A jar dating to the Bronze Age is back on display at a museum in Israel, after a young boy accidentally smashed it into pieces while visiting late last month.
An ancient jar is back on display at a museum in Israel nearly two weeks after a 4-year-old visitor accidentally smashed it late last month. The jar dated back to the Bronze Age, between 2200 and 1500 B.C. — predating the time of Kings David and Solomon — and it was totally intact, making it a rare find and a valuable artifact.
Oftentimes, when archaeologists piece together artifacts, they face the daunting task of sifting through piles of shards of multiple objects. But in this case, the repairs were expected to be fairly simple because the pieces were from a single and complete jar, museum restoration expert Roee Shair said.
Using 3D technology, hi-resolution videos and special glue, experts were able to reconstruct the large jar. A few pieces were missing, and the gluing process left a few hairline cracks, but the impressive size of the jar remains. The only major difference now is there is a new sign near the jar that reads, 'Please don’t touch.' Now that it is back on display, museum director Inbal Rivlin and the museum decided to turn the incident into a teachable moment and invited the Geller family back for a special hands-on visit to illustrate the restoration process.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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