Musée d’Archéologie nationale et Domaine national de Saint-Germain-en-Laye

In 1862 Napoleon III had the Museum of National Archaeology built in the old royal residence, the castle of Saint Germain en Laye. Returned to its original Renaissance state, the present castle shows how Francois Ier built it. Today the museum presents one of the most valuable archaeological collections in the world.
The museum tells of over 800,000 years of history and makes it possible to understand the evolution of mankind and its prehistoric inventions. 2,000,000 objects, of which around 29,000 are on display, bear witness to the evolution of technology, lifestyles, artistic expression, symbolism and the religious system of the people who lived in France.