The Egyptian Royals were thought to be Gods. Because of this, the tombs were constructed in a manner that they thought would make them last forever. This would ensure that prosperity enjoyed by the 'Gods' in their life on earth would continue over into the afterlife.

The burial chambers included items that would be used in the afterlife. It was believed that these items would actually be used there. The burial chambers included wall paintings, the sarcophagus with coffin in it, canopic jars, and any other items an Egyptian would need in the afterlife.

The basic principles of the Ancient Egyptian tomb represent the actual voyage of the spirit as it leaves the body. The design of the royal Ancient Egyptian tomb corresponds to the standard near-death experience. Similarities include:

* Being sucked up in a long tunnel (The tombs have a tunnel)
* Meeting angels who function as guides or companions to the person, through the tunnel, on their journey to unite with a bright Light Egyptian tunnel is decorated with different neteru (angels of God) guiding the deceased person through the voyage until transformation is completed and unification with Ra (the Light) occurs.
* Seeing their whole life reviewed and evaluated (Judgment Day scene is depicted on the walls of the tombs.)

The tombs of the kings are spiritual in their entirety. They represent stages of transformation, in symbolic and metaphorical form, of the soul in its journey to resurrection and/or reincarnation.

The scenes of daily activities are portrayed in the tombs of nobles. The scenes provide graphic representation, of all manner of Egyptian activities: hunting, fishing, agriculture, warfare, law courts, and all kinds of arts and crafts. All these worldly activities have spiritual meaning.

Portraying these daily life activities in the presence of the neteru (gods/goddesses) or with their assistance signifies their spiritual intent. The agricultural scenes are similar to the symbolism of Christ referring to the sower of the seed. It was spiritual and never meant to be agricultural advice.

Despite the repetition of daily life scenes, no two tombs are identical. The theme may be the same but there is always a variation.

The myth surrounds the tombs. It's said that whoever disturbs the resting place will be cursed.

King Tuts tomb went undisturbed through the ages until Howard Carter found it in 1922. Inscribed upon the tomb was the inscription, "Death shall come on swift wings to him that disturbs the peace of the king."

The man who financed Howard Carter's expedition, Carnarvon, died a few weeks after the tomb was discovered. It is even rumored that back at Carnarvon's English estate his dog, Susie, was supposed to have howled and died at the same time.

A friend of Carters, a Mr.. Ingram, was given a paperweight that actually consisted of a mummified hand. On the weight a curse read, "Cursed be he who moves my body. To him shall come fire, water and pestilence." Very soon after receiving the cursed gift, Ingram's home burned to the ground. It was immediately rebuilt and destroyed again by a flood.

During the unsophisticated time that the tomb was 'disturbed' those exploring would use a canary to determine the quality of the air. If the canary died, it was time to make ones way out. On the day that the tomb was opened, the canary who had this task was killed by a cobra. Interestingly enough, the cobra - which symbolizes ancient Egyptian monarchy - quite literally rose up and swallowed the ill-fated bird.

Many other deaths followed the opening of the tomb as well. Media were quick to associate the deaths with the curse, making the fame grow ever more.
To put the curse into perspective, one must look at all those involved in the expedition as well as the events that followed.

As stated previously, Lord Carnarvon was the man who financed the expedition. And while it's very true that he did die soon after the tomb was discovered it is also true that the man had been ill for 20 years. With failing health spanning across two decades, his immune system was rather weak when a mosquito bite became infected when he cut the bite shaving. Later, he died from a case of infection.

Howard Carter is the man who cracked open the tomb. He lived a 'curse-free' life and died nearly two decades after the tomb was found. He died at the age of 64.

Lady Evelyn, Lord Carnarvon's daughter was one of the very first people to ever enter the tomb. She died in 1980 at the age of 80.

Harry Burton was the photographer made famous by the fantastic photographs he did of the tomb. Harry Burton died in 1940.

Alan Gardiner was put in charge of studying the tomb's inscriptions. He remained an active part of the study until his death in 1963.

DR. D.E Derry was the doctor who did the original autopsy on Tutankhamun's mummy. Derry lived a long life and died in 1969.

Clearly, the cure was resurrected with the mummy for the value to the story.

Other royal tombs often had curses inscribed within them or on them. Generally, this was not so much aimed at those who disturbed, robbed or uncovered the tombs, but for the ka priests. It was the job of the ka priests to keep the tomb not only safe, but also to preserve the ritual purity of the tomb.

One such "curse" that has caught my attention was the story of Zahai Hawass. Hawass was a young archeologist when he was involved in the transportation of mummies and artifacts from a Greco-Roman site. On the anniversary of the date of the transport he had an cousin to die, a year later his uncle died and on the third year after the transport he had an aunt to die.

He was later involved in an excavation where he found a curse that said, "All people who enter this tomb who will make evil against this tomb and destroy it may the crocodile be against them in water, and snakes against them on land. May the hippopotamus be against them in water, the scorpion against them on land." Hawass claimed at the time he was not superstitious, but was cautious and refused to deal with the tombs. He did; however, agree to remove two mummy children from Bahariya Oasis to an unknown museum. He claimed he was haunted by the children in his dreams. These hauntings continued until the mummy of the father was reunited with the children at the museum.

To say with complete certainty whether a curse is factual or not is impossible; however, a scientific mind would most likely find it rather unlikely.
Source(s):
Personal studies
http://www.egypt-tehuti.org/tombs.html

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