‘Tomb raiding should come with a health warning’

Mysterious deaths surrounding the excavation of Tutankhamun’s tomb have led many to believe in a curse. The boy pharaoh is one of the very first victims of fake news, writes James Rampton

Crates are brought out of the newly discovered tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings, Luxor, in 1923 (Getty)

The creator of Sherlock Holmes, perhaps the most celebrated writer on the planet at the time, was responsible for supercharging the myth of the curse of Tutankhamun.

More than anyone, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle helped promote the story that those who had unsealed the tomb of the youthful pharaoh in 1922 had brought back from his grave not only the most wondrous treasures the ancient world had ever given up but also the most pitiless curse.

Once those associated with the excavation of Tutankhamun’s tomb started to die in what appeared to be mysterious circumstances, Sir Arthur couldn’t help himself. He put rocket boosters underneath the yarn of the curse. In doing so, he granted the rest of the world permission to print the legend.