Study

The study determined the cause was radiation poisoning from natural elements and toxic waste deliberately put inside the sealed vaults

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The study determined the cause was radiation poisoning from natural elements and toxic waste deliberately put inside the sealed vaults

King Tut died at around the age of 18 and his cause of death is unknown. Pictured is the boy's face after it was unwrapped

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King Tut died at around the age of 18 and his cause of death is unknown. Pictured is the boy's face after it was unwrapped

However, inscriptions found inside other burials throughout Egypt suggested the ancient people knew about the toxins.

The text included areas were 'forbidden' because of 'evil spirits.'

The study, published in the Journal of Scientific Exploration, explained that high radiation levels were also documented in Old Kingdom tomb ruins, in two locations at Giza and in several underground tombs at Saqqara.

The same conclusion was also found throughout the Osiris tomb at Giza.

Fellowes noted that 'intense radioactivity was associated with two stone coffers, especially from the interiors.'

Pictured is a luncheon in a tomb, present are J H Breasted (died from X-ray exposure, Harry Burton (died from diabetes), A Lucas, A R Callender (died from ill health), Arthur Mace (died from poison) - all no older than their 50s

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Pictured is a luncheon in a tomb, present are J H Breasted (died from X-ray exposure, Harry Burton (died from diabetes), A Lucas, A R Callender (died from ill health), Arthur Mace (died from poison) - all no older than their 50s

The first sight of the tomb when the door was broken down

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The first sight of the tomb when the door was broken down

Professor Robert Temple noted that the coffers were made of basalt, determining that they 'were a point source of radiation, as opposed to general trace natural levels (of radon) from the surrounding limestone bedrock.'

Other studies have directly measured radon gas at various locations in tombs at Saqqara.

Radon gas is an intermediate product of uranium decay, with a half-life of 3.8 days.

Ambient radon concentrations were identified at six locations through the Saqqara ruins: the South Tomb, the magazines of Djoser’s pyramid, and the Serapeum tomb tunnels.

Thousands of pots excavated under the Step Pyramid in the 1960s contained up to 200 tons of unidentified substances that have yet to be identified - suggesting toxins were buried with mummified remains.