National Paleontological and Archaeological Museum of Tarija

Archaeological museum dedicated to displaying objects discovered in ancient sites in the Tarija basin of southern Bolivia.

National Paleontological and Archaeological Museum of Tarija
Image credit to Adam Benavidez (Commons 4.0)
Type:	Archaeological Museum
Country:	Bolivia

The National Paleontological and Archaeological Museum of Tarija (Spanish: Museo Nacional Paleontológico y Arqueológico) is a museum located in southern Bolivia, the museum specializes in exhibiting fossils and other archaeological finds that were discovered in the basin where Tarija is located.

History

In 1941, construction began on the museum building, which was completed in 1949. The museum was inaugurated in 1959, the control of the building was ceded to the Universidad Autónoma Juan Misael Saracho, in addition to that after a 1994 law, this building was officially elevated as National Museum of Anthropology and Archeology of Bolivia.

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The museum has one of the largest collections of Gomphothere material in Bolivia, and some of its objects were collected by Luis Echazú around the 1880s. The museum staff has participated in the research of fossils and remains from the Tarija basin, such as the skeletal replicas that were exhibited in 2004. In addition, the museum has collaborated with the Earth Science Departments of Universities of several Italian cities, in order to collect and study mammal fossils found in 8 different sites in the Tarija basin.

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Collections

The museum contains lithic pieces and ancient ceramics, in addition some pieces of the museum date back to the Paleozoic age, also some pieces of the museum are from mammals that were found in the Cueva Cuaternaria (lit. Quaternary Cave) near Tarija.

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The museum also has remains of masodonts that inhabited this area of Bolivia long ago.

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In 2021, the museum collaborated with the Tarija Tierra de Titanes Foundation to display the "Hombre de San Luis", the remains of the oldest human being in Bolivia, these remains were found by a Swiss anthropologist.

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During the "Hombre de San Luis" exhibit, more than 1,000 people visited the museum in May 2022.

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The museum also contains prehistoric hunting weapons and old household implement.

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References

1. Promulgan Ley para cuidar la riqueza paleontológica de Tarija. (2022-05-31). El País Tarija. (in Spanish)

2. Lucas, S. G., Morgan, G. S., Spielmann, J. A., & Prothero, D. R. (2008). Neogene Mammals: Bulletin 44. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science. (Page 386)

3. Museo Nacional Paleontológico Arqueológico. (2015-11-03). La Región. (in Spanish)

4. Tarija es declarada capital del yacimiento paleontológico de mamíferos gigantes. (2022-05-29) Periódico La Patria. (in Spanish)

5. El Museo de Tarija se prepara la exhibir al “Hombre de San Luis”, el hombre más antiguo de Bolivia. (2021-12-14). La Voz de Tarija. (in Spanish)

6. Pereyra, O. (2022-05-21). Más de 1.000 personas visitaron al Hombre de San Luis en Tarija. EJu! (in Spanish)

7. Louis, R. S., Bao, S., Brash, C., Clark, G., Egerton, A., Kluepfel, B., Masters, T., McCarthy, C., Raub, K., Smith, P., Vidgen, L., & Tang, P. (2016). Lonely Planet South America on a shoestring. Lonely Planet. (Page 573)