webfact Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Egypt says King Tut mask was scratched, sends 8 to trialBRIAN ROHAN, Associated PressCAIRO (AP) — King Tut hasn't been around for a few thousand years, but his power remains: after a botched repair job of the famed pharaoh's beard left scratches on his burial mask, Egyptian prosecutors have ordered eight museum workers to a disciplinary court for "gross negligence."The 3,300-year old mask, whose beard was accidentally knocked off and hastily glued on with epoxy in 2014, was scratched and damaged during the amateurish repair work, prosecutors said in a Sunday statement, which implicated the then-head of the Egyptian Museum and the chief of the restoration department."In an attempt to cover up the damage they inflicted, they used sharp instruments such as scalpels and metal tools to remove traces of adhesive on the mask, causing damage and scratches that remain," it said, citing an investigation. The eight now face fines and disciplinary measures including dismissal.The mask was put back on display last month after a German-Egyptian team of specialists removed the epoxy and reattached the beard using beeswax, used as an adhesive in antiquity.A year ago, a museum conservator who was present at the time of the repair told the Associated Press that epoxy had dried on the face of the boy king's mask and that a colleague used a spatula to remove it, leaving scratches. Another conservator who inspects the artifact regularly also saw the scratches and said it was clear that they had been made by a tool used to scrape off the epoxy. They both spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of repercussions.Restoration specialist Christian Eckmann said shortly thereafter that the cause of a scratch found on the mask had had not been determined, but that it could have been recent.The mask was discovered in a tomb along with other artifacts by British archeologists in 1922, sparking worldwide interest in archaeology and ancient Egypt. It is one of the world's most priceless artifacts and the best-known piece in the Egyptian Museum, a major tourist attraction in Cairo that was built in 1902 and houses ancient Egyptian artifacts and mummies.Lately, King Tut has been at the focus of new archaeology and media buzz after British Egyptologist Nicholas Reeves theorized that Tutankhamun, who died at the age of 19, may have been rushed into an outer chamber of what was originally Queen Nefertiti's tomb.-- (c) Associated Press 2016-01-25 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jacky54 Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Never a Queens tomb in the Valley of the kings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezzra Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 They should have taken him to a local barber shop, he would fixed his beard all right... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozyjon Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 I hope they don't get shot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc46 Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 what a load of crap, they should have searched for Tradesman first . Anyway what is a few scratches for a few Thousand years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SOTIRIOS Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 ...so much for 'a great civilization'....quite ironic......the highest.....and the lowest.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHolmesJr Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Tut Tut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bangon04 Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 what a load of crap, they should have searched for Tradesman first . Anyway what is a few scratches for a few Thousand years. Just imagine how the Thais would have handled a situation like this.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
callaway Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 My car is only 2 years old and has a couple of scratches. So something 3300 years old and a couple of scratches seems pretty bloody good to me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
copa8 Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 what a load of crap, they should have searched for Tradesman first . Anyway what is a few scratches for a few Thousand years. Just imagine how the Thais would have handled a situation like this.... Probably better than this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bendejo Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 This sounds like a bit from an inane Judd Apatow comedy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamRich Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 When I went to that museum I was like Seriously? I could care for that stuff better in my own house. Everything appears to be laid out haphazzardly in display cases that they bought at the flea market. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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