A kid’s curiosity caused him to accidentally break an ancient jar at the Hecht Museum in Israel.
First reported by the BBC, the 4-year-old boy was on a tour of the Hecht Museum with his family. He was one of the ancient jars located near the hallway and – out of curiosity – pulled it to see what was inside it. However, it caused the ancient jar to fall and shatter. Alex, the boy’s father, was initially shocked and couldn’t understand what had happened. However, after grasping the situation and calming his kid, Alex approached the nearest guards and informed them what had happened.
To their credit, the Hecht Museum decided to not pursue any action against the child or his parents. The museum authorities said that while intentional damage to artifacts is dealt with severe punishment, this was an accident. Dr. Inbal Rivlin, the general director of the Hecht Museum, had also invited the family to visit the museum again after the jar was repaired.
The ancient jar was dated to the Middle Ages, from somewhere between 2200-1500 BCE. Its design carried the signature style of the Canaan region. It was presumably used to store food items. While many such jars had been excavated from the region, this was one of the few that were in remarkably good condition.
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The Hecht Museum has already begun the restoration process. The restorationist would have the aid of extensive footage of the jar to help them. Despite the accident, the museum clarified that they would continue keeping the cultural and historical artifacts in the open, without a glass barrier.
