The tomb of Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamum is in the most fragile state it’s been in since its discovery more than 100 years ago. The tomb, located in Luxor, was first uncovered by British archaeologist, Howard Carter, in 1922.

But it has now been reported that the burial site appears to have cracks spreading across the ceilings, rock layers peeling away and that the mural colours are fading as a result of fungi. The tomb found in the Valley of Kings is also suffering a huge fracture that is stretching across the ceiling of the burial chamber and entrance, allowing rainwater to seep inside.

And now the risk of deformation and collapse looms over the structure and intricate decorations because of the Esna shale rock used inside, which expands and contracts with changes in humidity, reports The Independent.

The Valley of Kings is home to numerous royal tombs that are carved into the mountainous landscape. However, many of them have been eroded due to sudden floods that periodically hit the area.

In 1944, a catastrophic torrent resulted in the valley being submerged in water that caused the rock layers to erode and a sharp rise in humidity levels within the tombs.

Fungai was then able to thrive, damaging the paintings and murals. Additionally, the fragile geological composition, made up mostly of weak Esna shale, has worsened the situation.

Sayed Hemede, professor of Preservation of Architectural Heritage at Cairo University, notes that Tutankhamun’s tomb is now suffering from compromised structural integrity. The tomb consists of four main chambers, including the entrance, the antechamber, the burial chamber, and the treasury, which once was home to around 5,000 artefacts such as a golden mask, gilded statues, fine furniture, weapons and funerary objects.

In a recent study published in Nature’s npj Heritage Science Journal, the expert highlights the 1994 flood as the turning point, as it allowed water ingress, increased humidity levels and stemmed fungal growth.

Dr Hemeda also identified that the central fissure cutting across the ceilings of both the burial chamber and the entrance had “allowed rainwater to penetrate and worsened the cracks, placing the ceiling under pressures exceeding the capacity of Esna snale rock to withstand, particularly given its tendency to expand and contract with fluctuations in humidity.

The study suggests that the minimisation of humidity fluctuations to “preserve the tomb by regulating its internal environment and implementing a focused programme of reinforcement and conservation.”