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Museum · Tarija, Tarija
National Paleontology and Archaeology Museum
University museum of Tarija with fossils of large mammals that lived in the valley, such as giant sloths, glyptodonts and mastodons, and an archaeology and history collection on the upper floor.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Discover
About National Paleontology and Archaeology Museum
The Museo Nacional Paleontológico y Arqueológico belongs to the Universidad Autónoma Juan Misael Saracho and is on General Trigo Street in central Tarija. The ground floor is devoted to fossils; the upper floor to archaeology, the region’s history and geology.
The valley of Tarija is one of the richest Pleistocene mammal fossil deposits in South America. Remains found there have been studied since the 19th century and are held in museums in several countries. Dating published in 2007 places much of the fossil-bearing layers at roughly 44,000 to 21,000 years ago.
The rooms display remains of giant sloths, such as megatherium and lestodon, of glyptodonts, enormous relatives of armadillos, of mastodons and of saber-toothed cats. The archaeological collection brings together pottery, tools and objects from the peoples who inhabited the region.
The municipality of Tarija declared the city and the Cercado province the capital of the paleontological deposit of giant mammals by municipal law.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
About 1 hour for both floors.
Best time
During weekdays, at opening times that vary. Confirm before you go.
How to get there
It is on General Trigo Street in central Tarija, a few blocks from Luis de Fuentes y Vargas square, and is within walking distance.
Tip
Start on the ground floor, with the large skeletons, and leave the upper floor for last. Those going to Valle de la Concepción afterwards can link the visit to the fossil finds in the Uriondo municipality.
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about National Paleontology and Archaeology Museum
What fossils are in the Tarija museum?
Remains of large Pleistocene mammals found in the valley: giant sloths such as megatherium and lestodon, glyptodonts, mastodons and saber-toothed cats, among others.
How old are the fossils from the Tarija valley?
Dating published in 2007 places much of the fossil-bearing layers between about 44,000 and 21,000 years ago, at the end of the Pleistocene.
Who manages the Tarija paleontological museum?
The Universidad Autónoma Juan Misael Saracho, Tarija’s public university. The museum is on General Trigo street, in the city center.