opening the tomb had released a curse Those who disturbed the king's resting place were doomed Today most people aren't so sure a curse is to blame They say the deaths were coincidences Carnarvon was already ill before the tomb was opened Carter himself had shared the idea of a curse However he lived until 1939 Historians believe he spread the story to keep robbers away Words of protection often decorate Egyptian tombs These could have inspired stories about the curse THE BOY KING King Tut ruled Egypt in the 14th century BC Historians believe he was only 9 or 10 when he became king Despite his youth he is one of the most well known rulers in history This is largely due to the discovery of his nearly intact tomb His reign was brief lasting only about 10 years He died unexpectedly at age 18 or 19 6 Carter studies the king's body shortly after his team found the tomb
6 Number of people who died within 10 years of the tomb's discovery Twenty-six people had been part of the dig Some people believed that deadly toxins were sealed in the tomb It wasn't uncommon for the electricity to go out in Cairo People say that the blackout was just another coincidence 7 Howard Carter poses for a photo in 1924 two years after his famous discovery
2 Silent Warriors Guard an Emperor's Secret Tomb In 1974 workers digging a well in China made an incredible find They uncovered an ancient terracotta statue of a warrior Archaeologists flocked to the area They discovered a giant pit below the ground Rows of warrior statues lined the pit The statues stood in the same pose Their armor was exactly the same But each statue had a unique face These statues watch over the tomb of China's first emperor He ruled from 221 to 210 BC That's more than 2,000 years ago He united several kingdoms into one huge empire Finding thousands of individual soldiers was eerie and spine-tingling But the real mystery may lay inside the emperor's tomb According to ancient texts the tomb is a model of the emperor's empire Its rivers flow with a 8
8,000 Number of terracotta statues believed to guard the tomb The statues were originally painted bright colors Many held real weapons horses and entertainers There are also statues of Exposure to the air can damage ancient items Temperature changes and pollution can also do harm 9 The Terracotta Army is made of life-size clay soldiers
