National Museum of Brazil facts for kids
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.
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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
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Sarcophagus and mummy of Sha-Amun-en-su. Third Intermediate Period, XXIII Dynasty, c. 750 BC.
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Kore statuette, sculpted in marble. Greek civilization, c. 5th century BC.
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Peruvian Wari culture. Anthropomorphic ceramic figurine, 500–1200 AD
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Peruvian Chancay culture. Fragment of textile with representation of birds. Huaca del Sol, Late Period, c. 1200–1400 AD
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Marajoara culture. Anthropomorphic funerary urn, 400–1400 AD
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Stele of Raia. New Kingdom, XIX Dynasty, c. 1300–1200 BC
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Harsiese Sarcophagus interior
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Cat Sacophagus
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Lion figure
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Peruvian Moche civilization. Head-shaped ceramic vessel, c. 100 BC–800 AD
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Inca civilization. Ceramic vase ("Inca Aryballos"), c. 1430–1532
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Sambaqui culture. Stone sculpture of a human figure
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Santarém culture. Muiraquitã in the shape of a frog, 1000–1400 AD
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Maracá culture. Anthropomorphic funerary urn, 1000–1500 AD
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Marajoara urn
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Recreation of dinosaur heads
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Ceiling artwork
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Sarcophagus of Sha-Amun-en-su
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Butterflies on display
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The throne room, on display in preserved rooms in the front wings of the museum
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Pre-Columbian artifacts
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Pre-Columbian jars and ceramics
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Ancient Greek vases
See also
In Spanish: Museo Nacional de Brasil para niños