Prehistory and Antiquity

The Gauls had settled in Aquitaine in the 3rd century BC and came under Roman influence in 56 BC when Crassus conquered the south-west of Gaul at the head of the army of Rome.

Roman civilisation was integrated quite easily, bringing with it the language, roads, urban design and trading activities. Few buildings remain from the period, however: part of an amphitheatre, known as the Palais Galien, in Bordeaux, the Tower of Vesunna in Périgueux and the hot-water fountains in Dax.

Archaeological digs have uncovered many riches, however: the sarcophagi of Saint-Médard-d’Eyrans or the site of Le Brion in Gironde, the remains of Roman villas in Montcaret in the Dordogne and at Lalonquette in Béarn. And of course mosaics, such as those in Plassac, tools, jewellery and a range of everyday items. Come and discover them on the sites themselves or in the museums of Aquitaine…