Is the curse of ancient Egypt real?

The most talked about King Tutkamun is actually the so-called "King Tutkamun Curse" named after him, which some people call the "Mummy Curse". But the latest research from scientists has found that the "Curse of King Tutankhamun" may be the result of a poisonous fungus. Is this the truth? Finding 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. This was a major discovery in the history of world archaeology. A wave of Tutankhamun fever has begun. After the craze passed, although people still paid attention to the news related to the mummy, no news was as sensational as the "Curse of King Tutankhamun" or the "Curse of the Mummy." Lord Carnarvon, an Englishman who funded the archaeological project, fell ill and died shortly after visiting Tutankhamen's tomb, further fueling speculation that supernatural forces were at work. "Supernatural theory" has its market, but of course scientists do not believe in any supernatural power. They have been trying to decipher the "curse of King Tutankhamun". In recent years, a scientific theory about the "mummy's curse" may provide scientific basis for the death of Lord Carnarvon. In fact, from the beginning, the focus of scientists' research was not on finding "supernatural forces." They believed that Lord Carnarvon died either from toadstools in the mausoleum or from his fragile immune system. But which one of the two was the real cause of his death? Fungus may be to blame Researchers have discovered that Lord Carnarvon actually suffered from a chronic disease before setting off for Egypt, which further damaged his immune system. Jennifer Wegener, an Egyptologist at the University of Pennsylvania Museum, said: "When you think of Egyptian tombs, you not only think of the dead bodies during burial, but also the food used for burial - meat, vegetables and fruits. "These foods will definitely attract insects, fungi, bacteria and other things. They may have been present in the tombs three thousand years ago." Recent laboratory studies by scientists have found that some ancient mummies do have parasitic fungi. , including at least two potentially dangerous fungi - Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus. These fungi can cause allergic reactions ranging from congestion to lung bleeding. Toxic substances can be especially harmful to people with weakened immune systems. The walls of some tombs are commonly covered with bacteria that can attack the respiratory system, such as Pseudomonas and Staphylococcus aureus. Scientists also found ammonia, formaldehyde and hydrogen sulfide inside the sealed sarcophagus. Once these toxic gases reach extremely strong concentrations, they may damage people's eyes and noses, cause people to have symptoms similar to pneumonia, and even kill people in severe cases. What surprised the researchers even more was that many of the opened tombs were actually inhabited by bats. It was later discovered that these ancient tombs were in disrepair and had many cracks, so the bats regarded the tombs as their homes. However, the guano of these bats contains a fungus that can cause a flu-like respiratory disease called histoplasmosis. Under the right conditions, this situation can also be fatal. Were toxic substances in the tomb to blame for King Tutkamun's curse in ancient Egypt? It's safer inside the tomb than outside the tomb. Just as the "deadly fungus theory" is being accepted by more and more researchers, other scientists have put forward different views. Some experts who have studied the death of Lord Carnarvon believe that the toxic substances in the mausoleum did not have any negative impact on Lord Carnarvon's death. These experts explain that the old and frail Lord Carnarvon suffered from chronic illness before entering Tutankhamen's tomb. Furthermore, he died only a few months after first entering the tomb. If he had been exposed to the poisonous substances in the mausoleum, the symptoms would have appeared long ago. Professor DeWolf Miller, professor of epidemiology at the University of Hawaii, said: "My opinion is exactly the same as that of the archaeologists who opened the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamen: given the sanitary conditions in Egypt at the time, Lord Carnarvon may have It is safer inside the ancient tomb than outside.

"The theory that fungi are fatal has been questioned. Wegner of the University of Pennsylvania said that it is not surprising that there are many kinds of fungi in ancient tombs, and her colleagues who work in ancient tombs are not worried about being infected by fungi. Archaeologists are so "not surprised" There is a reason for "pay attention to self-protection". They believe that if some people have very weak immune systems, they are certainly more likely to be infected with certain diseases in ancient tombs, but people may not notice that those with unsound immune systems This can happen to people in restaurants or anywhere else, not to mention the fact that fungi and bacteria are commonly found in ancient Egyptian tombs. It is difficult to tell which fungi or bacteria actually come from ancient Egypt. However, you should still pay attention to safety. According to Kenneth Fidel, a professor of archeology at Connecticut State University, it is not advisable to downplay the biological dangers of ancient tombs, because potentially dangerous creatures do exist in many archaeological dig sites, and archaeologists should face up to this problem. Fidel, co-author of "Dangerous Places: Health, Safety and Archeology," points out that at most archaeological sites, researchers are constantly surrounded by dust and exposed to potentially harmful substances. There is a joke in the archaeological community: when you come home after a hard day's work in the fields, even if you blow your nose, you will blow out a lot of dust. There is no doubt that you have breathed dust into your body during your work. If you are exposed to fungi and spores on the ground, you may be exposed to at least some harmful substances that endanger your health. "People can find many fungi in the soil. Small animals that like to live in caves and their passages filled with feces provide nutrients for these fungi to survive. Who polluted whom? However, the scientific community generally believes that although including ancient Most archaeological sites, including tombs, are host to fungi, bacteria and other harmful substances, but these sites have been proven not to endanger the safety of scientific researchers and tourists. What archaeologists are most worried about now is not the impact of mummies or ancient tombs. Their "curse" is the "curse" of modern people on ancient tombs. Modern people still generally lack awareness of ancient tomb protection, and excavation sometimes turns into a kind of destruction. Professor Miller of the University of Hawaii said: "There are a lot of cases. It has been shown that people polluted the ancient tombs, not that the ancient tombs polluted the people. Many people only know how to open these ancient tombs, eager for major archaeological discoveries, but do not know how to protect the ancient tombs. As a result, the ancient tombs are greatly damaged. The moisture will cause the fungi attached to the walls to multiply, destroying those exquisite works. Frescoes and other artefacts. ”

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