Bordeaux 11: Musée d'Aquitaine

Thursday 13th February 2020

This museum traces the history of Bordeaux and Aquitaine from Prehistory to today, including  Prehistory, Protohistory, the Roman Epoch, the Middle Ages and the Modern Era. 5,000 pieces of art from Africa and Oceania also testify to the harbour history of the city, and there are rooms dedicated to the role of Bordeaux in the slave trade. 

The museum was beautifully and clearly set out, in an artistic and modern way.  I especially enjoyed videos accompanying some of the exhibits, e.g. someone showing how early people made needles from bones, or one of some people who dug a kiln and fired pottery which they had made using the same materials and methods as those used in that particular time.

They also showed how archaeologists made many of the discoveries.

I have to say that I enjoyed visiting this museum more than I thought I was going to, mainly because it was so good!

Detail from a Roman mosaic floor.

The same floor, seen from a specially constructed viewing platform above it.