Manuscript 512, Ancient civilization manuscript in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Manuscript 512 is a ten-page document describing a Portuguese expedition into the Brazilian rainforest interior during the 18th century. The text contains detailed accounts of ancient ruins with Greco-Roman architecture that explorers encountered while searching for the Muribeca mines.
The document was discovered in 1839 at the National Library of Brazil and records accounts from explorers dating to 1753. This source represents one of the few written records of Portuguese expeditions into unexplored rainforest regions.
The manuscript inspired writers like José de Alencar and Arthur Conan Doyle to create stories about lost civilizations. These literary works shaped public fascination with hidden societies in popular culture.
A digital version of the document is accessible online, while the original remains protected at the National Library of Brazil. Visitors can view the scanned version without needing to visit the physical archive.
The manuscript describes a triple archway structure and mysterious inscriptions unlike any other architecture documented in Brazil. Researchers have not yet definitively clarified whether these structures were real or part of the author's invention.
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