When you hear of tombs and mummies, the first thing that comes to mind is the pyramids of Egypt. There are many mummy stories to scare, including Tutankhamun Pharaoh. Legend has it that those who opened Tutankhamun's tomb were followed by Pharaoh's curse. But Howard Carter, the explorer who led the opening of the tomb, died at the age of 64 of age-related problems. But the real story behind Mummy's 'curse' is from Poland. Researchers have unearthed the tomb of King Kashimish Yagilonch IV, who died several days later. But it is not a curse. It had a scientific secret behind death.
Kashimish ruled Poland from 1447 to 1492. He was survived by his wife, Elizabeth, and eight sons and seven daughters. The tomb of the king and his wife was located next to a palace in Krakow, Poland. Archaeologists are still struggling to gather enough evidence before reaching the final conclusions about the location of the tomb. They obtained permission from the government to open the tomb. So it was decided to open the tomb on April 13, 1973. 12 researchers were commissioned for this. When I opened the tomb and went inside, the first thing I saw was a wooden coffin. And that's it. At the same time, the remains of the king's body were scattered there in a decomposing state. Little did anyone know then that the 'curse' had fallen on them.
Four members of the group died four days after the tomb was opened. And others in the next few days. Eventually, only two people were left - microbiologists Dr. Boleslo Smike and Dr. Edward Rosick. Smike, on the other hand, had lung problems in later years. The inquest into how the rest died also culminated in respiratory problems. That is how Dr. Smike examined the objects from the tomb of the king. What was found was shocking.
It was the presence of fungi that can be deadly to the human body when inhaled - such as Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium reglosum and Penicillium rubber. These fungi produce toxins of the highly lethal ‘aflatoxin’ class of B1 and B2. These fungi are also thought to be the cause of the king's death. Or it is said that after the death of the king, a trap was set to destroy those who came to the tomb to steal and so on.
Extremely deadly fungi have been found in such mummies in many parts of the world. When the tomb of a pharaoh in Egypt was excavated in 1976, 89 such fungi were found in a single mummy. They live in colonies. 370 such colonies were also found. But because the researchers had experience from Poland, all the researchers wore masks when the tomb was opened. Microbiologists then examined mummies from around the world. A 1999 test found deadly fungi in about 40 mummies. Many were powerful enough to kill a man. These fungi were able to live without any problems for thousands of years. The problem is that air enters the atmosphere as the tombs open. This will make the fungus move. They will mix with the air. When it is inhaled, the toxin is produced and dies. The problem is that these fungi can get inside through the nose, mouth and eyes.
Kashimish ruled Poland from 1447 to 1492. He was survived by his wife, Elizabeth, and eight sons and seven daughters. The tomb of the king and his wife was located next to a palace in Krakow, Poland. Archaeologists are still struggling to gather enough evidence before reaching the final conclusions about the location of the tomb. They obtained permission from the government to open the tomb. So it was decided to open the tomb on April 13, 1973. 12 researchers were commissioned for this. When I opened the tomb and went inside, the first thing I saw was a wooden coffin. And that's it. At the same time, the remains of the king's body were scattered there in a decomposing state. Little did anyone know then that the 'curse' had fallen on them.
Four members of the group died four days after the tomb was opened. And others in the next few days. Eventually, only two people were left - microbiologists Dr. Boleslo Smike and Dr. Edward Rosick. Smike, on the other hand, had lung problems in later years. The inquest into how the rest died also culminated in respiratory problems. That is how Dr. Smike examined the objects from the tomb of the king. What was found was shocking.
It was the presence of fungi that can be deadly to the human body when inhaled - such as Aspergillus flavus, Penicillium reglosum and Penicillium rubber. These fungi produce toxins of the highly lethal ‘aflatoxin’ class of B1 and B2. These fungi are also thought to be the cause of the king's death. Or it is said that after the death of the king, a trap was set to destroy those who came to the tomb to steal and so on.
Extremely deadly fungi have been found in such mummies in many parts of the world. When the tomb of a pharaoh in Egypt was excavated in 1976, 89 such fungi were found in a single mummy. They live in colonies. 370 such colonies were also found. But because the researchers had experience from Poland, all the researchers wore masks when the tomb was opened. Microbiologists then examined mummies from around the world. A 1999 test found deadly fungi in about 40 mummies. Many were powerful enough to kill a man. These fungi were able to live without any problems for thousands of years. The problem is that air enters the atmosphere as the tombs open. This will make the fungus move. They will mix with the air. When it is inhaled, the toxin is produced and dies. The problem is that these fungi can get inside through the nose, mouth and eyes.
