Dans la Seine, Objets trouvés de la Préhistoire à nos jours

The exhibition “In the Seine: Objects Found from Prehistory to the Present Day” transforms the Archaeological Crypt of the Île de la Cité into an open book about the river that shaped Paris. Nearly 150 objects collected from the riverbed or banks of the Seine are displayed among the ancient remains of the site.

This chronological path, enriched with iconography and digital reconstructions, tells not only the history of Paris but also that of the men and women who lived, loved, exploited, or feared it.

The Seine is not just a river: it is a living archive. Fallen, thrown, lost, or shifted by currents, the objects it has preserved paint a portrait of successive populations.

Tools, weapons, ex-votos, waste, or architectural fragments: each discovery speaks of lifestyles, beliefs, struggles, and developments that have marked the Parisian banks.

A statuette of Apollo found in the Seine’s bed reminds us that the river was also seen as a symbolic power, capable of linking humans with invisible forces.

Other objects show a desire to tame or transform nature. All recall that concerns of Neanderthal hunters and medieval Parisians alike remain surprisingly close: living with the environment, exploiting the river, watching it, and sometimes honoring it.

Visitors follow a chronological route that naturally fits the dark, vaulted space of the Archaeological Crypt. The first prehistoric human settlements appear on the banks, including flint tool sets discovered at Clichy-la-Garenne.

Next comes Gallo-Roman Antiquity, marked by the first large developments and emblematic pieces recovered from the riverbed. The Middle Ages and Modern times yield weapons, ex-votos, and daily waste, revealing a pious, active, and sometimes superstitious society.

Contemporary accidental discoveries, whether architectural fragments or modern weapons, show that the Seine keeps revealing its secrets. The route even extends beyond Paris: the Burgundy sources, an ancient fishery in the Aube, and the Paleolithic site of Clichy-la-Garenne broaden the perspective and remind us that the Seine belongs to a much larger basin.

A spotlight on flint tools found at Clichy-la-Garenne concretely explains archaeologists’ work. Under several meters of modern fill, researchers uncovered an ancient riverbed dated between 85,000 and 25,000 years before present.

The climate then, cold and windy, formed a steppe crossed by large mammals. Flint flake analysis reveals precise gestures, like using plant fibers, scraping bark, or cutting game.

The exhibition does not just display remains: it resonates them with current creation. The works of Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige as well as Yan Tomaszewski emphasize the mystery and materiality of ancient objects.

These contemporary contributions, discreet yet powerful, create a dialogue between past and present, between science and artistic sensibility. Digital reconstructions and varied iconography complete the setup, offering reimagined views of lost landscapes or forgotten constructions.

The scenography fully exploits the site: objects are integrated into the path through the Roman and medieval remains of the crypt, bathed in soft light that highlights their silent presence. Visitors proceed like a diver swimming upstream through time, guided by clear explanations of dating and archaeological interpretation methods.

A male limestone head, a Gallo-Roman ex-voto donated in 1954 by Henry Corot, well illustrates this tension between the object’s physical presence and its symbolic weight. It alone summarizes the strength of the journey: making fragments speak to reconstruct disappeared worlds.