Who would have thought that the projects of the future would reveal the inventions of the past? In São Paulo, this feat was realized when the remains of a 19th century Maria Fumaça were discovered during excavations for the new southern access loop to the Marginal Tietê.
Once again, the transportation company is rescuing a bit of São Paulo’s history that is buried throughout the city. The items are of great archaeological interest as they reveal the past of São Paulo’s mobility, carried out by steam trains.
Maria Fumaça from the 19th century: what was actually found?
According to the National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (IPHAN), traces of locomotives were found at the site. Items such as wagons and boilers were buried in the area where the Pirituba-Lapa road link will be built.
The institute believes that the archaeological materials are directly related to Lapa ‘s railway history and to the railway maintenance and repair center that has existed there since the late 19th century.
Although part of the site has been cordoned off for research, CPTM says that the discovery has not interfered with work on the southern section of the Marginal Tietê.
It’s not the first time this has happened!
In April of this year, we reported on the discovery of archaeological items at the construction site of the new Luz tunnel. At the time, more than 6,000 artifacts were found and they date back more than 100 years.
Finally, in 2023, more than a thousand fragments of antique crockery, dating from the 19th and 20th centuries, turned up during the construction of Line 6-Orange. In each case, an archaeology company was hired to identify, transfer and catalog the pieces.