MONACO NEIGHBOURHOOD
INTERVIEW WITH ANTONELLA TRAVERSO ( A . T .), DIRECTOR OF THE PREHISTORIC MUSEUM OF THE ‘ BALZI ROSSI ’ AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL ZONE .
Antonella Traverso , Director of the Prehistoric Museum of the ‘ Balzi Rossi ’, depicted at the Roman archaeological site of Luni
© Museo Preistorico dei Balzi Rossi
: What makes the visit to the Museum and the Archaeological Site a unique experience ? A . T .: The Balzi Rossi Museum collects findings from the research which had been conducted over two centuries on the stages of ancient life of prehistoric men . Thanks to their stratigraphy , the caves allowed the breaking of new ground and answering some important questions about ‘ Stone Age Man ’. The archaeological research showed that since the Upper Palaeolithic period they had been used as a sepulchre . Excavations uncovered sixteen figures , laid individually or in multiple graves , from 11,000 to 25,000 years ago . Many of these skeletons are currently distributed in various European museums .
: Have you been planning new archaeological excavations in the area of the caves ? A . T .: At the moment , there is no research sponsored by the Museum but every year two Italian universities carry on temporary studies in a couple of shelters : Bombrini ( University of Genoa ) and Mochi ( University of Trento ). Both teams are investigating the oldest levels of the Upper Palaeolithic period in particular the so-called Aurignacian layers , when Homo Sapiens arrived in Europe .
: What are the plans for the future ? A . T .: We expect to complete the reinstallation of the ‘ Old Museum ’ financed by Sir Thomas Hanbury in 1898 . Particularly , a new exhibition area dedicated to Palaeolithic art will constitute a special section where one can enjoy some findings from the excavations conducted in the twentieth century inside the Prince ’ s Cave , including a fragment of a woman ’ s iliac bone .
INTERVIEW WITH ELENA ROSSONI-NOTTER ( E . R . -N .), DIRECTOR OF THE MUSEUM OF PREHISTORIC ANTHROPOLOGY IN MONACO .
: What do the Balzi Rossi sites represent in the study of Prehistory ? E . R . -N .: Balzi Rossi represents an exceptional complex of sites that provides important testimony on the lifestyles of prehistoric groups and the evolution of the paleo-environment . Monaco has always been intimately linked to these ‘ Red Rocks ’. The discoveries made at the time are still being studied and exhibited at the Museum of Prehistoric Anthropology in Monaco , notably the burials dated 25,000 years ago , tools cut by Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers or the remains of animals that had been eaten . Since my PhD thesis in
2011 , further research , conferences on the results and publications have proliferated , with special regard to the Prince ’ s Cave for its assembled information and data-recording of climatic cycles . Therefore , the Museum team frequently visits the site and is preparing to resume more excavations very soon .
USEFUL INFORMATION AND LINKS
MUSEO PREISTORICO DEI BALZI ROSSI E ZONA ARCHEOLOGICA ( PREHISTORIC MUSEUM OF BALZI ROSSI AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL ZONE ):
www . musei . liguria . beniculturali . it / en + 39 0184 38113 Via Balzi Rossi , 9 – 18039 Ventimiglia Closed on Mondays
MUSÉE D ’ ANTHROPOLOGIE PRÉHISTORIQUE DE MONACO ( MUSEUM OF PREHISTORIC ANTHROPOLOGY OF MONACO ):
https :// map-mc . org / en + 377 98988006 56 bis , Boulevard du Jardin Exotique – 98000 Monaco The museum is open all year except November the 19th ( National Day ) and December the 25th .
NOTE : DUE TO COVID-19 HEALTH EMERGENCY PLEASE FIND OUT ABOUT REGULAR OPENING TIMES BEFORE ANY VISIT .
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