Mysteries

The Curse of Tutankhamun: What Actually Happened in 1923

By Lunaple · July 23, 2026 · English
A dramatic illustration of a golden Egyptian tomb entrance glowing in torchlight, with hieroglyphs carved into stone walls and shadows stretching across sandy ground — no people, no text

Here's the short version: according to Encyclopaedia Britannica, the "curse of the pharaohs" was largely a press-driven legend that exploded after Lord Carnarvon died from an infected mosquito bite in 1923 — and the lead archaeologist who opened the tomb, Howard Carter, lived until 1939. Cursed, he was not.

A torchlit illustration of an ancient Egyptian tomb doorway, evoking the November 1922 discovery described in Carter and Mace's The Tomb of Tut·ankh·Amen.
A torchlit illustration of an ancient Egyptian tomb doorway, evoking the November 1922 discovery described in Carter and Mace's The Tomb of Tut·ankh·Amen.

So what actually happened when they opened the tomb?

In November 1922, Howard Carter cracked open Tutankhamun's burial chamber — an event he documented in meticulous, almost giddy detail in his own excavation account, The Tomb of Tut·ankh·Amen, co-written with A. C. Mace and published by Cassell starting in 1923. It was, by any measure, one of the most extraordinary archaeological finds in history. No curse required to make it dramatic.

Wait, so where did the curse come from?

The newspapers. Britannica documents that the "curse" legend took off in the press following the death of Lord Carnarvon — the expedition's financial backer — from an infected mosquito bite in 1923. That's it. A mosquito bite. Journalists, apparently deciding that "man dies of infection in Egypt" wasn't thrilling enough, ran with a far more cinematic explanation. The curse was, in Britannica's framing, a press-driven legend. The tabloids of 1923 were, in this respect, extremely recognisable.

A stylised illustration of vintage newspaper front pages scattered dramatically, representing the 1923 media frenzy documented by Encyclopaedia Britannica.
A stylised illustration of vintage newspaper front pages scattered dramatically, representing the 1923 media frenzy documented by Encyclopaedia Britannica.

And Howard Carter — the actual guy who opened the tomb?

Lived to 64. Britannica cites this as the standard debunking point, and honestly it's a pretty good one. Carter, who according to his own account in The Tomb of Tut·ankh·Amen was present for the tomb's opening and spent years working inside it, died in 1939 — sixteen years after the supposed curse was meant to have been unleashed. If the pharaohs were gunning for someone, they had ample opportunity.

An illustrated figure in 1920s field attire carefully documenting artefacts by lamplight inside an ancient chamber, inspired by Carter's excavation account.
An illustrated figure in 1920s field attire carefully documenting artefacts by lamplight inside an ancient chamber, inspired by Carter's excavation account.

What's the takeaway here?

The tomb of Tutankhamun is genuinely one of history's most astonishing discoveries — Carter's own account makes that clear without any supernatural embellishment. The "curse" is a reminder that a good story, once it's in print, takes on a life of its own. Ancient Egypt gave us extraordinary history. The curse? That one's on us.

Sources:
  • Howard Carter & A. C. Mace, The Tomb of Tut·ankh·Amen (London: Cassell, 1923–1933, 3 vols.) — Carter's primary excavation account of the November 1922 opening of the tomb.
  • Encyclopaedia Britannica, "curse of the pharaohs" — documents the history of the 1923 press-driven curse legend following Lord Carnarvon's death from an infected mosquito bite, and notes that Howard Carter lived until 1939 as the standard debunking point.

This article is offered for cultural and historical reflection only.

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