Des hommes préhistoriques à la plage

The men of Terra Amata settled on a square 400,000 years ago. This exhibition aims, through several examples, to evoke the relationships between prehistoric men and women and the seas and oceans: fishing resources, raw materials, navigation, etc.

The relationships of prehistoric men with the sea and oceans were both fascinating and essential for their survival. Although the first humans do not seem to have had a very close relationship with the seas, from the Upper Paleolithic onwards, prehistoric men and women quickly understood the importance of coastlines and marine resources.

The coasts were strategic places for hunting and fishing, providing an abundant source of food and raw materials, including fish, shellfish and marine mammals. The first human communities thus developed fishing and gathering techniques, as shown by the use of harpoons from the Upper Paleolithic onwards.

In addition, seas and oceans played a role in travel and trade. Some prehistoric populations, such as the first inhabitants of the Mediterranean islands, showed signs of early navigation, at least from the beginning of the Neolithic. Objects found on various islands bear witness to these maritime exchanges, proving that people of this period had a working knowledge of ocean currents and winds.

The oceans, both resources and challenges, were therefore a terrain of life, migration and discovery. They helped shape prehistoric human societies and their relationship with their natural environment.