Download Was there a curse on King Tutankhamen`s tomb?

Was there a curse on King Tutankhamen's tomb?
When the tomb was first discovered, there were reports of a message written in ancient
hieroglyphics on the outside of the tomb. Translated, the message said, "Death Shall Come on
Swift Wings to Him Who Disturbs the Peace of the King." This gave rise to great speculation in the
newspapers and magazines of the time that there was a curse on King Tut's tomb.
A few months after the tomb was open, a British Lord began ill from a mosquito bite. He was there
when they opened the tomb. A few months later, he died. Rumor said a mark similar to the
mosquito bit was found in the exact same position on King Tut's cheek. You can imagine the media
frenzy!
The ancient Egyptians believed that if their mummy was stolen or destroyed, their spirit would not
be able to return to their mummified body at night, and they would disappear forever, no longer
able to dwell in their Afterlife. Adding a curse or two to scare robbers into leaving their mummy
alone was probably a common practice.
Howard Carter, the man who discovered King Tut's tomb, lived to be 65. He died of natural causes.
He never believed in a curse.
But how to explain the deaths? Illness and death have been linked to the opening of ancient
tombs. Archaeologists have discovered that there are poisonous plant molds in the tombs in many
ancient tombs.
Today, archaeologists wear masks when exploring tombs, to protect themselves from these
dangerous plant molds.
Just the same, Hollywood continues to have a great deal of fun with "the mummy's curse!"
The Persian Wars
Greece vs. the Persian Empire (in green)
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Greece was not alone in the ancient world. Other civilizations were developing around the
Mediterranean. One of the largest and most powerful was the Persian Empire.
The Greek world was tiny. It covered a small area at the southern tip of the Greek peninsula. The
Persian Empire was huge. It stretched from the Mediterranean Sea all the way to the Indus River
Valley.
Remember all those towns the ancient Greeks built in early times? Some were still flourishing. The
Greek towns located along the Turkish coast had fallen under Persian rule. The Greek colonists
were unhappy about it.
Athens sent supplies to help them out. Those supplies included weapons. Persia would have noticed
the Greeks sooner or later, but this activity most definitely caught their eye.
The Persian army had no doubt that the Greeks would be easy to conquer. The Greeks were
outnumbered - what chance would they have? The Persians laughed at the thought of the battle
ahead.
What the Persians forgot, or perhaps they just did not know, was that the Greeks were incredible
warriors. Athens had a highly capable navy, with ships that were tiny and easy to maneuver. The
Spartan army was terrifying.
The Persians came three times, and fought three huge battles. Each time the Persians were
convinced they could easily conquer the Greeks. Each time, the Greeks drove them away.
Xerxes, the Persian King, was furious at the result of the first two battles with the now hated
Greeks. For the third major battle, he sent an incredible number of Persian ships to wage war on
Greece. He didn't want just to win. He wanted Greece to be totally destroyed.
Xerxes was so confident of success that he had his slaves carry a golden throne from Persia, and set
it up on a hillside overlooking the Greek harbor, so he could be comfortable while he watched the
Greeks die.
But the Greeks did not die. Their small ships could maneuver better. The Greeks were able to toss
burning wood aboard the Persian ships and get safely away. The Persians had to abandon their
burning ships. Those Persian sailors who made it to land were greeted by the Spartan army. The
Spartans killed them all.
When Xerxes saw how the battle was going, he ran away and left his army behind. While Athens
burned the Persian ships, Sparta left some men on the beach to handle any Persians who made it to
shore. The rest of the Sparta army marched north and defeated the Persian army coming in from
that direction.
The Greeks won. The few Persians who survived fled. But there was always the threat that the
Persians might come back. In preparation, the Greeks created the Delian League - a treasury that
would allow them to quickly prepare for war, should the need arise.
The Crusades
Three major religious groups all claimed Jerusalem in the land of Palestine as their holy city.
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To Christians, it was the place where Jesus was crucified and ascended to heaven
To Muslims, it was the place where Muhammad ascended to heaven
To Jews, it was the site of the ancient temple built by Solomon
In 600 CE, Arabs entered the city and took control.
The Arabs allowed Christian and Jewish pilgrims to visit Jerusalem. In fact, Jews and Christians
could live in Palestine as long as they paid their taxes like everyone else.
The First Crusade:
The Problem: Around 1095, a new group of Arabs took control of Jerusalem. They closed the
city to Jewish and Christian pilgrims.
The Solution: The Pope acted. He called for a crusade - a volunteer army whose goal was to
retake Jerusalem. Many people volunteered. About 30,000 men left Western Europe to fight in
Jerusalem.
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For knights, this was a chance to use their fighting skills, something they enjoyed and did
well. They were delighted to have such a worthy battle to fight.
For peasants, this was a chance to escape from their dreary life in the feudal system. The
pope promised that if they died while fighting a holy crusade, they would automatically be
welcomed into heaven.
For others, it was a chance to have an adventure, and perhaps even to get rich.
Sign of the Crusade - The Red Cross: Each crusader had a huge red cross, made out of
fabric, stitched onto their shirts or armor. It made all crusaders, irrespective of rank or background,
appear to be a unified army. It reminded the crusaders that they were fighting a holy cause. The red
cross was added to flags and banners
The Results: After about two years of harsh traveling, hunger, disease, freezing weather, and
quarrels amongst themselves, the crusaders finally arrived in Jerusalem. After a two-month siege of
the city, the city fell. The crusaders had won back Jerusalem. Some men stayed. Some headed
home. Those who returned brought back new foods and new forms of culture.