The death of archaeologist George Carnarvon gave rise to rumors of Tutankhamen's curse. The explorer died as a result of an infection of a wound on his cheek that had formed a few months earlier after a mosquito bite. The novelist Marie Corelli published an article in several newspapers where she stated that she had found an ancient Arabic text saying that intruders disturbing the peace of the dead pharaohs would die due to poisoning by poisons placed in the tombs.In the eight years after the discovery of the tomb, about 20 people were associated with Tutankhamen's curse. There were speculations that it might be a conspiracy or the effect of bacteria hidden in the tomb. However, Howard Carter announced that Tutankhamun's tomb did not contain any dangerous bacteria and there was no inscription with the curse above the entrance to the tomb.Scientific research shows that the members of the team that discovered Tutankhamun's tomb lived to an average age of 70 years and Howard Carter died 17 years after opening the burial chamber.