Incompetent Stewardship in Egypt

BBC. "Tutankhamun: Egyptian museum staff face trial over botched beard job", 23 January 2016

Egyptian media say prosecutors have referred eight Cairo museum employees for trial over the botched reattachment of the beard on the burial mask of the pharaoh, Tutankhamun. It comes a year after officials opened an investigation into how the blue and gold braided beard came to be detached and then hastily glued back on.  [...] Conservators at the Egyptian Museum had given differing accounts of the circumstances of the beard becoming detached. [...]  Prosecutors said workers then "recklessly" tried to cover up the mistake, using large amounts of inappropriate glue in an effort to fix it. In all, they made four attempts to reattach the beard, on the later three occasions also trying to remove evidence of their earlier failed efforts.  One report, in the Daily News Egypt, quoted prosecutors as saying: "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." 

Fortunately the mask was not left at the mercy of these fools, due to an international outcry  

Last October, a team of conservators led by German experts began work to remove the damage and reattach the beard professionally. Following successful restoration, the mask was put back on public display in December.

 The accused face charges of negligence and violating professional standards. Those due to face trial include a former director of the museum and a former director of restoration. It is sheer stupidity to leave important cultural property in the hands of such an irresponsible people - who were not only negligent and unprofessional, but also like little children simply denied they had done anything wrong. The heritage of humanity deserves better.

[edit: Attorney Peter Tompa suggests  ("Climate of Fear" that the Egyptian military dictatorship may impose the death penalty for this, because "others who have done far less to insult the State have already received such a sentence".]