A five-year-old boy accidentally smashed a rare 3500-year-old jar into pieces during a trip to a museum in Israel.
The Hecht Museum in Haifa said the crockery dated back to the Bronze Age between 2200 and 1500BC – and was a rare artefact because it was so intact, reports BBC.
The jar had been on display near the entrance of the museum without glass, as the museum believes there is a “special charm” in showing archaeological finds “without obstructions”.
The boy’s father, Alex, said his son “pulled the jar slightly” because he was “curious about what was inside”, causing it to fall.
Alex mentioned he was “in shock” when he saw his son next to the broken jar, initially thinking, “It couldn’t have been my child who did it.”
However, after calming his son down, he spoke with the security guard, Alex told the BBC.
The Hecht Museum said the child has been invited back to the exhibition with his family for an organised tour after the incident happened a few days ago.
Lihi Laszlo from the museum told the BBC: “There are instances where display items are intentionally damaged, and such cases are treated with great severity, including involving the police.
“In this case, however, this was not the situation. The jar was accidentally damaged by a young child visiting the museum, and the response will be accordingly.”
A specialist in conservation has also been appointed to restore the jar, and it will be returned to its spot “in a short time”.
The boy’s father, Alex, said they would feel “relieved” to see the jar restored, but they are “sorry” because “it will no longer be the same item.”
The museum told the BBC that “whenever possible, items are displayed without barriers or glass walls,” and despite this rare incident, the museum intends to maintain this approach.
The jar was likely originally used to carry local supplies, such as wine and olive oil. It dates back to the time before Biblical King David and King Solomon and is typical of the Canaan region on the eastern Mediterranean coast.
Similar pottery items found in archaeological digs are usually broken or incomplete, making this intact jar “an impressive find” when it was discovered, the museum added.
The Hecht Museum, located on the grounds of the University of Haifa in northern Israel, specializes in archaeology and art.
