Museum of American Man: A Journey Through Prehistoric Brazil

Located in São Raimundo Nonato, Piauí, the Museum of American Man (Museu do Homem Americano) is a crucial center for understanding the prehistoric human presence in the Americas. The museum is within the headquarters of the Museum of the American Man Foundation (FUMDHAM), established through a collaboration between Brazilian and French scientists who have been working in the region since 1973. FUMDHAM is a non-profit organization that partners with municipal, state, and federal governments. The museum's permanent exhibition focuses on the trajectory of human beings in the Americas, beginning 100,000 years ago and continuing through the arrival of European colonizers. The collection includes approximately 90 pieces, including funerary urns, lapidary objects, drawings, skeletons, and bones. Visitors can learn about the excavations at Boqueirão da Pedra Furada, known as the oldest archaeological site on the American continent. The museum also has technical reserves that store archaeological, paleontological, zoological, and botanical materials, along with laboratories. Serra da Capivara National Park, where the museum is located, contains more than 700 archaeological sites with paintings dating back over 12,000 years. The museum plays a vital role in the preservation and study of these sites.