Bronze Age jar smashed by 4-year-old boy back on display at Israeli museum
An ancient jar is back on display at a museum in Israel nearly two weeks after a 4-year-old visitor accidentally smashed it late last month.
The jar dated back to the Bronze Age, between 2200 and 1500 B.C. — predating the time of Kings David and Solomon — and it was totally intact, making it a rare find and a valuable artifact.
While on display at the Hecht Museum in Haifa, the pint-sized visitor pulled on the artifact to see what was inside, and that caused it to fall over and shatter into pieces.
The Associated Press reported that Alex Geller, the boy’s father, described his son — the youngest of three — as exceptionally curious. When Geller heard the crash, he confessed, the first thought to race through his head was, “Please let that not be my child.”
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A young preschooler accidentally shattered a nearly 3,500-year-old jar that was not behind glass at the Hecht Museum in Haifa. (Hecht Museum)
The museum immediately appointed a specialist to restore the jar so it could be returned to its spot near the front entrance of the museum.
On Wednesday, the jar was back on display after being pieced together and restored.
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A rare bronze-era jar, newly reassembled, returned to public exhibition after a four-year-old accidentally broke it in August during a visit at the Hecht Museum of the University of Haifa, Israel, on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
Oftentimes, when archaeologists piece together artifacts, they face the daunting task of sifting through piles of shards of multiple objects.
But in this case, the repairs were expected to be fairly simple because the pieces were from a single and complete jar, museum restoration expert Roee Shair said.
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A rare bronze-era jar, newly reassembled, returned to public exhibition after a four-year-old accidentally broke it in August during a visit at the Hecht Museum of the University of Haifa, Israel, on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
Using 3D technology, hi-resolution videos and special glue, experts were able to reconstruct the large jar.
A few pieces were missing, and the gluing process left a few hairline cracks, but the impressive size of the jar remains.
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Bronze-era jar. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)
The only major difference now is there is a new sign near the jar that reads, “Please don’t touch.”
Now that it is back on display, museum director Inbal Rivlin and the museum decided to turn the incident into a teachable moment and invited the Geller family back for a special hands-on visit to illustrate the restoration process.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
