Egypt sends 8 to trial over botched repair of King Tut mask
In this Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015 file photo, German restorer Christian Eckmann begins restoration work on the golden mask of King Tutankhamun. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil, File)
CAIRO (AP) — Eight Egyptians involved in a botched repair of the famed golden burial mask of King Tut, which was corrected late last year, have been referred to trial for "gross negligence."
Prosecutors said in a Sunday statement that the 3,300-year old mask, whose beard was accidentally knocked off and hastily glued on with epoxy in 2014, was scratched and damaged as a result.
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, which is often used as an adhesive for antiquities.
Restoration specialist Christian Eckmann said a year ago that the cause of a scratch discovered on the mask had had not been determined, but that it could have been recent.