On the evening of September 2, 2018, the National Museum of Brazil, one of the richest museums in South America, opened fire. Although nearby residents rushed to the rescue, the ineffective firefighting equipment failed to stop the fire from engulfing the exhibits.
Experts estimate that only one-tenth of the museum's collection of more than 20 million natural history artifacts, as well as many precious historical materials and research reports, remain. (A later statement in 2019 said only 2,700 artifacts survived.)
The after-the-fact investigation found that the cause of the fire was improper installation of air-conditioning equipment, but the root cause was the shortage of funds, and various safety hazards that had long been disclosed were not taken seriously.
The fire dealt an almost devastating blow to the museum, burning more than two hundred years of collections, archaeology and scientific research, and burning down the building that witnessed the changes in Brazil's recent history.
The building where the museum is located, "Palazzo San Cristobão", was the palace of the Portuguese royal family and then the Brazilian emperors.
It has undulating hills and lush forests, and from above you can overlook the bay in the distance. Until the mid-18th century, this area was part of local farms.
With the privatization of the land, local farmers were expelled, and this beautiful area surrounded by mountains and rivers was transformed into a "scenic park".
In 1803, a merchant who made his fortune from the slave trade built a luxurious private estate on a hill with a beautiful view.
At the end of 1807, Napoleon conquered Lisbon for the first time in Portugal, and a large number of royals and nobles fled to Brazil, and for the next 13 years, Rio de Janeiro was the new capital.
The Portuguese royal family went to Brazil and arbitrarily occupied the mansions of the locals as a residence, and the slave owner gave it to King João VI of Portugal before the estate was occupied, and he also received a title of nobility and a large bounty.
João VI renovated and expanded the building with a symmetrical semicircular staircase leading to the second floor, and on the right side building a "Moorish architecture" style similar to a mosque dome, an aesthetic that has been formed by the Iberian Peninsula for hundreds of years under Moorish rule.
In 1812, Napoleon suffered a crushing defeat in the war against Russia, and the British took the opportunity to expel the French army from Portugal and set up a puppet government in Portugal.
In 1820, the Portuguese people launched a revolution to overthrow the puppet government and asked João VI, who was far away in Brazil, to return home and let his son Pedro I (later Emperor of Brazil) remain in charge of Brazil.
Pedro I's wife was an Austrian grand duke, and it is likely that her taste influenced the transformation of the palace. The semicircular staircase was demolished, the main building was added by one floor, and the Moorish side tower was remodeled into a "neoclassical style" symmetrical to the left.
In fact, the National Museum of Brazil was founded as early as 1818 under the auspices of King João VI of Portugal, but the location is not "Park of The Beauty".
In 1889, a general staged a coup d'état that overthrew the imperial system in Brazil and established the Republic of Brazil. The palace briefly became the office of the new government, and it was not until 1892 that the museum was moved here.
It can be said that the building itself is a cultural relic of great historical significance and artistic value. Below, we take a look at 10 famous collections in the museum.
01 Bendigo meteorite
<h1 toutiao-origin="h1">Bendegó Meteorite</h1>
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A fire burned out most of the crafts in the museum, but for meteorites that have undergone the friction of atmospheric heat, the flames are nothing more than gentle touches.
Placed at the entrance to the museum, the Bendego meteorite is the largest iron meteorite currently found in Brazil, weighing 5.36 tons and consisting mainly of iron and nickel.
In 1784, a cowherd boy in Bahia spotted the meteorite near a farm, which was the second largest meteorite in the world. Although the date of its landing on Earth is unknown, experts estimate it has been lying there for at least thousands of years.
In 1925, Einstein visited the Bendigo meteorite
In 1785, the governor of Bahia ordered the meteorite to be transported to the local capital, Salvador. However, due to the limited transportation conditions of the ox cart at that time, the heavy meteorite rolled into the nearby Bendego riverbed during the handling.
It lay in the dry riverbed for more than a hundred years, during which time scholars from all over the world investigated and studied it. It was not until 1886 that Emperor Pedro II of Brazil ordered his men to move it away so as not to be buried by floodwaters.
The porters spent 126 days hauling them by herd of cattle and iron trailers to a railway station more than a hundred kilometres away, transporting them by train to El Salvador and then by boat to Rio de Janeiro.
In 1888, the Bendgo meteorite was first exhibited at the National Museum of Brazil and became the most famous town museum treasure in a hundred years. More than a dozen fragments cut from the meteorite are scattered in museums around the world for scholars to study.
It is worth mentioning that the entire process of meteorite handling is recorded in detail in an official report, including the design drawings of the means of transport, precious photos of the itinerary, etc.
The Brazilian Navy erected an obelisk at the local railway station to commemorate the massive meteorite handling project.
02 Masakali Dragon Skeleton
<h1 toutiao-origin="h1">Maxakalisaurus</h1>
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In the middle and late Cretaceous period, about 100 million to 65 million years ago, the southern hemisphere was active with huge "Titanosaurus" dinosaurs, including "Masakali" in its various species branches.
