A rare Bronze Age jar that was accidentally smashed by a 4-year-old at an Israeli museum in August was back on display Wednesday, thanks to the work of restoration experts.
The boy was with his father, Alex Geller, last month at the Hecht Museum in Haifa when the unfortunate accident took place.
After the priceless artifact shattered, Geller immediately thought, “please let that not be my child.”
Geller told the Associated Press that his son, the youngest of three, is exceptionally inquisitive.
The boy “pulled the jar slightly” because he was curious about what was inside,” the father told the BBC.
The jar, which was likely used to hold wine or oil and believed to be from between 2,200 and 1,500 BC, was kept in the open near the entrance because the museum believes there is a “special charm” in showing archaeological finds “without obstructions” like glass screens.
Inbal Rivlin, the director of the museum, which is associated with Haifa University, said the incident was a welcomed distraction from the ongoing war in Gaza.
“Well, he’s just a kid,” Rivlin said. “So I think that somehow it touches the heart of the people in Israel and around the world.”
Roee Shafir, a restoration expert at the museum, said repairs would be fairly simple, since the pieces were from a single, complete jar. Experts used 3D technology, hi-resolution videos, and special glue to reconstruct the large, ancient jar.
Archaeologists often face the more challenging task of sifting through piles of shards from multiple objects to try to piece them together.
Rivlin and the museum used the viral incident as a teaching moment, inviting the Geller family back for a special visit and hands-on activity.
Restored less than two weeks after it broke, the gluing process left small hairline cracks, and a few missing pieces, but the jar’s impressive size remains intact.
A new sign was added to the exhibit though, which said “please don’t touch.”
