A child broke a jug aged 18 years in a museum 3500 years (6 photos)
A 5-year-old museum visitor in Haifa, Israel, broke a 3,500-year-old jar. A photo of the incident has gone viral on social media, sparking controversy. Many believe that such valuable artifacts require more protection than just glass. 
A photo from the Hecht Museum shows a broken Bronze Age artifact. And this post on Reddit has sparked a heated discussion:
"They should put up a new fence around it and preserve it."
"A clay pot from 1500 BCE, broken by a 5-year-old boy in 2024 CE."
"I see parents freaking out and explaining to their kid how old an artifact is, and they just don't get what 3500 means. Is that more than 5?"
"The kid shouldn't have touched things in the museum. Why didn't the parents keep an eye on him?"
"If the jug hadn't broken, I would never have known it existed."
"This is going to be expensive."
"The exhibits need proper protection. This was a disaster waiting to happen." 
A similar incident occurred six years ago. Overland Park, Kansas, parents were billed $132,000 after their five-year-old son knocked over a sculpture in the lobby of the Tomahawk Ridge Community Center.
"You are responsible for a minor child. Your lack of supervision may be considered careless," the insurance company wrote.
"I was surprised, but I was even more offended that I was called careless," the boy's mother, Sarah Goodman, told ABC News. 
The artist, Bill Lyons, said it took him about two years to create the sculpture. His work was put up for sale at $132,000. He inspected the sculpture himself and concluded that it was beyond repair.
"We had other pieces up there and there were no problems," said city spokesman Sean Reilly. "Nothing like that ever happened... kids weren't climbing on the statues."
Sarah claimed the sculpture was not secured securely enough. She also disputed the city's claim that her child was unattended. 
"In cases of damage to artworks or valuable artefacts, even if a child climbs over the fence, all costs are covered by the insurance company," explains DAS Law Solicitors.
According to legal experts, museums and galleries usually display exhibits that are loaned to them by third parties. Therefore, institutions must ensure that adequate protection is provided, which is a prerequisite. 
