How The King Tut Curse Supposedly Killed 9 People — After His Death

Published October 3, 2017
Updated December 20, 2017

The mysterious deaths of those who unearthed his tomb have long been attributed to the infamous King Tut curse.

Opening Tomb Of King Tut
Lord Carnarvon King Tut Curse
Egyptian Tomb
George Jay Gould
How The King Tut Curse Supposedly Killed 9 People — After His Death
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When King Tutankhamen's tomb was opened, Howard Carter was beside himself. His discovery had launched the world into the modern era of Egyptology, and he was riding high on one of the most amazing discoveries in history.

However, his joy would be short-lived.

Within 10 years of opening the tomb, 9 of the archeologists on Howard's team would be dead, leading many to wonder if the famed "Pharaoh's Curse" was real after all.

Since the first tomb was discovered, legends of curses have surrounded them. Pharaohs were notorious for leaving warnings on their tombs to discourage any thieves or plunderers, and any archaeologists who discovered these warnings were inclined to believe that bad luck would befall them, should they be anything less than respectful.

The curses did not differentiate between thieves and archeologists, and allegedly caused bad luck, illness, and even death. Many archeologists and historians have argued that the curses are real, though except in a few cases, the curse itself has been construed by the reader, rather than made clear through writings.

Tutankhamen's tomb was by far the most interesting, however. The deaths attributed to the King Tut curse were well publicized, and the people who died were well known. The media also spiraled into a frenzy, running with the idea of a curse and projecting it onto the deaths, claiming that there was no explanation for them other than magic.

Ultimately, the deaths attributed to the King Tut curse were deemed not-superstitious, as they were able to be explained away by bad luck, family history, and pure idiocy. Though, one has to wonder, how coincidental it is that they all died mysteriously after coming in contact with the "Boy King."


After this look at the King Tut curse, check out this stunning aerial view of Alexandria, Egypt. Then, read about the 3,500 year old goldsmith tomb that was discovered near the Valley of Kings.

author
Katie Serena
author
A former staff writer at All That's Interesting, Katie Serena has also published work in Salon.
editor
John Kuroski
editor
John Kuroski is the editorial director of All That's Interesting. He graduated from New York University with a degree in history, earning a place in the Phi Alpha Theta honor society for history students. An editor at All That's Interesting since 2015, his areas of interest include modern history and true crime.