A four-year-old boy has accidentally smashed a 3,500-year-old pitcher at the Hecht Museum, part of Haifa University, in northern Israel. The boy's father told the BBC that during a recent trip his son “pulled the jar slightly” because he was “curious about what was inside”, causing it to fall.
According to the museum the pitcher is typical of the Canaan region and dates back to the Middle/late Bronze Age, from between 1,150-1,500 B.C, predating the days of King David and Solomon. It was designed for storing and transporting local produce, mainly wine and olive oil.
While similar jugs have been found in archaeological excavations, most were broken or incomplete—the pitcher displayed at the Hecht Museum was found intact.
In a statement posted on Instagram, the museum says: “There are cases in which display items are intentionally damaged, and such cases are treated very seriously and may involve calling the police; this is not the case here.” The child was reportedly invited back to the exhibition with his family for an organised tour following the incident.
The museum adds: “As part of the vision of the [museum] founder Dr. Reuven Hecht, the Hecht Museum puts special emphasis on making archaeological items accessible to the general public… the items are presented without barriers and are not behind glass walls.”
The piece will be restored by specialist Roy Shapir from the university’s school of archaeology, who will refer to photographic documentation of the artefact .
