We wanted to show the child the story, but she decided to rewrite it.
An unfortunate incident occurred at the Hecht Museum at the University of Haifa in Israel: a young visitor inadvertently damaged a unique Bronze Age artifact. The child’s father told the BBC that at first he did not believe what had happened. However, when his son calmed down, the man reported the incident to the museum guards.
The management of the institution decided not to punish the child, as it was an accident. Lihi Laszlo, a spokeswoman for the University of Haifa, which runs the museum, said:
«There are cases of deliberate damage to exhibits. Such situations are treated extremely seriously, even involving the police».
The broken amphora had been on display at the museum for 35 years. Experts date it to the Bronze Age, the period between 2200 and 1500 BC. The artifact predates the era of King David and was used to store and transport local products, mainly wine and olive oil.
Archaeologists have found similar jugs during excavations, but most of them were broken or incomplete. That’s why this one was of particular value. Inbal Rivlin, the museum’s director, explained why the amphora was standing at the entrance without glass protection:
«Our museum believes in the special appeal of direct contact with archaeological finds. Despite this rare occasion, the Hecht Museum will continue this tradition».
Rivlin publicly invited the boy and his family to an organized tour of the museum this week, and they agreed to come. A restoration specialist has already been assigned to restore the amphora.
Source: BBC, Science alert
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