Pincevent, a prehistoric site museum

The discoveries made by prehistorians are rarely spectacular. The most famous sites, particularly those that have given their names to major subdivisions of cultures, such as Le Moustier and Aurignac, are today no more than featureless empty caves. At best, only a commemorative plaque recalls the importance of the research once carried out there. Even sites that are being excavated are not necessarily more impressive. The remains brought to light disappoint the layman, who sees nothing but a jumble of stones and bones, alongside dull stratigraphic sections. All he can do is to observe excavation methods and wonder at their meticulousness. But Pincevent, on the territory of the commune of Grande-Paroisse, in Seine-et-Marne, France, is among those to which this rule does not apply.