Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The Departmental Museum of Prehistory of the Gorges du Verdon was inaugurated on 28 April 2001 in Quinson, in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. It centralizes the archaeological furniture from more than 60 sites searched between the 1950s and 1970s as part of the EDF hydroelectric works on the Verdon. These excavations, carried out by researchers such as Henry de Lumley (Paleolithic), Jean Courtin (Neolithic) and Charles Lagrand (Protohistory), brought together objects covering a period from the lower Paleolithic to late Antiquity, offering a complete panorama of human life in Provence over more than 400,000 years.

The museum's flagship collections include the Baume Bonne (Paleolithic) and the Baume de Fontbrégoua (Neolithic, donation by Jean Courtin in 2013). Among the remarkable pieces are also the bronze trimmings of the "Treasury of Moriez" (Metal Age) and the protohistoric artifacts of Buffe-Arnaud's l'oppidum. These sets illustrate the great stages of human evolution, from the first tools to the organized societies of antiquity, while keeping them in a global context.

The building, designed by British architect Norman Foster, is distinguished by its contemporary design in the form of shell, combining concrete, glass and steel. Its landscape integration is marked by an eight-metre stone wall extending the ancient walls of Quinson, while an esplanade connects the museum to the town hall, forming an agora at the entrance to the village. This architectural bias aims to harmonize modernity and heritage, while valuing local archaeological discoveries.

Labelled "Museum of France", the establishment plays a key role in the conservation and dissemination of knowledge about Provencal prehistory. The objects exhibited, resulting from systematic excavations, bear witness to the ways of life, techniques and beliefs of past populations, from hunter-gatherers of Paleolithic to agro-pastoral societies of Neolithic and protohistoric communities. The museum is thus a reference point for understanding the ancient history of the region and its inscription in global human evolution.

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