What Artifacts Were in the National Museum of Brazil?

More than 20 million items were at risk in a fire at the National Museum of Brazil, a staggering cultural toll that includes prehistoric fossils and rare pieces dating back several millennia.

It was not immediately known how many artifacts, if any, were salvaged from the fire, which engulfed the museum Sunday night, to the despair of Brazilians and history lovers worldwide. The museum, which opened in 1818, held an extensive collection of Brazilian artifacts, but also featured items from around the globe.

Here is a small selection of some of its more notable items:

— One of the world’s largest meteorites, which was found in 1784 and had been on display since 1888.

— Fossils from the oldest human remains found in the region, known as Luzia, and from dinosaurs and other creatures.

— An Egyptian collection that included a coffin from the 11th century B.C., a mummified cat and a collection of masks, vases, amulets and statues, like one of a young Egyptian woman from about 1500 B.C.

— Items from a large swatch of Brazilian cultures, including funeral urns from around the year 1000 in the region of the Maracá River, statues and vases from the Santarém culture in the region of the lower Tapajós River, a mortar from the Trombetas River area and a rare mummy found in Brazil.

— A Greco-Roman collection with more than 700 pieces that arrived in Brazil in the 1850s.

— Artifacts from indigenous Brazilians, including dolls, baskets, masks, pots, pendants and other jewelry.

— Items from ancient civilizations across South America, including wedding accessories from the Incas and a mummy from northern Chile.

— A vast bird collection almost 200 years old, representing the range seen in Brazil.

— A collection of gems and other geologic samples.