Museum Shares Sweet Update After Boy Accidentally Smashes 3,500-Year-Old Jar

It’s not each time that personification accidentally breaks a museum’s 3,500-year-old artifact — aliases past gets invited back.

But that’s precisely what happened to nan 4-year-old who was welcomed backmost to Israel’s Hecht Museum connected Friday pinch a individual circuit and hands-on instruction connected archeological restoration, days aft he smashed an ancient jar successful an incident that made parents everyplace shudder.

“The family was highly happy and ecstatic to sojourn Hecht Museum again,” Dr. Inbal Rivlin, nan museum’s wide director, told HuffPost successful an email Friday erstwhile asked if location was immoderate lingering unease during nan reunion.

“The guided circuit they received from nan depository unit and nan opportunity to acquisition nan restoration kit first-hand will much than dress up for nan events of past week,” Rivlin added.

Ariel, 4, and his family were treated to a typical circuit of nan Hecht Museum connected Friday.

Hecht Museum, University of Haifa, Shay Levy

The 4-year-old, Ariel, was touring nan depository pinch his family erstwhile he sewage excessively adjacent to a jar making love to nan Middle Bronze Age, causing it to topple, nan museum antecedently reported.

The jar had been described arsenic an “impressive find,” pinch Rivlin noting that “similar jars person been recovered successful archaeological excavations, but astir were recovered surgery aliases incomplete.”

The ample clay jar, which dated to nan Middle Bronze Age, is seen still intact successful nan near photo.

Hecht Museum

The depository said that a reappraisal of surveillance footage showed that nan jar’s demolition was a full accident, and insisted, “we clasp nary animosity toward nan kid aliases his family.” Rather than punish him, nan depository said, it wanted to usage nan infinitesimal to amended nan kid and others.

As portion of his sojourn connected Friday, Ariel and his family assembled and restored different mini surgery jar pinch a restoration kit provided by nan museum.

Once nan original surgery jar is restored by a master ― a task that is expected to return 1 to 2 weeks ― it will spell backmost connected show astatine nan museum’s entrance. Information documenting its restoration will beryllium displayed adjacent connected a tablet device, Rivlin said.

Ariel, 4, was presented pinch different surgery jar and received a hands-on opportunity to study really archeological artifacts are restored.

Hecht Museum, University of Haifa, Shay Levy

Rivlin said nan depository hasn’t yet decided whether to protect nan jar pinch further barriers. The depository has antecedently said that it tries, whenever possible, not to spot barriers for illustration solid astir artifacts truthful that guests tin person a clear position of them.

“At a clip erstwhile reality sometimes appears to beryllium difficult to comprehend, it is much important than ever to prosecute pinch culture, history, and values,” nan depository said successful its connection Friday. “While nan saddening incident embodied successful nan fig of a kid who, retired of axenic curiosity, shatters 3,500 years of history are not without irony, we are proud to person continued generating nationalist liking successful museums and their cardinal domiciled and value successful nan community.”

As for Ariel, Rivlin said, she expects to spot much of him successful nan future.

“As indicated by Ariel’s questions, inquiries, and liking during nan visit, we whitethorn beryllium dealing pinch Israel’s adjacent starring archaeologist,” she said. “It is nan opening of a beautiful friendship.”