Egypt orders 8 to trial over scratch on King Tut mask

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.”

“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.

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.