Oldest Brazilian fossil found in debris of National Museum

Rio de Janeiro:  One of the most prized possessions of Brazil's National Museum has been found amid debris after a massive fire on September 2 sent the building up in flames.

Museum director Alexander Kellner told The Associated Press that a fossil named "Luzia" was recuperated.

Kellner said the fossil was broken and that 80 per cent of its pieces had been found.

The fossil was discovered during an excavation in 1975 outside of the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte and is among the oldest in the Americas.

The oldest human fossil found in Brazil, dubbed Luzia, at the National Museum of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The oldest human fossil found in Brazil, dubbed Luzia, at the National Museum of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Credit:AP

It was given the name Luzia in homage to "Lucy", the famous 3.2 million-year-old remains found in Africa.

The National Museum held Latin America's largest collection of historical artifacts, with about 20 million pieces.

AP

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