Marysville pea’s tall tale starts with King Tut

A pea patch growing in Marysville has roots in ancient desert sands, thousands of miles away.

As the story goes, King Tutankhamun’s servants planted and harvested these peas, which then were secreted away in the pharoah’s tomb along with gold and silver to provide for the boy king in his afterlife.

The King Tut peas have grown into a tall tale, debunked by experts, but kept alive as family tradition by Lynn McKee, 72, of Lake Stevens.

Like King Tut’s legend, which had been forgotten in the centuries between the pharaoh’s death and the discovery of his tomb, McKee’s family forgot about the King Tut peas.

They were misplaced in the bottom of a clay pot and in the recess of memory until “Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs” opened at the Pacific Science Center in Seattle.

The exhibit’s publicity stirred McKee to search again for her father’s pea seeds.

She found them, and because McKee lacks a green thumb, a gardener friend in Marysville sowed the seeds. The friend was able to germinate several, now thriving, plants.

“She’s babying them like they’re gold,” McKee said. The Marysville gardener declined to have her name reported, fearing people may invade her yard to abscond the special peas.

Although experts agree that the seeds likely originated in early 20th century English gardens, not in ancient Egypt, McKee and her friend hold onto a vine of the old story — that McKee’s father received seeds derived from some found in Tut’s tomb.

“I told a couple of people,” McKee said. “They said, ‘Sure Lynn.’”

According to the legend, the seeds sat undisturbed for nearly 5,000 years until Howard Carter found King Tut’s tomb on Nov. 4, 1922.

From there, the story says, Carter slipped some seeds out of Egypt back to England, where the plants germinated and propagated.

The seeds were shared, first with an acquaintance in Florida, and in 1950 with J.D. “Jarvin” Molstad in Calgary, Alberta, according to an Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in England. The gardens hold Carter’s botanical collections. “It is therefore highly unlikely that the peas in question come from this tomb,” Sihota said.

Although many attempts have been made, experts haven’t been successful growing ancient seeds, said Salima Ikram, a professor of Egyptology at the American University in Cairo.

“Various people have tried to plant and grow seeds from tombs, but with no luck,” Ikram said. “They are too old to germinate.”

Documents from Kew support this. Records show that despite many stories of germinated seeds taken from ancient Egyptian tombs, there are no scientific records supporting the claims.

“This aside, the conditions within Egyptian pyramids are very dry and would permit seed longevity in certain species to extend to thousands of years,” one document said.

The Fortean Times, a website dedicated the world of strange phenomenon, says that many so-called “Mummy Seeds” were sold as souveniers in the 19th and early 20th century, at the height of the Egyptian craze that captivated the West, including England.

There also could be a simple explanation to how the peas were flavored with the story.

“It is sometimes said that Tutankhamen’s Pea originated on the country estate of Lord Caernarvon, who financed Howard Carter’s search for King Tut’s resting place and was subsequently named in honor of Caernarvon’s claim to fame, rather than the plant’s origin,” the web site said.

Even Terroritorial Seed Company in Oregon sells a Sweet Pea-King Tut. A spokesman wasn’t certain of the seeds’ true origins.

Despite all this, McKee and her friend are keeping a close eye on the quickly growing vines.

The old newspaper story has been laminated and McKee handwrote her memories on a piece of paper, now folded and kept inside the ceramic pot, the seeds sealed inside a Ziploc bag.

Even if the seeds aren’t from King Tut’s tomb, they are growing after sitting in a jar for 40 years, which still is magical.

“They’re damned old,” McKee said. “It’s something I grew up with. It’s just a thing we all were amused at.”

And maybe the peas provide a glimpse at the diet of the ancients.

“They ate just like we do,” McKee said. “You wonder what was on their menu.”

Jackson Holtz: 425-339-3447; jholtz@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Olivia Vanni / The Herald 
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County.
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mukilteo mayor vetoes council-approved sales tax

The tax would have helped pay for transportation infrastructure, but was also set to give Mukilteo the highest sales tax rate in the state.

Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring gives the state of the city address at the Marysville Civic Center on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Marysville, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Marysville council approves interim middle housing law

The council passed the regulations to prevent a state model code from taking effect by default. It expects to approve final rules by October.

x
State audit takes issue with Edmonds COVID grant monitoring

The audit report covered 2023 and is the third since 2020 that found similar issues with COVID-19 recovery grant documentation.

Bothell
Bothell man pleads guilty to sexual abuse of Marysville middle schoolers

The man allegedly sexually assaulted three students in exchange for vapes and edibles in 2022. His sentencing is set for Aug. 29.

Larsen talks proposed Medicaid cuts during Compass Health stop in Everett

Compass Health plans to open its new behavioral health center in August. Nearly all of the nonprofit’s patients rely on Medicaid.

Snohomish County Health Department Director Dennis Worsham on Tuesday, June 11, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Snohomish County Health Department director tapped as WA health secretary

Dennis Worsham became the first director of the county health department in January 2023. His last day will be July 3.

Police Cmdr. Scott King answers questions about the Flock Safety license plate camera system on Thursday, June 5, 2025 in Mountlake Terrace, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mountlake Terrace approves Flock camera system after public pushback

The council approved the $54,000 license plate camera system agreement by a vote of 5-2.

Community members gather for the dedication of the Oso Landslide Memorial following the ten-year remembrance of the slide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The Daily Herald garners 6 awards from regional journalism competition

The awards recognize the best in journalism from media outlets across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen talks with Volunteers of America leadership to discuss the consequences of the federal cuts on Monday, June 30, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Federal cuts to LGBTQ+ youth hotline to hit Everett center

U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Everett, visited the call center Monday to discuss impacts of the cuts, including longer wait times and staff layoffs.

U.S. Rep. Suzan DelBene, right, goes over a Chinook Marsh Project map with Snohomish County Surface Water Management’s Michael Rustay, left, and Erik Stockdale, center, at the project site on Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024 in Snohomish, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
County receives $10 million grant for floodplain management

The state Department of Ecology funding will go toward 13 projects across the county working to restore habitat and support climate resiliency.

The Washington state Capitol. (Photo by Jacquelyn Jimenez Romero/Washington State Standard)
These Washington laws take effect July 1

Fee hikes for hunting and fishing licenses, workplace protections for immigrants and… Continue reading

Everett
Everett could levy fines for non-emergency lift assists at care facilities

The ordinance intends to discourage licensed care facilities from calling 911 to perform lift assists in a non-emergency situation.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.