Egypt Museum Admits Tut’s Beard Glued Back On, Vows Proper Restoration

The Egyptian Museum in Cairo has finally admitted that one of its greatest treasures, the 3,300-year-old mask of King Tutankhamun, had been damaged during a cleaning operation and unprofessional attempts to glue its beard back on had spoiled the relic even further; the museum, however, has vowed to restore it to its former glory.

MOSCOW, January 25 (Sputnik) — The administration of Cairo's world-renowned Egyptian Museum in Cairo has finally admitted that one of its most valuable ancient artifacts, the mask of King Tutankhamun, was damaged while it was being cleaned, according to AP reports.

The golden mask's beard was accidentally knocked off back in August, although the museum did not make the matter public until photographs surfaced on the internet several days ago showing a line of glue around its chin.

A detail of the gold mask of King Tutankhamun showing where the beard is attached is seen in a glass case during a press tour, in the Egyptian Museum near Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015

© AP Photo / Hassan Ammar

The museum's staff had hastily glued it back on, using epoxy glue usually used on metal or stone which is extremely difficult to remove.

The 3,300-year-old mask remains on display, with epoxy filling a small gap between the chin and what is known as a "model beard" commonly worn by kings and gods.

After the pictures leaked onto the internet, the museum summoned a German expert to examine the relic; he discovered a scratch on it.

Tutankhamun's beard was GLUED back on. GLUED. GLUED. It was GLUED. GLUED. With GLUE. What even GLUE pic.twitter.com/5LaEX3zB0p

— dalia ☥ (@daliamalek) 24 января 2015

"There will be a committee of experts consisting of conservators, archeologists and natural scientists in order to develop a plan for re-conservation," the invited German expert Christian Eckmann  said at a news conference at the museum. "Up till now we found one scratch which is visible but it cannot be said now whether this scratch is an ancient one, a recent one, or a modern one which just happened right now," he added.

Eckmann also admitted that there were some remains of glue where the beard had been glued on, as the restoration attempt was performed carelessly.

Antiquities Minister Mamdouh el-Damaty, who was present at the conference, said he was only alerted to the incident two days ago. He added that the beard broke off when museum workers were changing the lights in King Tutt's display case and accidentally touched the mask.

Eckmann, however, said that gluing on the boy king's beard was not unprecedented.

In this Aug. 12, 2014, photo provided by Jacqueline Rodriguez, a man glues the beard part of King Tutankhamun's mask back on at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, Egypt

© AP Photo / Jacqueline Rodriguez

The beard was not fixed to the mask when it was excavated, he said, and the artefact was brought to the Egyptian Museum with its beard unattached in 1924.

It was not until 1941 that the beard was reattached to the mask with glue that deteriorated over the past 70 years, making the accident in August more likely, the German expert concluded.