The Prehistory Museum now known as the "James Miln - Zacharie Le Rouzic Archaeological Museum" is located in Carnac, in Morbihan.
It was created in 1881 after the death of James Miln de Woodhill, a Scottish gentleman passionate about "antiques", who came to settle in Carnac, attracted by the world renown of its megaliths. From 1873 until his death, he conducted numerous excavations, notably on the Kermario Alignments, at the foot of the Tumulus Saint-Michel. He was also interested in the ancient and medieval periods.
A first summary presentation of the objects found by James Miln was thus made in the room he occupied at the Hôtel des Voyageurs, then the collection bequeathed by this seasoned amateur was installed at the town hall. As for the archaeologist Zacharie Le Rouzic (1864-1939), he was curator of the Miln museum, had most of the Alignments classified as historic monuments and himself organized numerous excavations. In turn, upon his death, his personal collection was bequeathed to the municipality and therefore to the museum.
The establishment in its current form has been housed since 1985 in the town's former presbytery, where a modern museography showcases a rich collection covering a period ranging from prehistory to the Gallo-Roman era. Small monoliths, engraved stones, cut stones, bones, tools, weapons, funerary objects, jewellery, sculptures are thus exhibited and explained, making a total of some 6,000 pieces tracing no less than 450,000 years of history! With focus on the period of construction of the menhirs (the Neolithic, from 4900 to 2200 BC), the evolution of funerary architecture and parietal art.
The museum regularly schedules activities for children and adults and conferences. Its visit is an ideal complement to the Alignements sites… Open every day from March to November except Tuesdays and open during the school holidays of All Saints, Christmas and February. Possibility of a pass to visit the museum and the alignments. Admission: 3 to 7 euros. Information on +33 2 97 52 22 04.
