Fire ravages Brazil’s national museum

A fire has gutted the National Museum of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro, destroying millions of the country’s most valuable historical treasures


Sep 2, National Museum: Former royal palace, dating from 1818, housed 20 million items


RIO DE JANEIRO
Maracana Stadium
Christ the Redeemer
Sugarloaf Mountain
ATLANTIC OCEAN
5km 3 miles


Ancient Egypt: Largest collection in Latin America, including sarcophagus and mummy of Sha-amun-en-su dating from around 750 BC

Paleontology

Bendegó meteorite
Brazil’s largest meteorite

Brazilian ethnology

African ethnology

Pacific cultures

Brazilian archaeology
Included 12,000-year-old female skeleton, “Luzia”, oldest human fossil found in Americas

Pre-Columbian cultures
1,800 artifacts from indigenous cultures

Mediterranean cultures
Greco-Roman pieces include four frescoes from Pompeii made around 1st century AD


Source: Museu Nacional
Pictures: AP, Museu Nacional, Dornicke, Ryan Somma, Jorge Andrade 
© GRAPHIC NEWS