Museum's kind gesture for 4-year-old who broke a 3,500-year-old artifact is winning hearts

It's not unusual for a 4-year-old to accidentally break something, but what if that "something" is a 3,500-year-old artifact? This is exactly what happened at the Hecht Museum at the University of Haifa in Israel on August 23. Instead of reacting harshly or fining the family, the museum chose a heartwarming approach—they invited them back for a visit. The child's father, Alex, told The Guardian, "My initial reaction was denial."

Curious about what was inside, the child "pulled the jar slightly... that's how the jar tipped over and fell," the father explained, according to TODAY. Inbal Rivlin, the museum's general manager, shared that the jar stood 32 inches tall, originated from a tomb in Samaria, and has been at the museum since September 1984. Surprisingly, the artifact was displayed at the museum's entrance without any protective barriers. Rivlin explained that the museum believes there's a "special charm in experiencing an archaeological find without any obstructions."

In a statement given to the museum, Alex spoke about his reaction to the situation. "In the first second that it happened, my reaction was instinctive: it wasn't my child who did it. A second later, I see my child next to the jar, and I'm in shock. The security guard is in shock, everyone is in shock, and the friends who were with us are also in shock," the father recalled. Later, he shared that they were a bit angry, but his wife "pulled herself together" and took the kid to calm him down and talk to him. "After speaking with the child, I approached the security guard to figure out how to proceed," the man said.

While talking about the artifact, Rivlin shared that it was a jar dated to the Middle Bronze Age, between 2200-1500 BCE, "making it at least 3,500 years old." "It predates the time of King David and King Solomon and is characteristic of the Canaan region. It was intended for the storage and transport of local supplies, mainly wine and olive oil. Similar jars have been found in archaeological excavations, but most were found broken or incomplete," she added.

The family wasn't expecting the museum's wholesome response to the accident. They have been called in for an organized tour to "sweeten" the family's previous experience. Rivlin also spoke about the protocol in place in case any item is "intentionally" damaged. She said, "There are instances where display items are intentionally damaged, and such cases are treated with great severity, including involving the police," said Rivlin. "In this case, however, this was not the situation. The jar was accidentally damaged by a young child visiting the museum, and the response will be accordingly."

The museum has started to work with a conservation specialist to repair the jar. They hope the jar will be back in time to greet the family when they visit the museum this weekend. The museum hasn't decided if they want to put back the jar on display with additional protective elements. However, this is not the first time an item at the Hecht Museum has been damaged. Rivlin shared that a few years ago, an Anthropoid ceramic coffin kept on a sand platform at the museum was damaged, but they were able to recover and restore it.