On February 16, 1923, English archaeologist Howard Carter opened the final chamber in an Egyptian tomb, which he would soon confirm as the lost burial place of Tutankhamun.
Tutankhamun, also known as “King Tut” or the “Boy King,” was the 13th pharaoh of Egypt’s 18th dynasty. He died at the age of 18 due to unknown causes, though in 2012, researchers suggested the possibility of malaria and a broken leg.
Carter and his team searched the Valley of Kings for King Tut’s tomb for over five years, financed by George Herbert, fifth Earl of Carnarvon. In early 1922, frustrated by the lack of findings, Carnarvon told Carter to call off the search.
Carter, determined, convinced Herbert to wait an additional year, and in November, he and his team discovered a set of stone stairs hidden by debris near the entrance of a different tomb.
The stairway led down to a door bearing the name they had searched for: Tutankhamun.
On November 26, 1922, Carter and Herbert entered the tomb and discovered four rooms that had remained mostly intact over the centuries. Three days later, the tomb was officially opened in the presence of several invited dignitaries and Egyptian officials.
About three months later, on February 16, Carter and Herbert opened the final chamber in the tomb, revealing the untouched sarcophagus and mummified remains of King Tut.
Additional treasures found within the burial chamber are housed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
Curse of the Pharaohs
Opening the tomb brought with it a wave of public fascination with the discovery, and with it, the popular legend of the “Curse of the Pharaohs” or “Curse of King Tut." According to legend, the curse casts bad luck, illness, or death upon those who disturb the mummies of ancient Egypt.
The curse’s existence was reinforced in the public eye by the sudden death of Herbert approximately five months after the opening of the burial chamber.
Other deaths associated with the legend include a visitor to the tomb, a member of the original excavation team, Herbert’s half-brother, a radiologist who X-rayed King Tut’s mummy, and Carter himself, over 16 years later.