Than 59 ancient Egyptian sarcophagi, discovered and discovered recently, threaten the world

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

A year ago, everyone would have laughed at such superstitions. But 2020 taught the world to respect the most incredible stories - it is not known which of them will come to life next. It is not surprising that the discovery of fifty-nine ancient sarcophagi in Egypt raises so many questions, because these burials are not only found and recovered, but also disturbed, as once happened with the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun.

Fifty-nine new sarcophagi at once - a find in the necropolis of Sakkara

A hundred years ago, the opening of the tomb of Tutankhamun was fraught with many troubles - here and the turbulent political situation in Egypt, and obstacles to studying the treasures found, and, of course, suspiciously frequent deaths among those involved in the find. Quite respected people seriously discussed the involvement of the long-dead pharaoh in various mysterious events in the 20th century. Not surprisingly, the recently discovered burials have rekindled interest in the legends of the curses that fall on those who disturbed the ancient tombs.

In this case, the scope for imagination opens up quite wide: fifty-nine ancient sarcophagi were discovered in Sakkara, most of them preserved mummies. Sakkara is the oldest necropolis in Memphis, it is located several tens of kilometers south of Cairo. The first pyramid known to us was once erected here, and in general the oldest of the large stone structures - the step pyramid of Djoser, 62 meters high. Its age is more than four and a half thousand years. Not far from this pyramid there are ten others, and also a whole system of burial chambers, the study of which is still in full swing: according to archaeologists, there are still many discoveries ahead, such as those made in recent months.

The necropolis of Sakkara, which bears such a name after Sokara, the god of fertility and patron of the dead, in 2018 has already opened the veil over the ancient secrets. Then, in the mines, numerous animal mummies were discovered, as well as the tomb of a priest of the V dynasty of the Old Kingdom. The age of those mummies is about 44 centuries. And two years later, in August 2020, these sarcophagi were found in the Sakkara necropolis - not one, not two, but fifty-nine.

What does Tutankhamun have to do with it

The sarcophagi were recovered from mines ten to twelve meters deep. The state of the finds turned out to be surprisingly good, given their age - due to the tightness of the premises where the sarcophagi were stored, chemical reactions took place there with minimal intensity. Scientists estimate the age of the artifacts found at about 26 centuries (burials date back to 664 - 525 BC).

Apparently, the bodies contained in the found sarcophagi belonged to the priests and high officials of the XXVI dynasty. In addition to sarcophagi, 28 figurines of gods were recovered from the depths of ancient mines - one should not write off the powerful patrons of the pharaohs. Of course, parallels with the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun arose immediately, as soon as the existence of fifty-nine sarcophagi with mummies inside became public knowledge. Once the world was shocked by the news of the discovery of the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor.

The news became a sensation if only because at the beginning of the 20th century it seemed impossible to find the intact burials of the Egyptian kings. For hundreds and thousands of years, these burials became the target of robbers, who saw their main value in the value of gold and precious oils, and not in their contribution to historical science.

For the first time, the tomb of Tutankhamun was opened, apparently, several decades after his death, but for some reason most of the treasures were in place. The thieves may have been detained - by those in power or some other force - and the tomb has been opened at least once since then, as evidenced by the mess that archaeologists discovered inside the rooms in 1922. Nevertheless, the entrance to the tomb was sealed - most likely after hastily restored order in the cell.

The life and fate of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, his death, and even more so - his tomb were surrounded by various mysterious legends, but before the discovery of the burial, the very existence of such a ruler was questioned. This pharaoh, who came to power as a child, lived only about twenty years. The cause of his death has not been finally established - the state of the mummy in the found sarcophagus did not allow any precise conclusions to be drawn. It is assumed that Tutankhamun, who ruled in the XIV century BC, was killed during a palace coup.

The tomb was found in November 1922 by a group of researchers led by Howard Carter, an English archaeologist and Egyptologist. The excavation was financed by a passionate lover of Egyptian antiquities, Lord Carnarvon, who turned this search for burials into his life's work. He started excavations, which after a few years were crowned with success: the researchers stumbled upon a locked and sealed tomb. There were several years of studying the values that were hidden inside.

Guarded by the Old Gods?

In 1922, the crisis of the Egyptians' struggle for independence from Britain was just resolved; this affected the attitude towards the export of the treasures they found by the British, and in general on the admission of the recent masters of the African colonies to the historical values of the new state. Thanks to this, the mummy and the artifacts that filled the tomb remained in Egypt. Taking out the found ancient wonders has long been a popular entertainment for the British traveling around this North African country.

Soon after the triumphant presentation of the find to the world community, a legend about the curse of the pharaoh appeared. The first "victim" was Lord Carnarvon himself, who died suddenly in March 1923 - four months after the triumphant opening. It was said that the same scar appeared on the cheek of this English lord shortly before his death that "adorned" the face of a mummy from a sarcophagus, allegedly Carnarvon touched an insect bite while shaving. One way or another, and by 1929 more than twenty people had already died, one way or another involved in the excavations: those who were present at the opening of the tomb and their loved ones. The causes of death were very different - diseases and accidents; a member of the Egyptian royal family who attended the inauguration of the tomb was shot by his own wife. Even Carnarvon's half-brother became a candidate for the victim of Tutankhamun - in 1929 he died of malaria.

How could you not start talking about the connection of these sad incidents with the ancient curse? Either the spirit of the pharaoh thus avenged his disturbed peace, or the construction of the tomb used some not yet recognized ways to harm those who encroach on the king’s peace, for example, with the help of volatile poisons. The version about the curse of Tutankhamun's tomb was adhered to by very respected persons, including prominent archaeologists, and the best representatives of British society - what was the cost of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle alone! The theory was readily picked up by the newspapers. Moreover, it was extended to other opened tombs, including the tomb of Tamerlane in Samarkand.

There were literary works about the ominous curse, some, however, debunked the myth of the intervention of otherworldly forces, such as, for example, "The Mystery of the Egyptian Tomb" by Agatha Christie. In it, the cause of several deaths after the opening of the tomb of the pharaoh had a completely understandable and prosaic nature. Fifty-nine sarcophagi of the necropolis of Saqqara await further research, and later they are planned to be exhibited in the Great Egyptian Museum, which is scheduled to open in 2021. And besides this - scientists argue that the necropolis, most likely, hides much more secrets than it was possible to reveal by 2020.

Tutankhamun's throne name was Nebheprura; around his reign, the title "Pharaoh" appeared. And here as the rulers of Ancient Egypt were also called before.