In 1998, this dinosaur fossil was discovered in the state of Minas Gerais in southeastern Brazil, making it the largest dinosaur ever found in Brazil.
The young dragon was 13 meters long and lived about 80 million years ago. According to archaeologists, it weighs about 9 tons, and its body length should reach more than 20 meters when it is an adult.
Between 1998 and 2002, four archaeological excavations have resulted in relatively complete skeletons, especially the skull, which is rare among the remains of "Titanosaurus" dinosaurs found around the world.
It wasn't until August 2006 that this newly discovered dinosaur species was named "Masakali Dragon" in honor of the local indigenous tribe of The Masacali.
Unfortunately, it is reported that the dinosaur skeleton and the imitations displayed in the exhibition hall, as well as the remains of many extinct species, have been reduced to ashes in the fire.
An ancient magic pterosaur with a wingspan of up to 8 meters
Fossils of creatures such as saber-toothed tigers and giant sloths
Ancient lizard fossils
Brazilian sublime dragon in the early Cretaceous period
03 Lucia remains
<h1 toutiao-origin="h1">Luzia Woman</h1>
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Affectionately known as Luzia, the woman lived in the late Paleolithic period, about 11,500 years ago. People gave her this name in honor of the Australopithecus fossil "Lucy".
In 1974, her skeletal remains were found in a cave in central Brazil. Before the discovery of Eve of Naharon, she was the earliest human skeleton to be found on the American continent.
Through scientific testing, she died in her early 20s, and the cause of death may have been an animal attack. She was less than a meter and five meters tall, and the bones found included skulls, pelvic bones and a small number of limb bones.
3D simulation of Lucia's face after restoration
There are many controversial topics in the scientific community about "Lucia": What is her skin color? What kind of race is she? How did she get to the South American continent?
Her facial skeleton bears some resemblance to indigenous peoples in Africa, Oceania, Southeast Asia and other places, but it does not fully match the characteristics of these races. The latest research suggests that scientists have determined through DNA testing that she is an American Indian.
Experts have made a reconstructed model of Lucia's head through 3D printing technology, which is displayed in the exhibition hall along with her remains.
The fire in 2018 burned Lucia's skull to pieces. Fortunately, some of the wreckage has been found in the ruins, which are currently being repaired.
04 Shah Amon Eun Su Coffin
<h1 toutiao-origin="h1">Coffin of Sha-amun-en-su</h1>
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Emperor Pedro II of Brazil was keen on collecting antiques and was interested in ancient Egyptian civilization. During his second visit to Egypt in 1876, the then governor of Egypt generously presented him with the "Shah Mon Su Coffin".
Pedro II was so fond of the artifact that it was placed in the study as a private collection, and it was not until 1889, when the imperial system was overthrown, that it was included in the National Museum of Brazil.
The surface of the coffin lid is brightly colored and richly patterned. The head is painted with red-rimmed hair rings, and the golden eagle wings fall to the sides, which is typical of the ancient Egyptian priestessess' attire, and she has the image of the goddess Nute sheltering the dead on her chest, and the open eagle wings cover her to symbolize God's blessing to her.
In 1876, Emperor Pedro II of Brazil toured Egypt
The woman inside the coffin was a priestess of the 22nd Dynasty of ancient Egypt and a sacred singer. She lived around the first half of the 8th century BC, serving as a clergyman at the Karnak Temple in Thebes.
As female singers in ancient Egyptian temples, they were usually required to remain virgins for life and follow strict puritanical precepts. They were generally from wealthy backgrounds, educated in an elite manner, and chosen and raised by the older generation of clergy
She had the privilege of spending a peaceful time during her lifetime, and became the last generation of clergy in the temple. Shortly after her death, the Assyrians invaded Egypt and imposed their religion on the ancient kingdom.
Hieroglyphic records of her name and official position
She died at about the age of her 50s. Her mummy was sealed in a sarcophagus, and it had not been opened for two thousand eight hundred years from the moment it was sealed. The deity she served during her lifetime was "Amun God", and her name means "the lush fields of Amun God".
In 2006, scientists discovered by X-ray that her mummy's throat was wrapped in a resin-coated bandage, a special protective treatment similar to that of another ancient Egyptian singer of the same period, perhaps the ancient Egyptians wanted them to go to heaven or the afterlife with a holy and beautiful voice.
The coffin also contains a number of amulets that serve as funerary items, including a gold disc-shaped pendant worn on her chest, and a scarab-shaped amulet carved from blue gemstones, which represents her eternal beating heart.
Computer restored image of the priestess
05 Sun Princess Mummy
<h1 toutiao-origin="h1">Princesa Kherima</h1>
Schubert "Death and the Maiden"
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With the suicide of Cleopatra VII, cleopatra VII, the last ruler of the 32nd dynasty of ancient Egypt, Egypt was annexed by the Roman Empire as a province.
