The archaeological collections

The Paleolithic is the first and longest period of prehistory. It begins with the appearance of Man, about 2.6 million years ago in Africa and ends around 10,000 years before Christ.

The Neolithic period developed very gradually in the Near East, between about 12500 and 7000 BC.

The Bronze Age marks an evolution rather than a break with the Neolithic.

The appearance of iron was accompanied by population movements and profound economic and social upheavals.

Julius Caesar's conquest of Hairy Gaul at the beginning of the second half of the 1st century BC is considered to be the starting point of a profound political, economic and social transformation: its Romanisation.

From the 4th century onwards, many foreigners whom the Romans called "Barbarians" immigrated to the Empire. Most of them were Germanic.

The Comparative Archaeology room presents archaeological or ethnographic objects of foreign origin, from the Palaeolithic to the early Middle Ages, offering a panorama of archaeological cultures from around the world.

Répliques en plâtre et en galvanoplastie, maquettes historiques, peintures et sculptures datant du 19^ème siècle, une vaste collection qui témoigne de l'histoire du musée et de la discipline archéologique.

The archives held at the Musée d'Archéologie Nationale illustrate the history of archaeology, the life of the museum, and the restoration of the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye in various ways.

See Archives on line

The library of the Musée d'Archéologie Nationale contains more than 53,000 works. Some are rare, annotated by their authors and representative of an evolving archaeology.

See Frantiq catalog.

The icon library of the National Archaeology Museum includes photographs, engravings, drawings and paintings. These documents illustrate the museum's collections, the history of archaeology and the national domain.

See Online Archives