A family visiting The Hecht Museum in Haifa, Israel was the subject of online controversy after the young son smashed a priceless artifact displayed in one of the museum’s open exhibits.
The news was first posted to Reddit
Reddit user nitayp02 posted the incident in the subreddit KidsAre[Expletive]Stupid, where a picture clearly shows the smashed Bronze-age jar.
Users were shocked
Many blamed the parents for not supervising their child enough, while others blamed the museum for keeping precious artifacts out in the open.
User maven-effects explained: “It’s an Israel thing. Almost every museum here you can just touch the relics. Go to the Rockefeller Museum, it’s like stepping back in time 100 years to what a museum was like.”
The museum dated the jar to be thousands of years old
According to BBC News, the museum told the outlet they estimated the jar to be from between 2200 and 1500BC. According to them, it is considered a rare artifact due to its (formerly) intact state.
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They confirmed they purposefully don’t use glass to protect their artifacts
Representatives for the museum said they believe that having such open exhibits “without obstructions” gives them a “special charm.”
The boy was able to walk right up to the jar
His father, who the BBC identified as Alex, told the outlet that his son “pulled the jar slightly” in an attempt to see what was inside it. The jar toppled off of its pedestal and smashed.
Alex was in brief denial
The boy’s father said he was “in shock” at the incident, and told the BBC that his first thought was “it wasn’t my child that did it.”
He quickly realized it was and spoke to a security guard after calming the upset boy down.
The museum invited the family back
Despite the now-viral incident, the family were reportedly invited back to the museum for an organized tour. Lihi Laszlo, who works at the Hecht, told the BBC the accident was just that – an accident.
The boy won’t be held criminally responsible
“There are instances where display items are intentionally damaged, and such cases are treated with great severity, including involving the police,” Laszlo told the BBC.
“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 jar will be repaired
The jar has been turned over to a specialist for repair, where it will be re-assembled as much as possible and then put back out for display.
Alex’s father said their family is “relieved” the jar will be fixed. He also expressed regret that the jar will “no longer be the same item.”
The museum, however, intends to keep their displays open
Despite the incident and the potential for future ones, the museum said they have no intention of changing their displays, “despite the rare incident.”
I don’t know about you guys, but I would be putting precious artifacts behind glass from the get-go!
H/T Reddit
