Archaeological walk in the heart of the landscape
Designed in 2006 by the architectural firm Catherine Frenak and landscape designer Catherine Mosbach, the Solutré archaeological and botanical park is an invitation to travel and contemplation. Throughout the eight stations, between spontaneous flora and stratified archaeological levels, let your gaze wander over the Saône valley and the Bressian plain. Following in the footsteps of the first occupants, immerse yourself in the wonder of a true journey through time.
The Archaeological Park is located on the very spot where our ancestors used to hunt large herbivores, at the foot of the Roche de Solutré . Like them, take in the sights of 13,000 m² of a wooded meadow landscape .
Follow the path that winds between the spoil heaps from last century's archaeological explorations . Here, an earthen mound; there, a pit still visible. Since 1866 , numerous excavation campaigns have shaped the landscape, leaving distinct marks in the soil of this site where prehistoric humans hunted thousands of horses and reindeer.
Observe! Here and there in the grass, colorful splashes of plant species unfold , including wild and protected orchids. Along the path, information panels tell you about the geology , the history of the research , the way of life of prehistoric communities, their hunting techniques, and the site's unique current vegetation: the rare and protected limestone grasslands found atop the rocks of Solutré, Vergisson, and Mont de Pouilly.
Gaze into the distance! The Saône valley, the Bresse plain, the bluish line of the Jura Mountains, surpassed by the summit of Mont Blanc, stretch as far as the eye can see . The air is vibrant, a light breeze ripples the tall grasses, you feel at peace.
Admire! Beneath the large shelter , casts reveal the depth of the site and the succession of archaeological layers . Take a closer look at two particularly intriguing casts. The first is the floor of the horse bone layer in sector J10, dating from the Gravettian period , revealing the horse magma stratum that covers nearly a hectare of the site. It is almost entirely composed of horse remains, primarily leg bones and teeth, the strongest elements to withstand millennia. The second, higher up, represents the hearth structure in sector M12, a testament to the Aurignacian period , the oldest Homo sapiens culture in Europe. It reveals an exceptional layout over 30,000 years old , telling the story of a group of hunters of horses, reindeer, and bison.
So, are you ready to join us for an unforgettable experience at the Solutré Prehistory Museum and its Archaeological Park?
©Stéphane GodinZoom on
Stratigraphic casts of J10 and M12. From the top of the stratigraphic levels, 400 centuries of prehistory gaze down upon you!
Two large vertical casts complete this ensemble: the stratigraphy of sector I11 reveals the succession of two Magdalenian levels, dated by carbon 14 between 14,000 and 16,200 BC , and a Solutrean level dated between 22,000 and 21,400 BC (calibrated dates).
The base of this stratigraphy is interrupted by the layer of horse bones, revealed a few meters away in sector J10, attesting to the repeated hunts of Gravettian hunters, dated between 31,200 and 30,000 BC (calibrated dating). Next to this, the dramatic plunge into the depths of time continues with the levels of sector M12, below the Gravettian magma level . Spread over two levels, the Aurignacian occupations of Solutré have been dated between 38,500 and 31,100 BC.
Practical information
The Archaeological and Botanical Park is accessible from the Prehistory Museum. Access to it is included in the museum entrance ticket.
The Archaeological and Botanical Park is not accessible to people with motor disabilities.