This mummy and golden mask belonged to a young woman living in Thebes during the Roman period of the 1st-2nd centuries AD, who died between the ages of 18 and 20. There were no obvious traumas on her body, most likely from disease or coincidence with a wound that removed her internal organs.
There are many opinions about her identity, but a more credible claim suggests that she was the daughter of the governor of Thebes, who is still customarily referred to as the "Princess of the Sun" today.
In 1961, a mummified restorer claimed that she had sensed after touching the corpse that the female corpse had been a prominent princess named "Kherima" who had been stabbed to death.
Belzoni, a famous Grave Robber in Italy, took the mummy out of Egypt in the early nineteenth century. In 1824, shortly after Belzoni's death, a merchant sold many of his collections of Egyptian artifacts to Brazil.
At an auction in 1826, Emperor Pedro I of Brazil bought the mummy and donated it to the museum. Its mysterious, eerie, cartoon-like golden mask attracts a large number of tourists to stop and watch.
The mummy's bandaging method is very rare, most of the mummies that have been found are like silkworm pupae wrapped the entire body layer by layer, and the mummy's limbs, fingers and toes are independently bandaged, and her figure can be clearly seen.
Remarkably, each of her toes is wrapped in colorful linen bandages, a decorative bandage like nail polish. Unfortunately, the mummy had been completely destroyed by fire.
Originally home to more than 700 ancient Egyptian exhibits, the National Museum of Brazil is the museum with the richest collection of Egyptian artifacts in all of Latin America.
After the fire, the relevant cultural relics conservators have cleared out about 200 surviving cultural relics from the ruins, including stone carvings, amulets, sacrificial utensils, etc.
These surviving items are themselves relatively resistant to high temperatures. A large number of funerary items were originally stored in the sarcophagus and were first displayed to the world after being sealed for thousands of years.
Ancient Egyptian artifacts that survived the fire
06 Tukuna Monkey Head Mask
<h1 toutiao-origin="h1">Ticuna Mask</h1>
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The "Tukuna" are An Indian people of South America who live in the Amazon rainforest and make a living hunting. They regularly perform some eerie and mysterious ritual sacrifices and wear hideous masks, which is a very important part of their ethnic culture.
The shape of the mask, usually of animals such as monkeys, tigers, and fish, is shaped in an exaggerated, surreal style. Sturdy and lightweight, these masks are pasted on both sides of thick cotton cloth and then decorated with pigments extracted from the rhizomes, fruits and branches of various plants.
In 1816, the French painter Jean-Baptiste Debret traveled to Brazil with several artists and was favored by the local nobles.
While painting portraits of high society, he became interested in the local black slave and Indian culture, and left behind a number of paintings documenting customs and customs. He found the monkey face mask and painted it down.
07 Headless Marble Statue
<h1 toutiao-origin="h1">Estatueta Koré</h1>
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This exquisite female statue was discovered during a mass burial excavation in 1853. It is an ancient Roman sculpture from the 5th century AD, and the creators borrowed and imitated the artistic style of ancient Greece.
The statue is carved from marble of two different colors, the off-white part is her long skirt, her hands gracefully and demurely carrying the skirt, and the smooth and delicate folds on her arms make it seem that the breeze can feel and blow her tulle sleeves.
Her feet were carved from a marble that was close to pink, showing a color similar to that of human skin, and her missing head should have been made of such materials.
Another fragment of an ancient Greek-style alabaster sculpture in the museum's collection
The ancient Greek-style sculptures of young women standing freely, known in technical terms as "Kore", usually have no obvious mortal-god boundaries, have a classical restrained smile on their faces, stand upright and upright, and wear loose, flowing skirts.
This sculpture was often used as a sacrifice to the gods, or as a decoration for the rich family of the ancient Greco-Roman period, and was also used as a funerary object to show the face of the deceased during his lifetime. Perhaps in museums in Europe, such a sculpture does not look prominent, but it is very rare in South America.
08 Pompeii Murals
<h1 toutiao-origin="h1">Pompeii Fresco</h1>
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Pompeii is located in southwestern Italy, near Naples, at the foot of Mount Vesuvius. In ancient times, it was an important city after Rome, where the rich built magnificent and extravagant entertainment venues, which was also a very important trade area in the Mediterranean region.
In 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted suddenly, and magma and volcanic ash buried the entire prosperous and vibrant city in an instant, and the rich and diverse remains of ancient Roman culture have been preserved to this day.
Several of the Pompeii frescoes on display at the National Museum of Brazil are from the private collection of Queen Teresa Christina, wife of Pedro II, daughter of the King of Sicily, from her brother.
The murals are painted with dragons and dolphins
Several other Pompeii frescoes
This article is reprinted from the WeChat public account with permission: Demon Teenager Jinjin
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