Eight museum employees will be charged with negligence after they knocked the beard off the King Tutankhamun's funerary mask and did a shoddy job in its repair, Egyptian authorities said Sunday.
There have been differing accounts about how the artifact's 3,300-year-old beard ended up breaking since the damage was revealed back in 2014, reported CNN. One source said the beard broke when the mask fell during cleaning while others say the beard had loosened with age.
In either case, the group tried to cover up the damage by using epoxy glue to reattach the beard and then used metal tools to to remove parts of the glue that became visible. Museum officials then dismissed the claims of damage when they emerged, calling them unfolded.
However, a scratch was later discovered on the mask and prosecutors opened an investigation into the damage last year, determining that workers did not follow protocol during restoration.
"Ignoring all scientific methods of restoration, the suspects tried to conceal their crime by using sharp metal tools to remove parts of the glue that became visible, thus damaging the 3,000-year-old piece without a moment of conscience," prosecutors announced, according to the Daily News Egypt.
Those facing charges include the former museum director, former director of restoration, four senior restoration experts and two restorers, all of whom were removed from their jobs pending the results of the investigation, according to USA Today.
In the meantime, the mask went back up on display in December after German experts removed the damage and reattached the beard professionally using beeswax, which is traditionally used as an adhesive for antiquities.
