Mysterious Egyptian sarcophagus fails to unleash world-ending curse some had hoped for

The opening of a mysterious 2,000-year-old sarcophagus, discovered in Alexandria earlier this month and opened by Egypt archaeologists this week has failed to deliver the world-ending curse some had hoped for.

The discovery of the six-foot sealed tomb stirred worldwide intrigue when it was discovered, with some suggesting that it belongs to the ancient Greek ruler, Alexander the Great.

More dramatic observers foretold of "the curse" that would be unleashed when opened.

Measuring two metres by three metres, weighing over 30 metric tons, and carved entirely from black granite, "sounds like the perfect way to entomb an immortal evil wizard", remarked the Mysterious Universe website.

Still, some brave souls were willing to face whatever monster lurked within, and - egged on by curious tweeters - opened the sarcophagus on Thursday.

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Three decomposed skeletons - thought to be the remains of warriors - were found, Egypt's ministry of antiquities announced. One of the skulls appeared to have been hit with an arrow, they said.

As for a curse? The Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mostafa Waziri, denied any terrible hex had been released. 

"The sarcophagus has been opened, but we have not been hit by a curse," he told Egypt Today.

Now we know what was inside was little more than bone soup, speculation has swirled over the red liquid the remains were swimming in.

In some weirder circles, a few hundred people have signed an online petition to be allowed to drink the mummy juice "in some sort of carbonated energy drink".

On Saturday, the ministry once again responded to the social media hysteria, and seemingly rejected requests for a sip of the sarcophagus soda.

The liquid is neither "juice for mummies that contains an elixir of life" nor is it red mercury but only sewage water, it said in a statement.

It also said the find doesn't belong to any Great men.

So not Prince, then, either.

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And given the current state of the world, this is a very good point:

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