King tut's virtual tomb
The Curse of the Mummy
The curse of the mummy began when many terrible events
occurred after the discovery of King Tut's tomb. Legend has it that
anyone who dared to open the tomb would suffer the wrath of the
mummy. Because mummies have been associated with many magical powers
throughout history, some of the mummies found from Egypt were ground
into a fine powder and sold as mystical mummy powder. It's believed
the powder had magical healing powers and it wasn't until the
discovery of King Tut and the hype of the media that things would
change forever.
The hype began when Lord Carnarvon, the person who funded the dig of King Tut’s Tomb, died shortly after the discovery. The path to his death began in the spring of 1923 when he was bitten on the cheek by a mosquito. During his morning shaving routines, he further aggravated the mosquito bite. It soon became infected and Lord Carnarvon found himself ill. He suffered a high fever and chills. A doctor was sent to examine him but medical attention arrived too late and Lord Carnarvon died. At that exact moment the lights in Cairo mysteriously went out.
The hype began when Lord Carnarvon, the person who funded the dig of King Tut’s Tomb, died shortly after the discovery. The path to his death began in the spring of 1923 when he was bitten on the cheek by a mosquito. During his morning shaving routines, he further aggravated the mosquito bite. It soon became infected and Lord Carnarvon found himself ill. He suffered a high fever and chills. A doctor was sent to examine him but medical attention arrived too late and Lord Carnarvon died. At that exact moment the lights in Cairo mysteriously went out.
Once Carnarvon died the media went wild with stories of his
death. They claimed King Tut wanted vengeance and announced a
mummy's curse, which targeted those who had entered the tomb. Not
only did the death of Carnarvon get all the people in an uproar but
other stories began to surface as well. Of the stories that
surfaced, two remain prominent. One of the prominent stories is that
a cobra killed Howard Carter's (explorer who discovered King Tut’s
burial place) pet canary after the discovery of King Tut's tomb. The
other story is that Lord Carnarvon's dog howled and dropped dead at
two in the morning when Carnarvon died.
What is interesting is that Howard Carter lived a decade after this major discovery. So what happened to Howard Carter during all this hype? Howard Carter spent his last years logging and recording every artifact found in the tomb. Why didn't he suffer the curse of the mummy? He was, after all, the first to enter the tomb.
Did King Tut's Tomb really unleash a curse? New findings are showing that bacteria on the wall of the tomb might have been the cause of the curse. The bacteria would release spores into the air allowing it to be breathed. This in turn caused people who came into contact with these spores to become ill. Could this be what killed Lord Carnarvon? It appears that this could have contributed to his demise, as well as the fact that he was not in the best of health.
Whether the mummy’s curse is fact or fiction, this story seems to interest people even today. The myth of the curse has remained with King Tut and continues to make people question as to whether the curse was really unleashed. What is known is that when you mix propaganda, facts, and hype you get a story that can be exciting. It all really comes down to one question. Do you believe in the curse of the mummy? We will leave that for you to decide.
Whether the mummy’s curse is fact or fiction, this story seems to interest people even today. The myth of the curse has remained with King Tut and continues to make people question as to whether the curse was really unleashed. What is known is that when you mix
What is interesting is that Howard Carter lived a decade after this major discovery. So what happened to Howard Carter during all this hype? Howard Carter spent his last years logging and recording every artifact found in the tomb. Why didn't he suffer the curse of the mummy? He was, after all, the first to enter the tomb.
Did King Tut's Tomb really unleash a curse? New findings are showing that bacteria on the wall of the tomb might have been the cause of the curse. The bacteria would release spores into the air allowing it to be breathed. This in turn caused people who came into contact with these spores to become ill. Could this be what killed Lord Carnarvon? It appears that this could have contributed to his demise, as well as the fact that he was not in the best of health.
Whether the mummy’s curse is fact or fiction, this story seems to interest people even today. The myth of the curse has remained with King Tut and continues to make people question as to whether the curse was really unleashed. What is known is that when you mix propaganda, facts, and hype you get a story that can be exciting. It all really comes down to one question. Do you believe in the curse of the mummy? We will leave that for you to decide.
Whether the mummy’s curse is fact or fiction, this story seems to interest people even today. The myth of the curse has remained with King Tut and continues to make people question as to whether the curse was really unleashed. What is known is that when you mix
What is known is that when you mix propaganda, facts, and hype you
get a story that can be exciting. It all really comes down to one
question. Do you believe in the curse of the mummy? We will leave
that for you to decide.
King Tut’s Tomb Layout
King Tut's Tomb Chambers
Main Tomb Layout
King Tut’s tomb was comprised of four main rooms; the
antechamber, the annex, the burial chamber, and the treasury room.
This tomb was extraordinary as it was only one of two pharaoh tombs
ever discovered in Egypt that had not been robbed of its treasure.
The other pharaoh’s tomb found, Psusennes I, was the king who
reigned during the Intermediate Period and was deemed the “Silver
Pharaoh.”
