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Key figures

Origin and history

The Museum of Prehistory of Terra Amata is a municipal museum in Nice, located on the slopes of Mount Boron at 25 boulevard Carnot. It is dedicated to the prehistoric site of Terra Amata, discovered in 1958 during construction works. Archaeological excavations, led in 1966 by Prehistorian Henry de Lumley, revealed vestiges dating from 400,000 to 380,000 years, including Cheulean tools and traces of habitat among the oldest in France. This site played a key role in the establishment of preventive archaeology in France, inspiring laws to protect the remains threatened by urban planning.

The museum was inaugurated in 1976, becoming the first prehistoric site museum in France. He exhibited objects from the 1966 excavations, such as bifaces, animal bones and a 380,000-year-old Homo heidelbergensis tooth. In 2016, his museum was modernized with digital tools and a reorganization of spaces, including a view of the reserves containing more than 100,000 objects. The museum also houses a documentation centre specialized in Prehistory, accessible by appointment.

The Terra Amata site marked the history of French archaeology. The 1966 excavations, originally planned for a few days, lasted six months and revealed some of the oldest homes in the world. This project alerted the authorities to the need to protect archaeological sites, leading to legislative reforms, such as article R.111-3-2 of the Code of Urbanism in 1975, allowing the refusal of building permits threatening remains. In 1979, the creation of the Archaeology Branch at the Ministry of Culture institutionalized this protection.

The museum occupies the ground floor of a residential building, in front of which a monumental sculpture by Raymond Moretti, The Place de l'Homme within the cosmos, traces the major stages of life history. Since 2016, the museum journey has included interactive screens, 3D modelling and dioramas to illustrate the lives of the first Niçois. The museum also offers temporary exhibitions, monthly conferences and educational workshops, in collaboration with local associations such as CEPTA.

The Terra Amata Museum has received several awards, including the Museum of the Year Award in 1977 and the Musée de France label in 2002. It is accessible by tram or bus and offers free admission under conditions. A free mobile app allows you to discover its collections, with a playground for children. The site remains an active research site, with a holdings of 7,500 scientific books and journals covering Prehistory and related disciplines such as geology or anthropology.

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