Boy smashes 3,500-year-old jar, museum invites him back

Aug. 28 (UPI) -- A curious 4-year-old boy accidentally smashed a 3,500-year-old jar while his family was touring a museum in Israel.

The boy, who was not identified, was near the entrance of the Hecht Museum in Haifa Friday when the family came across a crockery that dates back to the Bronze Age, roughly from 2200 and 1500 BC.

The boy's father, identified by only his first name Alex, said his son "pulled the jar slightly" because he was "curious about what was inside." The tug was enough to send the jar falling, crashing into pieces on the museum floor.

"[I was] in shock," Alex told BBC News, saying his first thought was, "It wasn't my child that did it."

The museum said the artifact was not encased in glass or additional protection because of its belief that people should enjoy his historical items without obstructions.

"There are instances where display items are intentionally damaged, and such cases are treated with great severity, including involving the police," the museum said, according to NBC News .

"In this case, however, this was not the situation. The jar was accidentally damaged by a young child visiting the museum."

The museum said the jar, which was designed to carry such goods as olive oil and wine, appeared to have been made in the Canaan region and predated King Solomon and King David .

Despite the damage, the museum said they believed the jar could be restored and returned to be displayed once again. To show there are no hard feelings, the museum invited the child and family back for an organized tour.