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National Museum of Brazil facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quinta da Boa Vista 10
The former Imperial Palace in better days. It housed the National Museum
Fire at Museu Nacional 05
Fire in progress
Afresco de Pompéia 02
Lost in the fire: a fresco from the Temple of Isis at Pompeii, representing a sea dragon and a dolphin, 1st century AD

The National Museum of Brazil is the oldest scientific institution of Brazil. Until 2018 it had one of the largest collections of natural history and anthropology in the Americas. Despite this, the museum was already in bad condition when it burned in September 2018.

Finance

From 2014 the museum had budget cuts that dropped its maintenance to less than R$520,000 annually. The budget was so low, there was $0.01 to spend on each of the artifacts.

The building fell into disrepair, with peeling wall material, exposed electrical wiring, and a termite problem. Some of the artifacts lost in the fire included Egyptian mummies, remains from the oldest human skeleton found in the Americas, frescoes from Pompeii, and dinosaur skeletons.

By June 2018, the museum's 200th anniversary, it had reached a state of near-complete abandonment.

There was an offer from The World Bank to buy the museum for $80m. It was turned down because the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro would have to give up ownership.

The great fire

On 2 September 2018, at around 19:30 local time, a large fire broke out at the Paço de São Cristóvão. The museum was almost completely destroyed. The museum's holdings included over 20 million items. About 90% were destroyed.

Brazil's President Michel Temer called the loss of the historical and cultural heritage "incalculable". The cause of the fire is not known, but many connected it to the museum's lack of funding.

No injuries were reported.

Images for kids

  • Museu Nacional da UFRJ - Quinta da Boa Vista no Rio de Janeiro, Brasil 13

    The former Imperial Palace that housed the National Museum at Quinta da Boa Vista Park and Zoo

  • Frond, Cicéri - Palácio Imperial da Quinta da Boa Vista

    The Historical appearance of the initial building and surroundings

  • MuseuNacional1870

    The National Museum at its first location in Campo de Sant'Anna, today's Praça da República, ca. 1870

  • 1905 Sala Spix Museu Nacional do Rio de Janeiro

    Sala Spix, c. 1905

  • Bendegó meteorite, front, National Museum, Rio de Janeiro

    Bendegó meteorite, which survived the fire

  • B 1431

    Sarcophagus and mummy of Sha-Amun-en-su. Third Intermediate Period, XXIII Dynasty, c. 750 BC.

  • Múmia feminina 02

    Egyptian mummy ("Princess Kherima"). Roman Period, 1st–3rd centuries AD.

  • Estatueta Koré 01

    Kore statuette, sculpted in marble. Greek civilization, c. 5th century BC.

  • Cultura Huari - Figura antropomorfa em cerâmica

    Peruvian Wari culture. Anthropomorphic ceramic figurine, 500–1200 AD

  • Cultura Chancay - Fragmento de tecido com representação de aves MN 01

    Peruvian Chancay culture. Fragment of textile with representation of birds. Huaca del Sol, Late Period, c. 1200–1400 AD

  • Múmia de cabeça - Povo Jivaro 01

    Shrunken head, mummified by the Ecuadorian-Peruvian Jivaroan peoples

  • Cultura Marajoara - Urna funerária MN 03

    Marajoara culture. Anthropomorphic funerary urn, 400–1400 AD

  • Cultura Santarém - Vaso de gargalo MN 01

    Santarém culture. Ceramic vessel ("caryatid" vase), 1000–1400 AD

  • Cultura Santarém - Vaso antropomorfo representando um homem sentado 01

    Santarém culture. Anthropomorphic vase representing a seated man, 1000–1400 AD.

  • Rio Trombetas - Zoólito em forma de peixe

    Trombetas River culture. Zoolite in the shape of a fish, w/d

  • Archivos do Museu Nacional (1876-1935) (20146507828)

    Drawings showing ancient vases

  • Archivos do Museu Nacional (1876-1935) (20145700388)

    The top of this piece, the head, was recovered

  • Estela de Raia 01

    Stele of Raia. New Kingdom, XIX Dynasty, c. 1300–1200 BC

  • Esquife de Hori (tampa) 01

    Sarcophagus of Hori. Third Intermediate Period, XXI Dynasty, c. 1049–1026 BC.

  • Estatueta egípcia MN-UFRJ 11

    Bronze statuette of Amun.

  • Máscara dourada 01

    Golden mask. Ptolemaic Kingdom, c. 304 BC.

  • Esquife de Harsiese (tampa, interior) 01

    Harsiese Sarcophagus interior

  • Esquife de gato 02

    Cat Sacophagus

  • Leão reclinado 01

    Lion figure

  • Cálice com cariátides etrusco 02

    Etruscan caryatid chalice, c. 620–560 BC

  • Enócoa coríntia com tampa 01

    Corinthian oinochoe with lid, c. 600–575 BC

  • Cratera em cálice de figuras vermelhas MN 02

    Campanian Red-figure chalice krater, late 4th century BC

  • Cerâmica Moche MN 01

    Peruvian Moche civilization. Head-shaped ceramic vessel, c. 100 BC–800 AD

  • Civilização Inca - Aríbalo MN 01

    Inca civilization. Ceramic vase ("Inca Aryballos"), c. 1430–1532

  • Acessório plumário - Acari 02

    Plumes

  • Acessório plumário - Acari, Costa Sul 01

    Plumes

  • Ponta de projétil MN 01

    Hunter-gatherer groups. Projectile point.

  • Escultura de pedra em forma humana MN 01

    Sambaqui culture. Stone sculpture of a human figure

  • Cultura Santarém - Muiraquitã MN 01

    Santarém culture. Muiraquitã in the shape of a frog, 1000–1400 AD

  • Cultura Maracá - Urna funerária antropomorfa MN 01

    Maracá culture. Anthropomorphic funerary urn, 1000–1500 AD

  • Cultura Marajoara - Urna funerária MN 02

    Marajoara urn

  • Cerâmicas amazônicas - Museu Nacional 03

    Statuettes

  • Cultura Marajoara - Tangas MN 02

    Marajora items

  • Cultura Santarém - Cerâmicas MN 01

    Santarém items

  • MaxakalisaurusTopai Rec

    Maxakalisaurus

  • Modelos artísticos de dinossauros carnívoros

    Recreation of dinosaur heads

  • Afresco de Pompéia 03

    Pompeii fresco

  • Museu Nacional - UFRJ - Detalhe Teto

    Historic artwork of the interior

  • 퀸타 다 보아비스타 15

    Ceiling artwork

  • 퀸타 다 보아비스타 20

    Ceiling artwork

  • Caixão de Sha-Amun-En-Su

    Sarcophagus of Sha-Amun-en-su

  • Detalhe 1 - sarcófago egípcio - Esquife de Hori

    Artwork of an Egyptian sarcophagus

  • 퀸타 다 보아비스타 14

    Butterflies on display

  • 퀸타 다 보아비스타 18

    The throne room, on display in preserved rooms in the front wings of the museum

  • Sala do Trono - Museu Nacional 03

    Part of the preserved throne room

  • Acervo de arqueologia pré-colombiana MN 04

    Pre-Columbian artifacts

  • Cerâmicas pré-colombianas MN 01

    Pre-Columbian jars and ceramics

  • Cerâmicas Tupi-Guarani MN 02

    Tupi-guarani

  • Acervo greco-romano MN 01

    Ancient Greek vases

  • Exposição paleontologia MN 04

    Paleontological tools

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Museo Nacional de Brasil para niños

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