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Kid smashes 3,500-year-old relic; here's why the museum invited him back

By Daniel Miller
Published  September 2, 2024 7:44am MST
Offbeat & Unusual
FOX TV Stations

Boy who accidentally smashed ancient relic is invited back to museum

A young boy who accidentally smashed a 3,500-year-old jar into pieces during a trip to a museum in Israel has been invited back for a visit. (Credit: Hecht Museum, University of Haifa (Shay Levy) via Storyful)

A young boy who accidentally shattered an ancient artifact at a museum was invited to come back. 

The 3,500-year-old jar, which dates back to the Middle Bronze Age between 2,200-1,500 BCE, was inadvertently broken by Ariel, the young boy, while it was displayed at the Hecht Museum in Haifa, Israel. 

Image of the 3,500-year-old jar smashed into pieces. (Credit: Hecht Museum Staff via Storyful)

Ariel later returned to the museum on August 30 for a special visit and got the opportunity to see the restoration work of the jar. 

Image of the 3,500-year-old jar smashed into pieces. (Credit: Hecht Museum Staff via Storyful)

He also participated in the repair process of the jar using a special kit provided by the museum. 

In a statement from the Hecht Museum obtained by the social news platform Storyful, the museum said "He assembled and restored a small broken jar using a special restoration kit prepared by the museum. "In a similar manner to the repairs currently underway on the ancient jar, this is exactly what professionals do."

This is an image of the ancient jars before one of them was shattered in the museum. (Credit: Hecht Museum Staff via Storyful)