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Journalism of Courage
A rare artifact from the Bronze Age––between 2200 and 1500 BC––was shattered into pieces by a four-year-old boy during his visit to the Hecht Museum at the University of Haifa in Israel. The 3,500-year-old jar was designed to store goods like olive oil and wine.
According to BBC News, the jar was displayed near the museum’s entrance without protective glass, as the museum believes that presenting archaeological finds “without obstructions” adds a “special charm” to the experience. Alex, the child’s father, told BBC News that his son was “curious about what was inside” and “pulled the jar slightly”.
Alex initially believed that his son hadn’t broken the jar.
After the incident, the Hecht Museum organised a tour for the boy and his family. “There are instances where display items are intentionally damaged, and such cases are treated with great severity, including involving the police. In this case, however, this was not the situation. The jar was accidentally damaged by a young child visiting the museum,” Lihi Laszlo, a representative from the museum, told BBC News.
According to the museum, as reported by BBC News, the jar, likely intended for carrying local supplies like wine and olive oil, dates back to a period before the reign of Biblical kings David and Solomon. It is characteristic of pottery from the Canaan region on the eastern Mediterranean coast. Typically, pottery unearthed during archaeological digs is found broken or incomplete, which made this jar, intact, “an impressive find”.
