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The Curse of King Tutanhkhamun
Hollywood and the media have made much of “The Curse of the Pharaohs.” This popular legend was born when Lord Carnarvon, the English Earl who funded the Tutankhamun expedition, died less than six months after the opening of the tomb.
Despite the fact that Lord Carnarvon was a sickly individual, and that no such “hieroglyphic curse” was found inscribed on the tomb, this legend persists today.
The Legend Begins…
Lord Carnarvon had been in a car accident many years earlier and had never fully recovered. About a month after entering the tomb, he cut open a mosquito bite while shaving and infection set in. Blood poisoning and pneumonia quickly followed, and within a few weeks, he passed away.
Newspapers reported that mysterious forces unleashed from the mummy and its trappings had caused his death. At least one reporter even went so far as to mistranslate a bit of text inscribed on a mud brick found in front of the Anubis shrine:
“I will kill all of those who cross this threshold into the sacred precincts of the royal king who lives forever.”
In reality, this text reads:
“I am the one who prevents the sand from blocking the secret chamber.” (Translation by David Silverman, Egyptologist)
Other reporters took hold of the story, and soon the legend of “The Pharaoh’s Curse” spread like wildfire.
Continue to Problems with the Press. >>
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