"If you want to go back in time, you have to dig": an exhibition allows you to become an amateur archaeologist in Elbeuf

What if you stepped into the shoes of an amateur archaeologist? That's the proposal from the Fabrique des savoirs, in Elbeuf (Seine-Maritime). Until January 4, 2026, it is hosting the interactive exhibition "Archéo, une expo à creuser." The principle? With a construction helmet on your head and a fluorescent vest on your back, everyone is invited to meticulously prepare their future excavations before grabbing a bucket and a trowel to dig out replicas of objects, ancient pieces, and various remains before analyzing them using various scientific protocols worthy of experts who are just as good as those in Miami.

Equipped with an Archéopass that allows them to measure their success in the various workshops – which have three levels of difficulty – children (from 7 years old) and adults can immerse themselves independently thanks to a whole series of experiments in this world that is little known to the general public. "In practice, if you want to go back in time, you have to dig," summarizes Lucas Leglaye, scientific mediator for the Toulouse-based association Instant Science, which is behind this traveling presentation. Each layer reveals a different era, and above all, the daily life of our ancestors.

As Jérôme Tabouelle, head of the Natural Sciences and Prehistory collections at the Fabrique des savoirs, points out, "we wanted to highlight the archaeological wealth of our region, from the prehistoric era to that of the Gallo-Romans, while offering a fun discovery of an activity that generates its share of preconceived ideas."

Because obviously, between a scientist from the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (Inrap) who patiently documents the subsoil of a sector, particularly during urban planning work or real estate projects , and the somewhat abrupt way Indiana Jones has of charging headfirst into thousand-year-old tombs, there is a world that is separated by everything.

This explains why an excavation campaign can last for many years. The Fabrique des savoirs exhibition allows visitors to better understand why, by delving into the depths of an archaeological site.

Practical: The exhibition "Archéo, une expo à creuser" is presented at the Fabrique des savoirs, in Elbeuf, until January 4, 2026. Free admission from Tuesday to Sunday, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Workshops will be organized for children aged 8 to 12, on August 6, then for teenagers, on August 9, at 2:30 p.m. in both cases. The first will focus on ceramics, and the second on mosaics.