Here are 5 of the most famous rumors surrounding the curse of
King Tut’s tomb, and the truth behind them:
- Rumor #1 -
On the day the tomb was opened, Carter’s pet canary was eaten by a
cobra (a symbol of the ancient pharaohs).
The truth is that, although Carter had a pet canary, he gave it to a
friend named Minnie Burton to watch, and she gave it (alive and well)
to a bank manager.
- Rumor #2 -
At the moment that Carnarvon died in Cairo Hospital, the lights across
Cairo went out for five minutes.
Actually, around the time that Carnarvon died, the hospital lights, and
only the hospital lights, did go out for a few moments. Within a few
weeks time, this fact was twisted into the more interesting rumor.
- Rumor #3 -
Carnarvon’s dog Susie, back in England, howled and dropped dead at
exactly two o’clock in the morning, the time that Carnarvon died.
No one knows whether this story is true or not, but it seems
suspicious, especially since Egypt and England do not share the same
time zone.
- Rumor #4 -
Over the door to King Tut’s tomb was an inscription that read “Death
shall come on swift wings to him that toucheth the tomb of the Pharaoh.”
Notice that this inscription closely matches the quotation Marie
Corelli cited from the ancient Arabic text.
- Rumor #5 -
Most of the people present at the opening of the tomb met untimely
deaths.
Egyptologist Herbert E. Winlock examined the evidence some 12 years
after the tomb’s opening. Of the 26 people present at the opening of
the burial chamber, only 6 had died within the next 10 years. When King
Tut’s sarcophagus was opened, 22 of the 26 people were present, but
only 2 of them had died within 10 years afterward. Finally, only 10 of
the 26 people had watched the unwrapping of the mummy. And none of them
had died within the next decade! In fact, many of the people who had
the most contact with the king's mummy lived long and productive lives.
(From http://www.mummytombs.com/egypt/kingtut.htm)
Created By: Anna M. Mason
For: ANT 4195, Dr. Tykot's Fantastic Archaeology Class
University of South Florida
