This 4-Year-Old Shattered a Bronze Age Jar. Now, He’ll Get to See How Experts Restored It

While visiting the Hecht Museum in Haifa, Israel, with his parents earlier this month, a 4-year-old boy accidentally shattered a 3,500-year-old Bronze Age jar.

The child’s father, Alex Geller, didn’t see the crash—but he heard it. When he turned to his son and realized what had happened, he was in “complete shock,” as he tells the Associated Press’ Alexis Triboulard and Melanie Lidman.

“My wife responded faster than me,” he adds. “She grabbed our son to take him outside and calm him down and explain that it was not okay what had happened.” Meanwhile, Geller flagged down a security guard, hoping all the while that the item was only a replica.

But the jar was real. It dates to between 2200 and 1500 B.C.E., and it would have been used to store and transport substances like wine and olive oil.

“Similar jars have been found in archaeological excavations, but most were found broken or incomplete,” says Inbal Rivlin, the museum’s general director, in a statement. “The jar on display at the Hecht Museum, however, was intact, and its size made it an impressive find.”

On August 23, the item had been on display—without a protective glass covering—near the entrance to the museum, which is associated with the University of Haifa. The child “pulled the jar slightly” because he was “curious about what was inside,” Geller tells BBC News’ Jack Burgess. Then, the artifact toppled to the ground.

For many parents, the incident sounds like a nightmare scenario. “My whole body and heart cringed for [the boy’s] poor parents,” writes the Guardian’s Isabelle Oderberg. “I think if that had been me, I would have dug into the ground with my bare hands to live as a mole woman, alone with my shame, never to be seen again until my dying breath.”

However, museum officials have been very forgiving of the incident, acknowledging there was no ill intent.

“The museum is not a mausoleum but a living place, open to families [and] accessible,” Rivlin tells Alexandra Lukesh of the Israeli news outlet YNET, per a translation by CNN’s Oscar Holland. “We are appealing to parents: Don’t be afraid. Things like this happen. We will fix [the jar] and put it back.”

The museum wants to use the incident as a teaching opportunity. Roy Shafir, a restoration specialist at the museum, has been charged with repairing the jar. He tells the AP that he will reassemble it piece by piece over several days. When he’s done, it will go back on display alongside an explanation of the restoration process.

The Hecht Museum has long prioritized making archaeology accessible to the public. Despite the mishap, the museum will continue to exhibit rare artifacts without protective casings.

“Whenever possible, items are displayed without barriers or glass walls,” says Rivlin in the statement. “The museum believes that there is a special charm in experiencing an archaeological find without any obstructions.”

Additionally, the museum wants to help cultivate the curiosity of young museumgoers interested in handling historic objects. According to YNET, staffers are planning to use 3D printers to make replica artifacts that kids can interact with.

Rivlin has also invited the boy and his family to return to the museum for a tour. By the time they arrive, officials hope to have the restored jar back on display.

Julia Binswanger | READ MORE

Julia Binswanger is a freelance arts and culture reporter based in Chicago. Her work has been featured in WBEZ, Chicago magazine, Rebellious magazine and PC magazine.