Egypt

The Curse of Tutankhamun (1x2)

: 06, 2005

The story of the tomb of Tutankhamun captivates the world's media and propels Carnarvon and Carter to instant celebrity status around the globe. The ultimate prize that Howard Carter has sought all his adult life yields more than he could ever imagine: thousands of priceless artefacts, eventually crowned by the solid gold coffin and death mask of Tutankhamun. However, Carter is uneasy with his new-found celebrity status, and the absence of any real historical information frustrates him. As the dig progresses in the heat of the Egyptian desert, tensions between Carter and his team begin to boil over... Carter is working in the full gaze of publicity - everything he does is under the watchful eyes of packs of international journalists. He realises that in order to preserve the tomb's contents for posterity, his work has only just begun. Meanwhile, Carnarvon is desperately trying to keep the press at bay. In order to minimise the disturbance for those working at the site, he strikes an exclusive deal with The Times. This angers other journalists, especially Weigall from The Daily Mail, who starts writing stories claiming the tomb is cursed. With all the material from the antechamber removed, Carter's team begin to break through to the chamber beyond. Finally, it is the day Carter has been waiting for all his life and he is delighted when he can officially open the burial chamber of Tutankhamun. Unfortunately, under the terms of Carnarvon's agreement with the Egyptian Director-General of Antiquities, if the site contains an intact Pharaoh's tomb its contents must revert back to the Egyptian Government. Carnarvon and Carter play for time and persuade the authorities to let them excavate the rest of the chamber. From the opening of the burial chamber, things begin to go badly wrong. Carter becomes increasingly irritated and sacks key colleagues. Carnarvon and Carter argue over his pedantic management of the tomb, and Carter's 'friendship'