A valuable bronze age pot, with its existence tracing back at least 3,500 years, had long embellished the entrance to the Hecht Museum in Haifa, Israel. It served as a unique, first-hand view of an undamaged relic believed to have existed before the biblical reign of King David and King Solomon. However, a four-year-old inadvertently shattered it earlier this week.
In an interview with the Guardian, Alex, the boy’s father, recounted his immediate disbelief. He couldn’t come to terms with the fact that his son was responsible. The young lad was merely exploring what the antique, believed to have been utilised for transporting local commodities like wine and olive oil, contained.
Owing to the museum’s practice of making artefacts as approachable as possible by refraining from using glass barricades or protection, the young boy was able to get hold of the artefact. According to his father, a slight tug from the boy resulted in the pot falling over and smashing to pieces.
Seeing the consequences of his curiosity, the boy started crying. His parents quickly assessed the broken pieces scattered across the floor, working out the next steps. “At the onset, I was shell-shocked,” his father, Alex admitted. “Then I felt slightly enraged at him.”
Once they soothed their son, they presented themselves to a security guard to admit the mishap. What transpired next was surprising. “Contrarily to our assumption of being fined or reprimanded, they graciously invited us to return for another visit,” Alex disclosed.
The envisioned visit would comprise a conducted tour, in a bid to qualitative enhance their past experience at the museum, said Inbal Rivlin, the museum’s director, in a statement. She affirmed that if the damage had been intentional, the police would get involved and treated with the utmost seriousness, but in the case at hand, that wasn’t the situation. As the damage was accidental, the museum’s response would be proportionate.
In the recent days, efforts have been made to restore the shattered artefact, which dates back to the bronze age period between 2200 and 1500BC. Rivlin confirmed that the pot is expected to be repaired and returned to its original place, ready to welcome back the family when they revisit the museum this weekend.
The museum has yet to determine if the jar will be re-displayed with added protective measures, according to their statement. Situated within the University of Haifa’s campus, the museum, which requires no entry fee, takes considerable pride in its efforts to present archaeological finds from the Chalcolithic era in the most accessible manner. As Rivlin commented, the museum holds in high regard the exceptional allure of experiencing an archaeological exhibit devoid of barriers. He further asserted that despite the infrequent incident involving the jar, the Hecht Museum has every intention to uphold this established tradition. This information was provided by the Guardian.