4-year-old boy accidentally breaks a 3,500-year-old artifact in museum

A family trip to a museum turned into every parent's nightmare when their 4-year-old son accidentally broke a 3,500-year-old artifact.

“My initial reaction was denial,” a man named Alex, whose child broke the jar, told The Guardian. “I couldn’t believe it was my son who did it.”

According to The Guardian, Alex, identified by only his first name, said his son wanted to see inside an ancient jar that was not encased and “pulled the jar slightly … that’s how the jar tipped over and fell.”

The accident happened on August 23 at the Hecht Museum, located at the University of Haifa in Israel, Inbal Rivlin, the museum’s general manager, tells TODAY.com in an email.

The museum also sent TODAY.com a statement from Alex:

“In the first second that it happened, my reaction was instinctive: it wasn’t my child who did it. A second later, I see my child next to the jar, and I’m in shock. The security guard is in shock, everyone is in shock, and the friends who were with us are also in shock. Afterward, we were a bit angry, then my wife pulled herself together, took the child aside to calm him down, and talked to him. After speaking with the child, I approached the security guard to figure out how to proceed.”

According to Rivlin, the storage jar, which is nearly 32 inches tall, came from a tomb in Samaria and was brought to the Hecht Museum in September 1984. The jar stood at the museum’s entrance and was not protected by a barrier. “The museum believes that there is a special charm in experiencing an archaeological find without any obstructions,” explains Rivlin.

She adds, “The jar is dated to the Middle Bronze Age, between 2200-1500 BCE, making it at least 3,500 years old. It predates the time of King David and King Solomon and is characteristic of the Canaan region. It was intended for the storage and transport of local supplies, mainly wine and olive oil. Similar jars have been found in archaeological excavations, but most were found broken or incomplete.”

It’s not the first time an object at the Hecht Museum was damaged.

“A few years ago, an Anthropoid ceramic coffin (ancient Egyptian burial casket), placed on a sand platform at the museum, was damaged,” said Rivlin. “The damaged part was quickly recovered and restored.”

The museum has protocol for damages, depending on whether it’s accidental.

“There are instances where display items are intentionally damaged, and such cases are treated with great severity, including involving the police,” she says. “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.”

The jar will be restored by a conservation specialist, Rivlin says, and all is forgiven with the family.

Rivlin says the boy and his family have been invited back to the museum.

“The family has agreed to this invitation, and they will be visiting the museum this weekend,” says Rivlin, “and receive an organized tour as well, to sweeten together the previous experience at the museum.”

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