Archaeological Sites in France - Picardy
The northern region of Picardy stretches from the Somme in the west to the Belgium border in the east. Much of the region suffered greatly in the first World War, most notably in the Somme Battlefields and numerous châteaux in the more mountainous Aisne. The city of Amiens has an extensive and significant history that starts in the early Stone Age. There are three departments in Picardy: Aisne, Oise and Somme.
- List of Sites
- Sites on a Map
Contents
Palaeolithic
The Palaeolithic starts about 3.5 million years ago and accounts for some 99% of humanity's past. Although much of the archaeology of this period is more likely to be seen in museums, these people made some wonderful rock or cave art - and many sites are open to the public. > Read more
Saint Acheul Archaeological Garden
Saint Acheul is the type-site for the Early Palaeolithic Acheulean industry of stone tool manufacture. All that there is to see is an exposed section of prehistoric river gravels, so perhaps only for the most die-hard of archaeo-philes. Historically, this is an important site. It was from here that in 1854 archaeologists found stones, later to be called Acheulean handaxes, that they argued had been modified by early humans. > Read more
Iron Age
In the Iron Age, cutting tools, weapons and other objects were increasingly made from iron and even steel. There were other more significant social changes during this time, hence the large villages and towns and hill-forts. In Europe, the Iron Age is associated with the Celts. > Read more
Samara Prehistoric Park
Located on the banks of the Somme River northwest of the city of Amiens, Samara is both an archaeological theme park and a nature reserve. The park occupies 30 hectares which lie between a Roman military camp and the river itself, and provides the perfect setting for children of all ages to explore 600,000 years of prehistory, through reconstructions of houses and demonstrations of prehistoric crafts. > Read more
Roman
The Roman Empire originally centred around the city of Rome in Italy, going on to dominate the Mediterranean region as well as southeastern and southwestern Europe. Roman amphitheatres, temples, towns and villas can still be visited throughout this region today. > Read more
Champlieu Roman Camp
About 15 kms to the south of the city of Compiègne are the remains of what was a medium sized Roman military camp. The Roman name of the camp is unknown, but it lay on a Roman road, called the chaussée Brunehaut that ran from Soissons to Paris via Senlis. in 1846 the site was bought by Napoléon III who, taken by the preservation of the architecture, then ordered its excavation and restoration. > Read more
Roman Senlis
Senlis first appears in written accounts as the capital of the Celtic Sylvanectes. Following the arrival of the Romans in Gaul the town became known as Augustomagus, and thereafter developed in typical Roman manner, with temples, baths, and and amphitheatre. By the 3rd century AD the town was an important military base and a large wall was constructed. Today, all that remains of the Roman town is the amphitheatre and the walls, which were added to in later years. > Read more
Samara Prehistoric Park
Located on the banks of the Somme River northwest of the city of Amiens, Samara is both an archaeological theme park and a nature reserve. The park occupies 30 hectares which lie between a Roman military camp and the river itself, and provides the perfect setting for children of all ages to explore 600,000 years of prehistory, through reconstructions of houses and demonstrations of prehistoric crafts. > Read more
Vendeuil Caply Theatre
The well preserved remains of a Roman amphitheatre that was once part of a medium sized Roman town. Aerial photography reveals that the the town once covered at least 130 hectares. After 30 years of excavations the local municipality is constructing a museum for the remains, due to open in summer 2011. > Read more
Museum/Theme Park
Archaeology is presented to the public in a variety of museums and theme parks. These range from smaller local museums, which tend to exhibit the artefacts from a nearby site, to the national museums that display a broader picture based on larger, more regionally based collections. > Read more
Boucher de Perthes Museum
Housed in one of the oldest belfries in France, the musée Boucher de Perthes displays a typical collection of local prehistoric finds from the Palaeolithic to the Roman period. It also has a substantial fine art collection. Although a small, local museum, it has a historical collection of Palaeolithic artefacts that belonged to one of the earliest archaeologists to recognise that stone tools were man-made. > Read more
Laon Museum of Art and Archaeology
The Musée de Beaux-Arts et d’Archéologie is situated in the heart of Medieval Laon, a city with over 80 listed monuments. Until 1937 the museum housed a regional collection of artefacts, mainly objects from Gallo-Roman and Merovingian graves. In 1937 a remarkable collection of archaeological artefacts from the Mediterranean was donated to the museum. > Read more
Marle Archaeological Park
Based on 25 years of archaeological research in the Aisne area of northern France, the archaeological park in Marle uses reconstruction and museum display to show what life was like in France during the early Medieval period. This is the time shortly after the collapse of the Roman Empire when France was ruled by the Merovongian Dynasty. > Read more
Municipal Museum of Soissons
The Musée Municipal de Soissons, a local history museum for the Aisne Valley, is housed in what was the Saint-Léger Abbey. The archaeology exhibitions are arranged chronologically and display only a small proportion of the museum's artefacts from the Neolithic to the Middle Ages. Not to be missed are the Iron Age chariots found in nearby graves of this period. > Read more
Oise Archaeology Museum
The Oise Archaeology Museum houses the artefacts recovered from 30 years of excavations at the nearby Gallo Roman town of Vendeuil Caply. The objects include various items that relate to aspects of everyday life, as well as a number of sculptures and murals. Currently, the museum is located in the town of Breteuil, but a new purpose-built, state of the art museum is being constructed near the archaeological site, and is due to open in summer 2011. > Read more
Picardy Museum
Founded in the 1850s, the Musée de Picardie was one of the first purpose-built museums in France, and is today one of the largest of the French regional museums. As a regional museum its collections and displays are wide-ranging, from the prehistory of the Amiens area through to 19th century painting and sculpture. On display also are a number of Egyptian and ancient Greek artefacts, once belonging to private collections. > Read more
Samara Prehistoric Park
Located on the banks of the Somme River northwest of the city of Amiens, Samara is both an archaeological theme park and a nature reserve. The park occupies 30 hectares which lie between a Roman military camp and the river itself, and provides the perfect setting for children of all ages to explore 600,000 years of prehistory, through reconstructions of houses and demonstrations of prehistoric crafts. > Read more
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Services
- Basse Copette Two vacation rentals (gites) and B&B in a rural hamlet on the Normandy/Picardy border (2 - 3 bedrooms). Swimming pool. Meals are available.
- Vacation Rentals in France
Resources
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Michelin Green Guide Northern France and Paris Region
(Amazon.com)
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Michelin Green Guide Northern France and Paris Region
(Amazon.co.uk)
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