A 4-year-old broke a 3,500-year-old jar at museum

HAIFA

A 4-year-old boy who accidentally broke a rare 3,500-year-old jar in an Israeli museum has been forgiven and even invited back, as curators hope to turn the disaster into a teachable moment.

Alex Geller, the boy’s father, said his son — the youngest of three — is exceptionally curious, and that the moment he heard the crash last Friday, “please let that not be my child” was the first thought that raced through his head.

“He’s not a kid that usually destroys things, he just wanted to see what was inside,” Geller told The Associated Press.

The Bronze Age jar is one of many artifacts exhibited out in the open, part of the Hecht Museum's vision of letting visitors explore history without glass barriers, said Inbar Rivlin, the director of the museum, which is associated with Haifa University in northern Israel.

Rivlin said the jar was displayed at the museum entrance, and that the family quickly left without finishing their visit. She wants to use the restoration as an educational opportunity and make sure they feel welcome to return.

The Hecht Museum hopes to harness that interest to encourage more people to visit the museum and learn about artifact restoration.

Using 3D technology and high-resolution videos of the jar, experts plan to complete the restoration in a matter of days. It could be back on display as early as next week.

The jar, which had been on display at the museum for 35 years, was one of the only containers of its size and period that was still complete when it was discovered. It was likely used to hold wine or oil, and it dates back to between 2200 and 1500 B.C.

Roee Shafir, a restoration expert at the museum, said the repairs would be fairly simple, as the pieces were from a single, complete jar. Archaeologists often face the more daunting task of sifting through piles of shards from multiple objects and trying to piece them together.

He said the restoration will take several days because they use special glue to connect just a few pieces at a time. The process will be documented for educational purposes.