Lecture Notes: The Curse of the Pharaohs

Introduction

The curse of the pharaohs: Belief that archaeologists and others who come into contact with Egyptian artifacts will face misfortune caused by the spirits of pharaohs.
Origin: Linked to the death of Lord Carnarvon, who helped open King Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922.

Egyptians used curses as security measures, mainly in private citizen tombs due to less security compared to royal tombs.
Abridged example: A curse threatening grave robbers with divine retribution.
Curses were a type of execration rituals used to curse objects or people and ward off harmful spirits.

First known report: 1699, Polish traveler haunted by visions after taking mummies from Alexandria.
Victorian Era Interest: Rise in Egyptomania and mummy unwrapping parties among the British leisure class.
Medical use of mummies: Mummies were consumed for supposed medicinal benefits.

Discovery: Tomb opened by Howard Carter in 1923, financed by Lord Carnarvon.
Famous Curse: No inscribed curse in the tomb, but numerous mysterious deaths were attributed to it.
Notable deaths:
- Lord Carnarvon: Died of mosquito infection shortly after tomb opening.
- Howard Carter's friend: House burned down, then flooded.
- Multiple other expedition members died under mysterious circumstances.
Arthur Weigel: Popularized the curse theory through sensational columns.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Contributed to spreading the story by attributing deaths to ancient Egyptian spells.

2002 British Medical Journal study: No significant correlation between tomb exposure and death rates.
Theory about mold and toxins: Generally dismissed by experts.

Titanic Mummy Legend: Unfounded story linking a mummy to the Titanic disaster.
Walter Brian Emery: Egyptologist whose death was sensationalized to be linked with a curse.
Zahi Hawass: Renowned Egyptologist who shared personal accounts but remained skeptical of curses.

Gamal Merez: Legend of his death after discussing the curse, though he specialized in Islamic archaeology.
German Tourist Incident (2004): Visitor faced illness after stealing an artifact; his family believed it was due to a curse and returned the item.

The myth of the pharaohs' curses continues to captivate the public imagination despite scientific skepticism and lack of concrete evidence.

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