Outside the tomb of Tutankhamun during the 1922 excavation in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt [Getty]
The Pharaoh's Curse that allegedly killed more than 20 people after opening King Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922 may have a biological basis.
Scientist, Ross Fellowes, proposed a new theory that the cause of death may have been radiation poisoning.
Ancient Egyptian texts contain threats of "death from a disease that no physician can diagnose" for those who disturb the royal mummified remains.
Workers remove a tray of chariot parts from the Tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings, Egypt, in 1922 [Getty]
Fellowes suggests that there is something more tangible than supernatural forces behind the deaths. Research conducted by the scientist showed that the cause may have been radiation poisoning from natural elements containing uranium and toxic waste that was deliberately placed in a closed vault.
Exposure to these substances could lead to cancers like the one that killed archaeologist, Howard Carter, the first person to enter Tut's tomb, more than 100 years ago.
Fellowes' theory thus suggests that the tomb was indeed "cursed" - though in a deliberate, biological way - rather than supernaturally, as some ancient Egyptologists have suggested.
Fellowes also pointed to inscriptions found inside other tombs throughout Egypt that suggest ancient people knew about the toxins. The text included "forbidden" areas due to "evil spirits."
The study, published in the Journal of Scientific Exploration, explained that high levels of radiation have also been documented in Old Kingdom tomb ruins, at two locations in Giza and in several underground tombs in Saqqara.
Fellowes' discovery may be a breakthrough in understanding the mysterious deaths that occurred after the opening of Tutankhamun's tomb. If confirmed, it could also provide new information about ancient Egyptian funerary practices.
This article was originally published on Onet Travel.
Fellowes suggests that there is something more tangible than supernatural forces behind the deaths. Research conducted by the scientist showed that the cause may have been radiation poisoning from natural elements containing uranium and toxic waste that was deliberately placed in a closed vault.
Exposure to these substances could lead to cancers like the one that killed archaeologist, Howard Carter, the first person to enter Tut's tomb, more than 100 years ago.
Fellowes' theory thus suggests that the tomb was indeed "cursed" - though in a deliberate, biological way - rather than supernaturally, as some ancient Egyptologists have suggested.
Fellowes also pointed to inscriptions found inside other tombs throughout Egypt that suggest ancient people knew about the toxins. The text included "forbidden" areas due to "evil spirits."
The study, published in the Journal of Scientific Exploration, explained that high levels of radiation have also been documented in Old Kingdom tomb ruins, at two locations in Giza and in several underground tombs in Saqqara.
Fellowes' discovery may be a breakthrough in understanding the mysterious deaths that occurred after the opening of Tutankhamun's tomb. If confirmed, it could also provide new information about ancient Egyptian funerary practices.
This article was originally published on Onet Travel.
