A 5-year-old accidentally smashed a 3,500-year-old artifact on a museum trip in every parent's worst nightmare

• A five-year-old accidentally smashed a 3,500-year-old jar at the Hecht Museum in Israel.
• The jar, dating back to the Bronze Age, was displayed without glass barriers.
• The museum will not punish the child and plans to restore the jar.

It's every parent's worst nightmare.

On a visit to the Hecht Museum at the University of Haifa in Israel, a 5-year-old's father was shocked to see his son next to the shattered Bronze Age jar.

The boy's father told the BBC that he first thought, "It wasn't my child that did it," but then told the museum guards what happened after his son had calmed down.

The museum said it would not punish the child for the incident as it was a genuine accident.

"There are instances where display items are intentionally damaged, and such cases are treated with great severity, including involving the police," said Lihi Laszlo, a spokesperson for the University of Haifa, which operates the museum.

The jar has been at the museum for 35 years, Sky News reported.

The museum said it dates to the Bronze Age between 2200 and 1500 BC, predating the time of King David, and was intended for the storage and transport of local supplies, mainly wine and olive oil.

Similar jars have been found in archaeological excavations, but most were found broken or incomplete, making this jar especially rare because of its intact condition.

The jar was displayed near the museum entrance without any glass barriers — an unusual practice for museums but one in keeping with the founder's vision to make archaeological items accessible to the public, said museum director Inbal Rivlin.

"The museum believes that there is a special charm in experiencing an archaeological find without any obstructions, and despite the rare incident with the jar, the Hecht Museum will continue this tradition," Rivlin told BI in a statement.

Rivlin publicly invited the boy and his family to an organized tour of the museum later this week, which they have agreed to attend.

A specialist in conservation has also been asked to restore the jar, and it is expected to be returned to its former glory soon.