends with Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon. He died in 1926, when his house in Baltimore burned down after he and his wife had had a dinner party.
Apparently, he could have survived, had he not ran back inside to fetch a manuscript called The Egyptian Book of the Dead. Ironically enough, while he was saving his book, his wife went to save their son. They too perished, along with the maid.
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Captain Richard Bethell
Bethell was Carter’s personal secretary and the first person behind Carter to enter the tomb. He died in 1929 under mysterious circumstances, when he was found smothered in his room at an elite London gentleman’s club.
Bethell was Carter’s personal secretary and the first person behind Carter to enter the tomb. He died in 1929 under mysterious circumstances, when he was found smothered in his room at an elite London gentleman’s club.
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Richard Luttrell Pilkington Bethell, 3rd Baron Westbury
He was the father of Carter’s personal secretary, and after his son was found dead, fell in to a deep depression. He supposedly threw himself off the balcony of his 7th floor apartment.
He was the father of Carter’s personal secretary, and after his son was found dead, fell in to a deep depression. He supposedly threw himself off the balcony of his 7th floor apartment.
What made this event more tragic and creepy, was that the apartment was filled with artefacts from King Tut’s tomb, that had been given to him by his son.
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Sir Archibald Douglas Reid
Despite not being a financial backer or on the expedition, the radiologist that took King Tut’s X-rays wasn’t immune to the curse. The day after conducting the X-ray and giving the mummy over to museum authorities, he fell ill and died 3 days later.
Despite not being a financial backer or on the expedition, the radiologist that took King Tut’s X-rays wasn’t immune to the curse. The day after conducting the X-ray and giving the mummy over to museum authorities, he fell ill and died 3 days later.
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A.C. Mace
Mace was a member of Carter’s excavation team. Under unknown circumstances, he got arsenic poisoning, and died in 1928.
Mace was a member of Carter’s excavation team. Under unknown circumstances, he got arsenic poisoning, and died in 1928.
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Howard Carter
Surprisingly enough, the man who found the tomb, might have been spared from the curse. It depends who you ask. Carter lived for over a decade past the date that the tomb was opened, succumbing to Hodgkin’s Disease in 1939. While he lasted the longest out of everyone involved, cancer in the 30’s isn’t a fun way to go either.
Surprisingly enough, the man who found the tomb, might have been spared from the curse. It depends who you ask. Carter lived for over a decade past the date that the tomb was opened, succumbing to Hodgkin’s Disease in 1939. While he lasted the longest out of everyone involved, cancer in the 30’s isn’t a fun way to go either.
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