Exhibition "When São Paulo was Piratininga: archaeology of São Paulo"

Before becoming the metropolis that never sleeps, São Paulo was Piratininga, a Tupi name meaning "fish drying," a reference to the river floodplains that, after the floods, left the fish exposed to the sun. It is this ancestral territory, predating the arrival of Europeans, that the exhibition... When São Paulo was Piratininga: archaeology of São Paulo da Ema Klabin House Museum It invites the public to rediscover.

Curated by the architect and curator of the Ema Klabin House Museum, Paulo de Freitas CostaThe exhibition, curated by Dr. Paula Nishida, PhD in Archaeology, reveals a little-known side of the city: a territory occupied approximately 4 years ago, long before the founding of the colonial town. Based on archaeological research conducted in different regions of the capital, visitors are guided on a journey that combines science, history, and imagination to understand the profound relationship between the first inhabitants and the landscape that today houses the largest city in the country.

From the underground to the shop window: traces of a forgotten São Paulo.

The municipality of São Paulo has approximately 90 identified archaeological sites. Of these, eight were selected for this exhibition, representing fundamental milestones in the formation of the São Paulo territory. “The Morumbi Lithic sites, the funerary urns, and the Jaraguá I, II and Olaria II sites represent the world of the original peoples before the European invasion. The Jaraguá Gold Mines and Pinheiros 2 testify to the contact between indigenous people and colonizers; and the Butantã House and the Itaim Bibi House bring to light aspects of the colonial period, broadening the perspective beyond the city's central axis,” explains archaeologist Paula Nishida, curator of the exhibition.

The exhibition will feature photographic and cartographic records of all these discoveries, as well as reproductions of artifacts found, covering a time span from approximately 3.800 years before present (c. 1.850 BC) to the 19th century. These records contribute to reconstructing lifestyles, funerary practices, and daily activities that shaped the history of São Paulo long before urbanization.

Among the 20 chipped stone pieces reproduced by archaeologists Bruce Bradley and Astolfo Araújo from the Interdisciplinary Laboratory for Research in Evolution, Culture and Environment – ​​LEVOC, associated with the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology of the University of São Paulo (MAE-USP), 11 can be handled by the public, providing a sensory and interactive experience of archaeological work. Part of these reproductions were also digitized and printed using 3D technology, especially for the exhibition, allowing for a more immersive understanding of the art and sophistication of ancient Brazilian indigenous communities.

Narratives of time and climate

The exhibition is organized into two main sections: the Pre-colonial period, which brings together the oldest remains up to the beginning of contact with Europeans, and the Colonial period, which covers the 16th century to the beginning of the 19th century.

In its final section, entitled "The Airs of Piratininga," visitors will be invited to reflect on the climatic and environmental transformations that the region has undergone over the centuries. Based on soil and sediment samples collected in 1997, a study revealed a landscape radically different from the current one, a portrait of the natural past that helps to understand the evolution of the territory.

Between science and memory

According to curator Paula Nishida, the exhibition seeks to bring the public closer to the city's archaeological past and to give new meaning to the idea of ​​São Paulo's origins, broadening the perspective beyond the colonial narrative.

“Archaeological work allows us to listen to the deepest layers of the city, those that are beneath our feet, but which are also part of our present. Each fragment found speaks of a living São Paulo, indigenous, African, diverse and ancestral,” says Nishida.

The exhibition also highlights the scientific rigor of the archaeological process, from the field to the laboratory, and the richness of the discoveries that emerge from a little-known side of São Paulo.

“This exhibition is part of a series of initiatives by the museum-house that aim to promote greater knowledge about our territory, updating our concepts and narratives and making us more able to assess the present and imagine a future for our city,” says curator Paulo de Freitas Costa.

Service
Exhibition When São Paulo was Piratininga: archaeology of São Paulo
From November 29 to March 29, 2026
Wednesday to Sunday, from 11am to 17pm, with stay until 18pm
Guided tours are available Wednesday to Friday at 11:00 AM, 2:00 PM, 3:00 PM, and 4:00 PM. Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays are at 2:00 PM.
BRL 20 (in full)
R$ 10 (half-price) for students, senior citizens, people with disabilities, and low-income youth.