Is there really a curse in the tomb of the Egyptian Pharaoh?

The most talked about King Tutankhamun is actually the so-called "King Tutankhamun Curse" named after him, and some people call it "Mummy Curse". But scientists' latest research found that "Tutankhamen's curse" may be the result of a poisonous fungus. Is this a fact?

Find out the cause of carnarvon's death.

According to a report in National Geographic magazine on the 6th, British archaeologist howard carter discovered the tomb of the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun in 1922, which was a major discovery in the world archaeological history, when there was a worldwide craze for Tutankhamun.

After the craze, although people are still paying attention to the news related to this mummy, none of the sensational effects of news can be compared with "the curse of Tutankhamun" or "the curse of the mummy".

Lord Carnarvon, an Englishman who funded archaeological projects, died of illness shortly after visiting Tutankhamun's mausoleum, which further deepened people's speculation that supernatural forces were at work. "Supernatural theory" has its market, but scientists certainly don't believe in any supernatural power. They have been cracking the curse of King Tutankhamun. In recent years, a scientific conclusion about the "mummy curse" may find a scientific basis for the death of Lord carnarvon.

In fact, from the beginning, scientists did not focus on finding "supernatural power". They think that Lord carnarvon either died of poisonous bacteria in the grave or his weak immune system. However, which of the two is the real cause of his death?

It may be caused by fungi.

The researchers found that before going to Egypt, Lord carnarvon actually suffered from chronic diseases, which further damaged his immune system. Jennifer Wegner, an Egyptian archaeologist at the University of Pennsylvania Museum, said: "When you mention ancient Egyptian tombs, you will not only think of the bodies at the time of burial, but also think of the foods used at the time of burial-meat, vegetables and fruits. These foods are bound to attract insects, fungi, bacteria and other things. They may exist in the mausoleum 3,000 years ago. "

Recent research conducted by scientists in the laboratory found that some ancient mummies were indeed infected by fungi, including at least two potentially dangerous fungi-Aspergillus Niger and Aspergillus flavus. These fungi can cause allergic reactions ranging from congestion to pulmonary hemorrhage. Toxic substances will especially harm people with weak immune system. The walls of some graves are generally covered with bacteria that can attack the respiratory system, such as Pseudomonas and Staphylococcus.

Scientists also found ammonia, formaldehyde and hydrogen sulfide in the closed sarcophagus. Once these toxic gases reach a very high concentration, they may harm people's eyes and nose, cause people to have symptoms similar to pneumonia, and even cause death in severe cases. To the researchers' surprise, bats still live in many open graves. Later, it was found that these ancient tombs were in disrepair and there were many cracks, so bats regarded them as their home. However, the feces of these bats contain a fungus, which can cause a respiratory disease similar to influenza-histoplasmosis. Under the right conditions, this situation may also cause death.

Is the culprit of King Tutankhamun's curse in ancient Egypt the toxic substances in the mausoleum?

It's safer inside the tomb than outside.

Just as the "Fungal Fatality Theory" was accepted by more and more researchers, other scientists put forward different views. Some experts who have studied the cause of Lord carnarvon's death believe that the toxic substances in the mausoleum did not have any negative impact on Lord carnarvon's death.

These experts explained that Lord carnarvon, who was old and frail, suffered from chronic diseases before he entered Tutankhamun's mausoleum. Besides, he died just a few months after he entered the mausoleum. If he had been exposed to the toxic substances in the mausoleum, the symptoms would have appeared long ago. Professor Devove Miller, a professor of epidemiology at the University of Hawaii, said: "My view is exactly the same as that of the archaeologist who opened the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun: considering the sanitary conditions in Egypt at that time, Lord carnarvon may be safer inside the tomb than outside it."

The theory that fungi are fatal is questioned.

Wei Gena of the University of Pennsylvania said that it is not surprising that there are many kinds of fungi in the tomb, and her colleagues who work in the tomb are not worried about being infected by fungi.

There is a reason why archaeologists are so "careless about self-protection". They think that if some people's immune system is very fragile, they are certainly more likely to be infected with a certain disease in ancient tombs, but people may not notice that people with imperfect immune systems may also occur in restaurants or anywhere else. In addition, fungi and bacteria are common in ancient Egyptian tombs, so it is difficult to tell which fungi or bacteria really come from ancient Egypt.

Still have to pay attention to safety.

However, in the view of Kenneth Fidel, a professor of archaeology at Connecticut State University, it is not advisable to downplay the biological danger of ancient tombs, because many archaeological excavation sites do have potentially dangerous creatures, and archaeologists should face up to this problem.

Fidel is one of the authors of Dangerous Places: Health, Safety and Archaeology. In most archaeological sites, researchers are always surrounded by dust and come into direct contact with possible harmful substances.

Fidel pointed out that "there is a joke in archaeology: when you come home from a hard day's work in the field, even if you blow your nose, you will blow out a lot of dust." There is no doubt that you have sucked dust into your body during your work. If you come into contact with fungi and spores on the ground, you may at least come into contact with some harmful substances that endanger your health. "People can find many fungi in the soil. Small animals like to dig holes, and their passages full of feces provide nutrients for the survival of these fungi.

Who is polluting who?

However, the scientific community generally believes that although most archaeological sites, including ancient tombs, breed fungi, bacteria and other harmful substances, these sites have been proved not to endanger the safety of people engaged in scientific research and tourists. What archaeologists are most worried about now is not the "curse" of mummies or ancient tombs, but the "curse" of modern people on ancient tombs. Modern people still generally lack the consciousness of protecting ancient tombs, and excavation sometimes becomes a kind of destruction.

Professor Miller of the University of Hawaii said: "A lot of examples show that it is people who pollute the ancient tombs, not the ancient tombs that pollute people. Many people only know how to open these ancient tombs and are eager for major archaeological discoveries, but they don't know how to protect them. As a result, the ancient tomb was greatly damaged. Moisture will cause fungi attached to the walls to multiply and destroy those beautiful murals and other cultural relics. "