AS IT IS 2016-01-30 Egyptians Face Charges for Bad Repairs to Ancient Mask

AS IT IS 2016-01-30 Egyptians Face Charges for Bad Repairs to Ancient Mask

Eight Egyptians may go to trial for their bad repairs on the gold mask of ancient King Tutankhamun.

Known as “King Tut,” the ancient King’s famous golden burial mask was damaged by museum workers in 2014.

News reports said that Egyptian prosecutors¹ allege² the employees of Cairo’s Egyptian Museum “dealt recklessly” with the mask. The well-known object is 3,300 years old.

Reports say museum workers accidentally broke the blue and gold braided beard off the mask while fixing a light in its case. The staff then glued the piece back onto the young pharaoh’s burial mask with a lot of epoxy, a type of glue. It left a ring of glue around the edge of the beard that could be seen clearly.

When workers tried to remove the ring of glue, they made fine scratches, or marks, on the mask.

German Christian³ Eckmann was brought in as the lead restoration specialist. The damage to King Tut’s mask has since been repaired by Eckmann and his team. It was put back on in its place at the museum last month. Reports say the fine scratches cannot be seen by most people.

The New York Times reported “the German experts carefully removed the epoxy and restored the solid gold mask using beeswax, the adhesive⁴ used by the ancient Egyptians.”

Investigators⁵ want to know how the beard came off, and why the workers used too much epoxy.

The former museum director and former head of restoration are two of the eight people facing charges. The charges include negligence⁶ and violating professional and scientific rules.

The accused officials have been suspended from their jobs, but will not go to prison, said the New York Times. However, they could lose those jobs and have to pay large fines. 

The mask and other items related to the famous pharaoh bring many tourists to Egypt and Cairo’s Egyptian Museum. The museum houses ancient Egyptian objects and mummies. The mask is one of the best-known pieces in the museum.

Monica Hanna is an archaeologist and a member of Egypt’s Heritage Task Force. She told the New York Times that the museum has become increasingly neglected in recent years.

“There’s been a shift in the people working there,” she told The New York Times.  “The experience people have retired⁷, and the new ones do not have adequate training.”

A new museum called the Grand Egyptian Museum near the famous pyramids is behind schedule for it’s opening. Another museum, the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization is finished, but not yet open to the public.

British archaeologists discovered King Tut’s tomb in 1922.  It was a great find. Unlike many other royalty’s tombs, the burial room had not been touched since King Tut died, more than 3,000 years ago.

The discovery made King Tut famous. Objects from his tomb have traveled around the world. It gave people the chance to see the ancient pieces up close.

But in recent years, Egypt’s all-important tourism has suffered badly. It started with the unrest after President Hosni Mubark’s fall in 2011. Then, there has been more unrest in 2013 after the military took over the government.

Tourists have also been attacked by Islamist extremists. Last October a suspected bomb brought down a Russian airliner⁸ near a Red Sea resort, killing⁹ 224 people. 

However, interest in ancient Egypt increased recently. British Egyptologist Nicholas Reeves said he believes that tomb of Queen Nefertiti may lie behind a wall in King Tut’s tomb. Researchers are still working to find out if the famous queen was buried there, or not.

Words in This Story

alleged¹⁰ – adj. accused of having done something wrong or illegal but not yet proven guilty

recklessly – adv. not showing proper concern about the possible bad results of your actions

glue –n. a substance used to stick things tightly together

negligence –n. lack of normal care or attention

mummies –n. (plural) a dead body of a person or animal prepared for burial in the manner of the ancient Egyptians by treating it with oils and wrapping it in strips of cloth

neglected –adj. not given enough attention or care

adequate – adj. enough for some need or requirement

1 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

2 allege   

vt.宣称，申述，主张，断言

参考例句：

• The newspaper reporters allege that the man was murdered but they have given no proof.新闻记者们宣称这个男人是被谋杀的，但他们没提出证据。
• Students occasionally allege illness as the reason for absence.学生时不时会称病缺课。

3 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

4 adhesive   

n.粘合剂；adj.可粘着的，粘性的

参考例句：

• You'll need a strong adhesive to mend that chair. 你需要一种粘性很强的东西来修理那把椅子。
• Would you give me an adhesive stamp?请给我一枚带胶邮票好吗？

5 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 negligence   

n.疏忽，玩忽，粗心大意

参考例句：

• They charged him with negligence of duty.他们指责他玩忽职守。
• The traffic accident was allegedly due to negligence.这次车祸据说是由于疏忽造成的。

7 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

8 airliner   

n.客机，班机

参考例句：

• The pilot landed the airliner safely.驾驶员使客机安全着陆。
• The passengers were shepherded across the tarmac to the airliner.旅客们被引导走过跑道去上飞机。

9 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

10 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为