Between Nuit Blanche, Rendez-vous aux Jardins, and Fête de la Musique, the Parisian cultural calendar looks set for a busy June. In the middle of the month, an intriguing rendezvous promises engaging, offbeat discoveries: the Journées de l'Archéologie. The idea? To open up to the general public, young and old, the inner workings of research, the methods of archaeologists, and the traces left by past societies. This new edition arrives the weekend of 12–14 June 2026 and in Paris and the Île-de-France region, with plenty of unconventional outings to discover!
In the Paris region, lesser-known or intimate venues are taking part in the event, offering diverse programs that invite you to step into the shoes of history explorers. For this edition, at the heart of Paris, the Collège de France welcomes you! This iconic institution of the Latin Quarter has lived through five centuries of history: a place dedicated to research and teaching. A promising setting, then, for a playful archaeology weekend.
Prehistory: between utopia and reality
The discovery of Prehistory sparks an extraordinary fascination: as far back as the 19th century, scholars and artists alike seized on this enigmatic era with the same gusto, helping to define it even as they helped invent it.
In this free, all-ages exhibition, visitors will encounter unique pieces of Paleolithic art, life-size reproductions of cave paintings by the hand of Abbot Breuil, and reconstructions of fossil humans who left their mark on the discipline. Yet beyond these discoveries, the show also traces the social construction of prehistoric research. Who were its inventors? What debates and resistances shaped this science? Photographs from archaeological digs, printed works, charts of human evolution, and television documents all attest to a discipline in constant evolution, where each generation reinterpreted the doctrines of its predecessors.
Five free lectures, open to the public with no booking required, are offered to deepen the exploration of the exhibition:
* Thursday, May 7, 6:00 PM: Jean-Jacques Hublin, “Prehistory: between utopia and reality”;
* Friday, May 29, 6:00 PM: Claudine Cohen, “Jacques Boucher de Perthes (1788 – 1868): science and imagination at the origins of Prehistory”;
* Wednesday, June 3, 6:00 PM: Pascal Depaepe, “The image of the Neanderthal man”;
* Tuesday, June 9, 6:00 PM: Catherine Schwab, “Prehistory, from science to fiction: 150 years of stories and images”;
* Wednesday, June 17, 6:00 PM: Christophe Darmangeat, “Prehistoric Women and Hunting”.
To help you explore the exhibition, several mediation tools are available:
* A junior-friendly path integrated into the exhibition, offering age-appropriate content around a selection of works gathered under three themes: Portraits, Science and Techniques, and Everyday Life.
* Junior visitor booklets accompanying the discovery of the exhibition.
* Interactive mediation devices providing a playful and educational approach.
* Reading space inviting visitors to extend their visit with books related to the exhibition.
* Free guided tours with a mediator, aimed at school groups and students (primary, middle, high school, higher education), by reservation
Participation conditions: Free and open to the public – Free | No reservation required
Hours: Friday, June 12, 2026 — 11:00–18:00 | Saturday, June 13, 2026 — 11:00–18:00 | Sunday, June 14, 2026 — 11:00–18:00
Dates and Opening Time
From June 12, 2026 to June 14, 2026
Location
Collège de France
11 Place Marcelin Berthelot
75005 Paris 5
Route planner
Accessibility info
Access
Metro Maubert-Mutualité (line 10), Odéon (lines 4 and 10)
