When Howard Carter peered into the sealed tomb of Tutankhamun on Nov. 26, 1922, and whispered that he saw wonderful things, he could not have imagined that his discovery would launch not only the greatest archaeological sensation of the century but also one of historys most enduring supernatural legends: the tale of King Tuts curse.Within months of breaching the pharaohs 3,000-year-old resting place, members of the expedition began dying under mysterious circumstances, sparking headlines about an ancient curse that would claim victims for years to come.Some of the alleged victims of King Tuts curse never even set foot in his tomb. They were simply connected in one way or another to the pharaohs mummy, to the glimmering artifacts found inside his burial chamber, or even just to Lord Carnarvon, the British aristocrat who financed the excavations.The Curse of the Pharaohs became a cultural phenomenon that blended genuine tragedy with media sensationalism, raising questions that persist to this day: Were these deaths the result of paranormal vengeance or something far more earthly?Click here to view slideshowThe Discovery That Took The World By StormThe story began in Egypt's Valley of the Kings, where British archaeologist Howard Carter had spent 15 frustrating years searching for the tomb of the obscure boy king Tutankhamun.Financed by the wealthy Fifth Earl of Carnarvon, George Herbert, Carter's excavations had yielded little beyond mounting expenses and dwindling hope. Lord Carnarvon, who had taken up Egyptology after seeking Egypt's warm climate to recover from a serious automobile accident, was considering abandoning the project when Carter finally struck gold in November 1922.Wellcome CollectionA close-up of King Tut's mummified skull.The discovery was everything archaeologists dream of: an essentially intact royal tomb, untouched by grave robbers, filled with golden treasures and artifacts that offered an unprecedented window into ancient Egyptian royal life. Lord Carnarvon rushed from England to be present for the opening, becoming one of the first people in over three millennia to gaze upon the pharaoh's treasures. The tomb contained over 5,000 objects, from gilded chariots to the iconic golden funerary mask that would become one of the most recognizable images in archaeology.Carter, meanwhile, assembled a team of experts to carefully catalog and preserve the delicate artifacts. Among them was Arthur Mace, an experienced archaeologist from the Metropolitan Museum who helped open the sealed chambers, and various visiting scholars and dignitaries who were granted the privilege of viewing this archaeological miracle. The discovery made international headlines, drawing tourists from around the world and establishing Tutankhamun as the most famous pharaoh in history, despite his relatively minor role in ancient Egypt's actual political landscape.But the tomb also made headlines for another reason when people involved with the find began dropping dead from "King Tut's curse."Death Comes To The DisturbersThe curse narrative began almost immediately after Lord Carnarvon's sudden death on April 5, 1923, just five months after the tomb's opening. The earl had been bitten by a mosquito, accidentally reopened the wound while shaving, and developed blood poisoning that progressed to pneumonia. He died in Cairo at age 56, his weakened constitution from his earlier accident unable to fight the infection. Newspapers, however, seized upon his death with sensational headlines, claiming that disturbing the pharaoh's rest had triggered supernatural revenge.These rumors were exacerbated by Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of Sherlock Holmes. As the Glasgow Herald reported on April 6, 1923, Doyle stated, "An evil elemental may have caused Lord Carnarvon's fatal illness. One does not know what elementals existed in those days, nor what their form might be. The Egyptians knew a great deal more about those things than we do." The alleged curse of King Tut quickly accumulated victims. Public DomainHoward Carter, the archaeologist who led the excavation of Tut's tomb, pictured here in 1924. Lord Carnarvon's half-brother, Aubrey Herbert, died just five months later in September 1923, also from blood poisoning following a dental procedure. American railroad magnate George Jay Gould, who had visited the tomb as Carnarvon's guest, died in May 1923 from pneumonia after reportedly falling ill shortly after his trip to Egypt. The pattern seemed undeniable: Those who entered the tomb were being struck down by mysterious illnesses.More deaths followed in subsequent years, each adding to the mythology. Arthur Mace, who had worked directly with Carter in removing artifacts and handling the mummy itself, left Egypt in 1924 due to declining health and died in 1928 from complications of pleurisy and pneumonia at