King Tut's Burial Mask Has Been "Irreversibly Damaged"

a reply to: Chrisfishenstein

the op posted it back on page 2. they were changing a light bulb in the display.
and the prove a point deal was a response about the two guys in egypt in the pyramid.

originally posted by: Spider879
a reply to: Chrisfishenstein

If some one tore the shroud of Turin or plaster over the finger of god pointing to man or dropped the crystal skull it would equally be newsworthy,it's just one of those things one put alot of care and effort in during repairs,moving or cleaning it is part of our common heritage.

So you are going to compare something from potentially Jesus Christ to effing King TUT??? What has this world come to??

a reply to: Soloprotocol

I'm glad you brought that "restoration" up... it occurred to me, too... and is relevant.

It comes down to philosophy and what one thinks is important, but even a thoughtful "peasant" who has trouble scraping up food or keeping warm would find this troubling... alienated, or not.

It's about legacy... what makes humans and what it means to be one... civilization and the continuance of knowledge... the big pictures beyond any individual's small horizon.

These people were entrusted by the human family to keep something pristine for that same human family... and that was their response... top to bottom of the museum's hierarchy, it's abysmal... they should check out the Philistine exhibit that must be in that museum... somewhere.

Sure, there are other matters of importance... but this is important as well... more than one thing can be important.

a reply to: Baddogma

Sure, there are other matters of importance... but this is important as well... more than one thing can be important.

A burial mask that has epoxy on the beard? Whew.....

originally posted by: Chrisfishenstein
a reply to: AdmireTheDistance

I am not saying it is not a shame...I am saying who really cares enough to make this a big news story? These poor curators are probably going to be banned from artifacts forever now...

Good riddance to them.

This is a priceless, one of a kind model. Mistakes cannot be accepted - if they were then non of this stuff would still be in existence any more, it'd have been left to rot millennia ago.

Their one and only job was to look after the statue - they not only broke it, but damaged it even more by using a dodgy repair job that even a 10 year old would know is wrong and never going to work.

That kind of lapse in security deserves to have them banned for life from curating.

a reply to: bastion

Geesh....The thought process behind people now is just astonishing! If someone makes a mistake, everyone wants their head on a stake....This is a freaking burial mask that still has all the parts! It's not like they broke it, sold it and now are living on an island in the Carribean!! They made a mistake and tried to fix it.....Failed....IT CAN BE FIXED PROPERLY!!! This whole mob mentality thing everyone has is going to be a major downfall to mankind!!! Have some freaking heart for someone who tried...

How is using epoxy trying? They caused more damage than the original accident.

It's a burial mask of one of the most important people and periods in human history - if you can't see why that is something worth looking after then more fool you.

originally posted by: bastion
How is using epoxy trying? They caused more damage than the original accident.

It's a burial mask of one of the most important people and periods in human history - if you can't see why that is something worth looking after then more fool you.

WHY? I was waiting for this to come up!

Why is King Tut "one of the most important people in human history"? Oh, because he was the youngest? What has he done that makes him so important to us? You probably can't even say how long he ruled without looking it up online first....EXPLAIN this garbage and why his stupid effing burial mask is important to our society/culture...Please

a reply to: Chrisfishenstein

I would say it's the response and the exposed thinking, after the deed, that people are disgusted by... not so much the diminished (but still pretty) burial mask. Though "priceless" and "irreplaceable" are concepts as well as words... like all words!

It just shows the people who were entrusted aren't to be trusted.

And it's true that there are less high minded matters that need attending to, but I'd suggest that the mindset shown by the people involved with Tut's Broken Beard is one of the reasons why those other, more pragmatic matters are not addressed like they should be by most of us and are, instead, swept under the rug, or epoxied under a desk, so that the social rot isn't seen.

Evasion of an unpleasant aspect of reality, in a shoddy way, so that we can go on... biz as usual.

I'd also add that the folks who think this isn't a big deal are the majority... and that the way we think and rank importance is... er, important, as our thinking leads to action.

ETA: The fact I have to explain my own sorrow over the defacement of a unique object kinda encapsulates why I've been alienated from the majority of humans, actually. I just wish everyone had a level of thought, access to cultural information and economic comfort to make the minority of folks sad about defacement of cultural symbols the majority. If that happened, the slip shod, short sighted pragmatism that creates hell on this Earth would be much less.

He was ruler of the most important civilisation of all time at its peak. It's hard to get more important or influential than that.

originally posted by: Chrisfishenstein
.EXPLAIN this garbage and why his stupid effing burial mask is important to our society/culture...Please

If I may...explaining the value of culture to a grown-up is like trying to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time, and annoys the pig.