Tutankhamun’s tomb was significant for many reasons. The tomb
revealed a great deal about the young pharaoh, his surroundings, and
how he and other people from that time in history may have lived.
This remarkable burial site was filled with priceless treasures that
yielded roughly 5000 objects. The most famous of the objects found
was the solid gold death mask and coffin.
Fortunately, the young pharaoh’s tomb remained hidden for almost three thousand years. This was most likely due to the excessive rubble from Ramses VI’s tomb; the fact that King Tut’s tomb was smaller in comparison to other pharaohs and was not as sought after as others; probably because Tutankhamun didn’t really leave a huge pharaoh legacy; and the fact that he only ruled for a short time and died at a very early age. It appears that before the discovery of his tomb, Tutankhamun was nearly forgotten by Egyptologists due to other more prominent pharaohs such as Ramses II, Akhenaten, Khufu, and Hatshepsut overshadowing him. This discovery, however, has made the pharaoh an icon of Egypt and the world. Because of this huge find, this once obscure pharaoh stands elevated and more famous than those before him and after him—he lives eternally.
Fortunately, the young pharaoh’s tomb remained hidden for almost three thousand years. This was most likely due to the excessive rubble from Ramses VI’s tomb; the fact that King Tut’s tomb was smaller in comparison to other pharaohs and was not as sought after as others; probably because Tutankhamun didn’t really leave a huge pharaoh legacy; and the fact that he only ruled for a short time and died at a very early age. It appears that before the discovery of his tomb, Tutankhamun was nearly forgotten by Egyptologists due to other more prominent pharaohs such as Ramses II, Akhenaten, Khufu, and Hatshepsut overshadowing him. This discovery, however, has made the pharaoh an icon of Egypt and the world. Because of this huge find, this once obscure pharaoh stands elevated and more famous than those before him and after him—he lives eternally.
Antechamber
The Antechamber is the first room that can be seen when walking
into Tutankhamun’s (King Tut) tomb. This chamber is the main hub as
all the other rooms can only be accessed through this chamber. Black
and white photos taken by Harry Burton during the excavation, shows
the room filled with treasure and somewhat organized; however, this
appears to still be a modest-filled tomb when compared to what other
more prominent pharaohs may have had included in their tombs. No one
knows why this tomb was not as elaborately dressed as other pharaohs
from Ancient Egypt were thought to have been. Several theories rest
on the fact that he had a short lifespan, and there was not enough
time to build a larger or well crafted tomb such as other pharaohs
had done before him.
Though the tomb is modest for a New Kingdom pharaoh, to modern spectators King Tut’s tomb is considered grand. As Howard Cater first entered the tomb, he was struck with amazement. His recorded account of the Antechamber is as follows: “At first I could see nothing, the hot air escaping from the chamber causing the candle flames to flicker, but presently, as my eyes grew accustomed to the light, details of the room within emerged slowly from the mist, strange animals, statues and gold - everywhere the glint of gold.”
Though the tomb is modest for a New Kingdom pharaoh, to modern spectators King Tut’s tomb is considered grand. As Howard Cater first entered the tomb, he was struck with amazement. His recorded account of the Antechamber is as follows: “At first I could see nothing, the hot air escaping from the chamber causing the candle flames to flicker, but presently, as my eyes grew accustomed to the light, details of the room within emerged slowly from the mist, strange animals, statues and gold - everywhere the glint of gold.”
The Antechamber alone contained many items such as couches,
chests, baskets, large statues, beds, and stools. In all, there were
roughly 700 objects that were catalogued and photographed by Howard
Carter and Harry Burton just in this room alone.
These objects were probably used by the pharaoh in his everyday
proceedings and were included to follow him into the afterlife. Some
of the more popular items within this room are the three animal
couches that contain a hippopotamus, a lion, and a cow’s head. These
three couches are made of wood and gilded in gold. Though the exact
use of these objects remains mysterious, it is thought they were
used during the rituals and mummification process. Because these
items were large, they were also used as “shelves” to help store and
organize the funerary equipment of the young pharaoh.
Along with those three items, King Tut’s throne was also placed
within this room. To the left of the tomb’s entrance are chariots
stacked next to one another. These three chariots were mostly used
for showcasing the pharaoh during public events. A fan found in the
tomb indicates that one of Tutankhamun’s past time events was likely
hunting for ostriches.
Even more amazing are the two large life-sized statues of
Tutankhamun found guarding the entrance into the burial chamber.
These statues are black with golden head caps, skirts, and sandals.
These two statues were positioned facing each other, each with their
own inscriptions, and each having a different head piece.
Many things such as boxes, arrows, vases, linen cloth, jars,
shrines, chests, and footstools as well as other priceless treasures
were found within this chamber
The Antechamber did not have colorful walls filled with
hieroglyphics, hymns, prayers, or great achievements that showcased
Tutankhamun as would have been expected for a pharaoh of Ancient
Egypt. Rather, the walls are bare and lacked the typical drawings.
It’s almost as if there hadn’t been enough time to paint the whole
tomb.
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To Be Continued
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