Archaeologists have been baffled for decades by the curse encircling King Tutankhamun’s tomb. The fear originated as a result of the strange deaths of several excavators involved in the landmark discovery in 1922. According to the New York Post, a new theory challenges this supernatural narrative.
In a recent article published in the Journal of Scientific Exploration, scientist Ross Fellowes presents a scientific explanation for the age-old enigma of the “Pharaoh’s Curse”. Fellowes hypothesizes that poisonous materials, such as radioactive elements like uranium and potentially dangerous trash, could be the culprit. These chemicals could have stayed active inside the sealed tomb for nearly 3,000 years, posing a serious health danger to anyone who entered.
Both contemporary and ancient Egyptian populations are characterized by unusually high incidences of hematopoietic cancers
Ross Fellowes’ recent investigation, published in the Journal of Scientific Exploration, shows worrisome amounts of radiation within King Tutankhamun’s tomb. According to the research, exposure to this radiation may cause major health issues, including cancer.
Fellowes further proposes a link between these heightened radiation levels and the extremely high occurrence of blood, bone, and lymph malignancies found in both ancient and modern Egyptian populations. These specific tumors are known to be linked to radiation exposure. Furthermore, the study suggests that this increased radioactivity may not be limited to King Tut’s tomb.
“Radiation has been detected by the Geiger counter at two sites at Giza adjacent to the pyramids,” he wrote, adding that radon – a radioactive gas – has also been detected in “several underground tombs at Saqqara.”
“Both contemporary and ancient Egyptian populations are characterized by unusually high incidences of hematopoietic cancers, of bone/blood/lymph, for which a primary known cause is radiation exposure,” Fellowes wrote in his study.
These readings were all found to be “intensely radioactive.”
“Modern studies confirm very high levels of radiation in ancient Egyptian tombs, in the order of 10x accepted safety standards,” the study shared.
Intriguingly, some theories suggest the ancient builders themselves may have been aware of the dangers lurking within the tombs. This speculation stems from the presence of cryptic warnings inscribed on the walls.
“The nature of the curse was explicitly inscribed on some tombs, with one translated presciently as ‘they that break this tomb shall meet death by a disease that no doctor can diagnose,'” Fellowes wrote.
Ambiguous inscriptions sometimes mistranslated as warnings of “evil spirits” and “forbidden” sites, are thought to have led to the enduring belief in a supernatural curse associated with cemeteries. This notion was reinforced by sensationalized media coverage of the deaths of several individuals, including Lord Carnarvon, the excavation’s principal financial backer, who died shortly after entering the tomb’s treasure chamber.
“Carnarvon was dead within a few weeks of the uncertain diagnosis of blood poisoning and pneumonia,” Fellowes wrote.