Meanwhile: 7 pieces of priceless artwork destroyed by jackassery

originally posted by: bastion
He was ruler of the most important civilisation of all time at its peak. It's hard to get more important or influential than that.

A 9 year old kid influential? Why was the 18th Dynasty important? And how does a 9 year old kid, who ruled for 9 years, command respect from you about being "one of the most influential people"?

a reply to: bastion

It's a burial mask of one of the most important people and periods in human history

How is using epoxy trying? They caused more damage than the original accident. It's a burial mask of one of the most important people and periods in human history - if you can't see why that is something worth looking after then more fool you.

king tut was a nobody lost to history just as most of the pharoh's except to their country. the only reason he was brought to fame was his tomb was best preserved ever found and was displayed world wide. that made the fascination with tombs and their treasures popular with the general public.

His tomb was robbed at least twice in antiquity, but based on the items taken (including perishable oils and perfumes) and the evidence of restoration of the tomb after the intrusions, it seems clear that these robberies took place within several months at most of the initial burial. Eventually the location of the tomb was lost because it had come to be buried by stone chips from subsequent tombs, either dumped there or washed there by floods. In the years that followed, some huts for workers were built over the tomb entrance, clearly not knowing what lay beneath. When at the end of the 20th Dynasty the Valley of the Kings burials were systematically dismantled, the burial of Tutankhamun was overlooked, presumably because knowledge of it had been lost and his name may have been forgotten.
Tutankhamun

before then there were some people that mentioned them in the historical record, but up during 1800' and into the 1900's, most egyptologists, were no better than the grave robbers before them, rich snobs that wanted to be prominent and show off the best prize or sell for the big money of the time.

carter started the whole shebang, then it just went to religion status.

I think its a huge deal that it was damaged. But perhaps it should have stayed buried? Or at least left where it was found? I understand history is important and learning about our past is crucial, but disturbing the dead isn't cool. I hope after im dead and gone they don't dig me up and display me in a museum.

originally posted by: Remedylane I hope after im dead and gone they don't dig me up and display me in a museum.

I donno man, you plan on getting famous?

I think its a huge deal that it was damaged. But perhaps it should have stayed buried? Or at least left where it was found? I understand history is important and learning about our past is crucial, but disturbing the dead isn't cool.

...but seriously, there's a certain amount of truth to what you say. On the other hand, there have always been far too many roaches out there looting sites, and precious cultural resources disappear into private hands. There is an expectation, though, that once in a museum setting there ought to be a degree of protection. Apparently not...

originally posted by: JohnnyCanuck

originally posted by: Remedylane I hope after im dead and gone they don't dig me up and display me in a museum.

I donno man, you plan on getting famous?

I think its a huge deal that it was damaged. But perhaps it should have stayed buried? Or at least left where it was found? I understand history is important and learning about our past is crucial, but disturbing the dead isn't cool.

...but seriously, there's a certain amount of truth to what you say. On the other hand, there have always been far too many roaches out there looting sites, and precious cultural resources disappear into private hands. There is an expectation, though, that once in a museum setting there ought to be a degree of protection. Apparently not...

Hahahah. Yeah I doubt im ever famous. But I see what you are saying, and I agree, if it weren't in a museum it would be in private hands. My point is that perhaps it should be left alone by everyone, but I know that isn't logical, because mankind really doesn't have much respect. I too agree that one would think it would at least be safe in a museum setting.

Why didn't they just make a temporary fix using something like wax?

Thankfully, I saw the exhibit a few years ago. What idiots!

I doubt it's irreparable. Certainly, that beard is there for good, but the epoxy seam could be probably cleaned up (by a professional) and the facial damage could probably be repaired (again, by a professional).

When I saw the headline, I thought someone really smashed it. It's a tragedy to damage an artifact like this, but it's not lost.

Not a pro repair job at all but I have to wonder how it was attached in the first place and how well that attachment would stand the test of time. IE it may have been about to fall off with only a very slight disturbance and whoever was there at the time would take the blame hence the quick fix to try and cover it up to suppress the potential scandal (didn't work out all that well as we can see).

As an artifact, the entire thing is still there and perhaps it could be cleaned up a little.

I am baffled as to why they have to keep touching it and cleaning it?? Have it properly repaired. Put it on a permanent mount. Seal the damn thing in a glass chamber. Fill it with inert nitrogen gas. Problem solved.

a reply to: AdmireTheDistance

Bummer!