age 53. Archaeologist Hugh Evelyn-White, who had entered the mortuary chamber, hanged himself in 1924, allegedly leaving a suicide note stating, "I have succumbed to a curse."Even peripheral connections proved fatal in the public imagination: Egyptologist Aaron Ember, who was merely friends with expedition members, died in a 1926 house fire while trying to save his manuscript titled The Egyptian Book of the Dead.The stories of King Tut's curse grew more elaborate with each retelling, too. Sir Bruce Ingram, a friend of Carter who was gifted a mummified hand by the archaeologist that he used as a paperweight, saw his house burn down and then flood during reconstruction. Radiologist Sir Archibald Douglas Reid allegedly died soon after X-raying Tut's mummy, though this tale proved to be fabricated Carter did reportedly invite him to examine the corpse, but Reid died before he had the chance.The media had also reported that lights went out across Cairo at the moment of Carnarvon's death and that his dog simultaneously howled and died back in England, though neither claim was verified. In fact, as more and more people looked into the so-called curse of King Tut, they would ultimately discover exactly how much of it was completely fictional. The Scientific Reality Behind King Tut's CurseModern analysis revealed that the curse was largely a creation of sensational journalism meeting unfortunate coincidence. Of the 58 people who were reportedly present when the tomb and sarcophagus were opened, only eight died within 12 years hardly evidence of supernatural targeting. Most tellingly, Howard Carter himself, who spent more time in the tomb than anyone and handled the mummy directly, lived until 1939, dying at age 64 from cancer.In truth, the deaths that were attributed to King Tut's curse can largely be linked to the comparatively rudimentary medical knowledge of the 1920s. Before the discovery of antibiotics, infections from mosquito bites, dental procedures, and minor wounds frequently proved fatal. Blood poisoning, pneumonia, and pleurisy were common killers in an era when medical science had limited tools to combat bacterial infections. Lord Carnarvon's compromised immune system from his earlier accident made him particularly vulnerable, as did Arthur Mace's progressive respiratory condition.Public DomainHoward Carter kneels down to peer into a shrine in King Tut's tomb alongside archaeologist Arthur Callender (right) and an Egyptian worker.Some scientists have proposed that environmental hazards in the tomb itself may have contributed to respiratory illnesses. The sealed chamber contained dust, bat droppings, and potentially toxic fungal spores like Aspergillus flavus that could have accumulated over millennia. Archaeologists working in poorly ventilated ancient tombs inhaled these irritants for hours, potentially triggering or exacerbating lung conditions. This would explain why those who spent the most time inside, like Mace, developed respiratory problems, while other visitors remained healthy.Occupational hazards also claimed supposed curse victims. Sir Archibald Douglas Reid likely died from radiation poisoning, a common fate for early radiologists who worked before the dangers of X-ray exposure were understood. His profession, not Egyptian magic, killed him. Hugh Evelyn-White's suicide appears linked to depression and the psychological impact of losing friends, possibly exacerbated by the media hysteria surrounding the curse itself a tragic case where belief in King Tut's curse may have become self-fulfilling.The curse legend reveals more about 1920s society than ancient Egyptian supernatural power. The public was hungry for mystery and exoticism in the aftermath of World War I. Egypt represented a romantic escape, and the idea that ancient powers could reach across millennia to punish modern intruders satisfied a cultural appetite for the occult that was widespread in the era especially as Egyptomania swept across the Western world. Newspapers simply discovered that curse stories sold papers, and each new death no matter how tangentially connected to the tomb was eagerly added to the tally.But the most damning evidence against King Tut's curse is what was never found: curse inscriptions in Tutankhamun's tomb. The dire warnings allegedly carved into the tomb walls were complete fabrications. The actual deaths, tragic as they were, fell well within normal mortality rates for the era, and the vast majority of people connected to the discovery lived long, healthy lives. After learning about the alleged curse of King Tut, read the stories of 13 people who fell victim to the Hope Diamond curse. Or, read about the incredible story behind King Tut's mask.The post Is King Tuts Tomb Really Cursed? Inside The Stories Of 9 People Who Were Allegedly Hexed By The Pharaoh appeared first on All That's Interesting.