Two German men who allegedly cut pieces off Egypt's Great Pyramid and filmed themselves for a planned documentary now face criminal charges.
In an attempt to be amateur archaeologists, Dominique Goerlitz and Stephan Erdmann gained access in April 2013 to parts of the Great Pyramid at Giza where members of the public normally aren't allowed, KPLU reported via Live Science.
Goerlitz and Erdmann visited the pyramid with a German filmmaker and scraped pieces off the ancient structure, which is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the World still standing.
The men, who were allowed to visit the inner chambers of the Great Pyramid, reportedly stole several items during their expedition to prove a theory about the Egyptian wonder.
Their escapade included "taking samples of a cartouche (identifying inscription) of the pharaoh Khufu, also known as Cheops," Live Science reported.
The three German men are being investigated in their home country, and six Egyptians are being held in connection with the case, including guards and inspectors from the Egyptian Antiquities Ministry who are suspected of letting the amateur researchers into the inner chambers.
Goerlitz and Erdmann were attempting to prove their theory that the cartouche is a fake, according to The Art Newspaper.
"Most scholars date this mark to the pyramid's construction in around 2500BC, while alternative theorists, including the two German researchers, have long claimed the cartouche to be a fake, painted by its discoverer, Colonel Howard Vyse in 1837 to help him secure further funding for his explorations," The Art Newspaper reported.
The two German men are suspected of taking pigment samples from the cartouche and smuggling them over the border. They posted a trailer for their documentary on YouTube in November, almost immediately drawing ire from Egyptian authorities and officials worldwide.
In a letter to Egypt's Ministry of Antiques, Goerlitz and Erdmann apologized for the vandalism and offered compensation, but they were rejected by Mohamed Ibrahim, Egypt's head of antiques.
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