SauveTerre Musée de Préhistoire

About the museum

The notary Laurent Coulonges (1897–1980) excavated the Martinet site at Sauveterre-la-Lémance between 1922 and 1935. In 1923 he found small flint points there, which led him to define a prehistoric culture he named the Sauveterrian, situated between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. He set up the first small museum in a room of the communal hall, a former 19th-century girls’ school.

From 1972, surveys and inventories carried out in the Lémance valley revived research. In 1994 the commune opened a new museum on the ground floor of the town hall, with support from the Musée national de Préhistoire. In 2008 responsibility for the museum passed to the communauté de communes (inter-municipal authority), which undertook a complete renovation.

The present museum is again housed in the communal hall in the heart of the village and was inaugurated on October 12, 2011. It offers 450 m² of permanent exhibition over two levels, with collections from the excavations in the Lémance valley and from Coulonges’s research. The visit continues outdoors along the river as far as the Martinet site.

Highlights

• Four-part route: climate, adaptation to the environment, the riddle of the Sauveterre point, the Fumélois area
• The Sauveterre point wall, with hypotheses from local schoolchildren
• Little hunter-gatherer space for ages 3 to 6
• Staging with videos, touchscreens, handling replicas and a glass lift
• PréhistoBalade: outdoor route of six stations to the Martinet site

Permanent exhibition

• Espace muséographique permanent – Over 450 m² and two levels, four sections explain the climate, how hunter-gatherers adapted to their environment, the riddle of the Sauveterre point and the archaeological sites of the Fumélois.

Operated by

Communauté de communes Fumel Vallée du Lot

Visitors per year

approx. 4,563

Admission & discounts

Rates valid until December 31, 2026. Free admission for tourism and museum professionals. Guided tour by reservation for adult groups: flat fee of €90 for the museum alone, €120 for the museum and the archaeological site; flat fee of €60 for a group of people with disabilities. Holiday vouchers accepted.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description: no information

A public car park with accessible spaces is near the museum, and a ramp links the pavement to the entrance. A lift serves the floors. Videos are subtitled in French and English, and an induction loop is installed at reception. A guide line leads to reception and along the route; the museography includes braille texts and tactile lecterns, and visitors with visual impairments are given a plan. Easy-to-read leaflets are available at reception. Staff are trained in different types of disability.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Playground / play area

Quiz trail for children available at reception, discovery booklet for the walk to the Martinet site, a little hunter-gatherer area for ages 3 to 6 with a play kit handed out at reception. Replicas to handle along the route. Paid family workshops and regular dates in the events calendar.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Shop and tourist information point. Air-conditioned rooms in summer.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit