Posted: 1:48 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22, 2015

Famous King Tut mask damaged

By Cox Media Group National Content Desk

CAIRO — 

    We've all had to pull out the super glue to fix a knick knack, but when that broken item is a priceless Ancient Egyptian artifact, the usual repair procedure may not be the best way to proceed.  

    That is exactly what happened in Cairo.

    Back in October, the  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/21/king-tuts-mask-damaged_n_6520910.html" rel="nofollow - Huffington Post  reported, one of the best-known artifacts at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo broke during a cleaning.  

    Actually, it was the pharonic false beard that snapped off of the burial mask of Tutankhamun, better known as King Tut.  According to  http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/01/22/beard-on-king-tut-burial-mask-damaged-after-epoxy-gluing/" rel="nofollow - Fox News , there are conflicting reports of whether it was an accident or intentionally removed because it was loose.

    Someone then pulled out the glue, or rather epoxy and tried to repair the more than 3,300-year-old golden mask. While epoxy is perfect to attach metal or stone very quickly, conservators say it is not the correct way to fix the mask. 

    A conservator, speaking to  http://bigstory.ap.org/article/0dad9fb502094fd09de4dd263662d4d0/beard-egypts-king-tut-hastily-glued-back-epoxy" rel="nofollow - The Associated Press  on the condition of anonymity, said "The mask should have been taken to the conservation lab but they were in a rush to get it displayed quickly again and used this quick drying, irreversible material."

There is now a gap between the beard and chin that is filled with the bonding material,  http://www.ibtimes.com/king-tuts-beard-broken-burial-mask-glued-back-epoxy-botched-repair-job-1790958" rel="nofollow - International Business Times  reported.

    To make matters worse, the adhesive leaked onto the face of the mask and someone used a spatula to remove the residue, scratching the fragile item,  http://bigstory.ap.org/article/0dad9fb502094fd09de4dd263662d4d0/beard-egypts-king-tut-hastily-glued-back-epoxy" rel="nofollow - The Associated Press  reported.  

    Tutankhamun's tomb is possibly one of the most famous, and complete, Egyptian tomb's discovered.  It was opened in 1922 by British archeologist Howard Carter and George Herbert. 

    Many items from the Egyptian Museum’s King Tut exhibit traveled to the United States multiple times.  Once in the late 70's when the mask was on display in cities like New York and most recently from 2005 through 2013.  

    During the 2005-2013 exhibitions, the mask did not travel with the other artifacts as it did in the 70's because the Egyptian government said it was too fragile to travel and would remain in Egypt.