The people who opened the coffin of Egyptian King Tutankhamun died mysteriously and now the cause has been revealed.
Ancient Egypt once warned that anyone who tampered with royal mummies would die from a disease that no doctor could diagnose. However, scientist Ross Fellowes believes that there is a biological reason behind these events.
According to Daily Mail, citing scientists’ research, 20 people who discovered the tomb of Egyptian King Tutankhamun in 1922 died from radiation poisoning.
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| Initial images when King Tutankhamun’s tomb was opened. Photo: Getty Images |
The study determined that the cause was poisoning radiation from natural elements containing uranium and toxic waste that were intentionally placed in a sealed storage facility. Exposure to these substances can lead to certain cancers.
Notably, archaeologist Howard Carter, the first person to enter King Tutankhamun’s tomb more than 100 years ago, also passed away from cancer. Lord Carnarvon, one of the men who passed through the tomb’s treasure-filled rooms in 1922, also died of blood poisoning five months later.
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| Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter. Photo: Getty Images |
Others who participated in the excavation died of asphyxiation, stroke, diabetes, pneumonia, heart failure, poisoning, malaria and X-ray exposure. All died in their fifties. British Egyptologist Arthur Weigall attended the opening ceremony of King Tutankhamun’s tomb, who also died of cancer at the age of 54.
Research scientist Ross Fellowes explains that modern studies confirm very high radiation levels in ancient Egyptian tombs, 10 times higher than safety standards.
In addition, high levels of radiation were recorded not only in Tutankhamun’s tomb but also in the ruins of Old Kingdom period tombs (from 2649 to 2130 BC) at two sites in Giza and in several underground tombs at the ancient tomb site of Saqqara.
Other studies have directly measured the colorless radioactive noble gas radon at various locations in many tombs at Saqqara. Ambient radon concentrations were recorded at six locations here.
It is known that Tutankhamun was a Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty, reigning from 1332 BC to 1323 BC. He ascended the throne when he was only 9-10 years old. He died at around 18 years old and the cause of death is still unknown.
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