A boy visiting a museum in Israel accidentally knocked over a 3,500-year-old jar, shattering the artifacts inside.
“There have been cases of deliberate destruction of exhibits and such cases are dealt with very strictly, including involving the police,” says Lich Laszlo of the Hecht Museum. He told the BBC.
“However, that was not the case in this instance,” Laszlo said. “The bottle was accidentally broken by a young child visiting the museum and will be dealt with accordingly.”
The jar dates to the Bronze Age, around 2200-1500 BC, before the time of King David and King Solomon, and is completely intact, making it a rare find and a valuable artifact. Experts speculate that the jar may have contained local products, such as wine or olive oil.
Israel opens ancient Roman tomb to public for first time: 'Amazing paintings'
A young preschooler accidentally broke a 3,500-year-old vase that was not covered in glass at the Hecht Museum in Haifa. (Hecht Museum)
The Haifa museum had displayed the work unprotected near the entrance to give it an “unobstructed” view.
When the boy pulled on the bottle to see what was inside, it fell over and shattered into pieces. The museum immediately hired a conservator to restore the bottle, and once complete, it will be returned to its original location near the front entrance.
Archaeologists open 2,000-year-old tomb, find mummies in 'excellent condition'
The 3,500-year-old vase was accidentally broken by a four-year-old boy visiting the Hecht Museum last Friday. (Hecht Museum)
The museum insisted that the work would also be returned without any hindrance.
Israeli museums have seen a spate of incidents of valuable art being vandalized, including last October when an American tourist allegedly vandalized a sculpture at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.
Archaeologists discover underwater mosaic believed to date to the Roman era
The Hecht Museum decided not to place the 3,500-year-old vase behind glass, believing there is a “special charm” in displaying historical finds unobstructed. (Hecht Museum)
The tourist allegedly destroyed two second-century Roman statues because they were “against the Torah”, but his lawyer denied he acted out of “religious fanaticism”.
One of the statues depicts Athena, daughter of Zeus, while the other depicts a griffin holding the Wheel of Fortune of the Roman god Nemesis, according to the Times of Israel.
Click here to get the FOX News app
Police arrested the tourist at the scene, identified only as a 40-year-old Jewish-American tourist.
