800-Year-Old Coffin Breaks After Some Genius Tries To Put A Kid Inside It

800-Year-Old Coffin Breaks After Some Genius Tries To Put A Kid Inside It

Mangalore Today News Network

Aug 28, 2017: An 800-year-old coffin was smashed to the floor of a U.K. museum last week after someone reportedly tried to put a child inside it for a photo.

The sandstone relic, which is believed to have once belonged to a monk, was on display at the Prittlewell Priory Museum in Southend, Essex, when it was knocked over by someone lifting a child over a protective barrier, the Southend Echo reported.

Instead of reporting the damage or taking responsibility for the Aug. 4 accident, the Guardian reported that surveillance video captured the culprits fleeing ― leaving the toppled coffin with a deep crack and a large, triangle-shaped piece missing from its middle.



“The care of our collections is of paramount importance to us and this isolated incident has been upsetting for the museum’s service, whose staff strive to protect Southend’s heritage within our historic sites,” Claire Reed, the conservator responsible for repairing the sarcophagus, told the Guardian.

The coffin was found at the priory back in 1921. Inside, it held a skeleton that’s believed to have belonged to a senior monk, according to the BBC.

Staff at the museum said repairing the damage would be “very expensive,” the Echo reported. Because of its historical importance, particularly to the museum, Ann Holland, executive councilor for culture, said they would do their best to ensure it’s fixed.