The National Archaeology Days
On the occasion of the Archaeology Days, organized from June 7 to 9, 2013 across France, the general public will be able to discover, through visits, a multitude of sites. The Museum of Archaeology of Nice (Terra Amata site and Cimiez site), the archaeological site of Castle Hill, the archaeological crypt of Nice, and the Bellanda Tower will open to the public and offer specially designed activities for these days.
The Archaeology Days is a national event under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture, particularly significant for the City of Nice due to the richness of its preserved and protected archaeological heritage, seen as a treasure.
They aim to raise awareness among a broad audience about archaeological heritage, present the sites, permanent collections, and encourage meetings with archaeologists.
On the program
●●● EXHIBITION
*“Diagnose, Dig, Discover! Archaeology in Nice.”*
Explore the richness of archaeological discoveries made in Nice by the Archaeology Service, Inrap, and other excavation operators like France Archéologie and Hadès. The trades and techniques of archaeology will also be presented to visitors.
Meeting point: starting Saturday, June 8 at Bellanda Tower / Castle Hill
●●● GUIDED TOURS
Accompanied by specialists, enjoy a privileged moment at the archaeological sites of Nice. Five guided or themed visits are offered this year.
*The Baths of Cimiez: The Archaeological Object from Excavation to Museum.*
Themed visits by Olivier Ghiringhelli, cultural mediator at the Museum of Archaeology of Nice. This tour presents the different lives of archaeological objects: their use during the Roman and early Christian eras, their discovery and study by archaeologists, and finally their new life as museum collections. A discovery tour is thus offered from the archaeological site to the museum’s reserves, through the exhibition galleries.
Meeting point: Friday, June 7 at 10 am and 11:30 am at the Museum of Archaeology of Nice / Cimiez Site / 160 avenue des Arènes / Nice
*The Castle Hill.*
Guided tour by Henri Geist, president of the Alpine-Maritimes History and Archaeology Circle
Meeting point: Friday, June 7 at 2 pm at Castle Hill, on the esplanade, in front of the cathedral ruins.
*The Archaeological Crypt of Nice.*
Guided tour by a guide from the Heritage Center, of the very well-preserved remains, of the city’s fortification around the Pairolière Tower dating from the 14th century. Site classified as a Historic Monument.
Meeting point: Saturday, June 8 and Sunday, June 9 at 10 am, 11 am, 2 pm, 3 pm, and 4 pm at Place Jacques Toja
*The Archaeological Site of Cimiez and its Museum*
Guided tours by a member of the mediation team of the Museum of Archaeology of Nice. This visit invites history and archaeology enthusiasts to discover both the site and the museum’s collections.
Meeting point: Sunday, June 9 at 10 am and 11:30 am at the Museum of Archaeology of Nice / Cimiez Site / 160 avenue des Arènes
*The Archaeological Site of Terra Amata: How to Reconstruct the Environment of Prehistoric Man?*
Visiting lectures by Bertrand Roussel, Deputy Director of the Museum of Archaeology of Nice. 400,000 years ago, what was the climate like in Nice? Is it true there were elephants in the Paillon marshes and that Castle Hill was an island?…
Visits dedicated to the work of prehistorians who conduct their investigation like true “experts” to reconstruct the environment of our distant ancestors who lived in Terra Amata.
Meeting point: Sunday, June 9 at 2 pm and 3:30 pm at the Museum of Archaeology of Nice / Terra Amata Site / 25 boulevard Carnot
●●● CONFERENCES / DEBATE
Archaeologist profession: trades and techniques by archaeologists from the Archaeology Service of the City of Nice.
Archaeology is a scientific discipline that draws its knowledge from the field. It is practiced in various forms and according to different research modes.
Archaeologists from the Archaeology Service of the City of Nice will share their passion and perhaps inspire vocations.
Meeting point: Saturday, June 8 at the Museum of Archaeology of Nice / Terra Amata Site
*14:00 – Today’s Archaeology a Challenge for Tomorrow*
Welcome and presentation of the meeting by Jean-Marc Giaume, delegate for Historical, Archaeological, and Niçoise Language and Culture Heritage
*14:30 – Diagnose, Dig, Discover: Fieldwork by Marc Bouiron, director of the Archaeology Service, and Romuald Mercurin, archaeologist*
*15:00 – Built Archaeology: or how to read the walls of civil, religious, and military buildings by Elodie Sanchez and Eric Guilloteau, archaeologists*
*15:30 – Archaeological Artifacts: Once Upon a Time Ceramics by Lise Damotte and Alain Grandieux, archaeologist-ceramologists*
*16:00 – Funerary Archaeology: from the world of the dead to the world of the living by Aude Civetta, archaeo-anthropologist*
*16:30 – Dating: at the intersection of archival texts and archaeology by Fanny Lelandais, historian-archivist*
*17:00 – Underwater Archaeology: in search of the ocean depths by Stéphane Morabito, underwater archaeologist*
●●● YOUTH MEDIATION
Introductory workshops for budding archaeologists, accompanied by their parents, ages 6 to 12:
Meet the prehistoric fire: fire ignition during Prehistory.
Meeting point: Saturday, June 8 from 10 am to 12 pm at the Museum of Archaeology of Nice / Terra Amata Site / 25 boulevard Carnot
Discovery of the flint lighter and lighting in Roman times.
Meeting point: Saturday, June 8 from 10 am to 12 pm at the Museum of Archaeology of Nice / Cimiez Site / 160 avenue des Arènes
