This itinerary offers a comprehensive explanation, designed especially for children and schools, to help them understand the various sections of the Archaeological Museum of Finale Ligure
Hello and welcome to the Finale Archaeological Museum! Get ready for an adventure that will take you back in time, through ten rooms that will tell you the story of this land and the people who lived here, starting as far back as 350,000 years ago. As you walk through, look out for signs: they are rectangles featuring a drawing of a prehistoric boy and a number. When you find them, select the corresponding number on the audioguide to listen to the next story. We wish you a fantastic visit!
Have you ever dreamed of travelling through time? Archaeology is exactly that — not a treasure hunt, but a rigorous science that studies the traces left by people of the past. The archaeologist searches for objects, food remains, or ancient structures to understand what our ancestors ate, how they lived, and what tools they used. But how does he avoid getting confused? He uses stratigraphy! Imagine the ground as a great book made up of many layers of earth: at the top are the most recent traces, and deeper down lie the oldest ones. By digging carefully, the archaeologist reads these layers one at a time. He documents the position of each find before removing it, photographs it, draws it, and catalogues it, just as if he were reassembling a puzzle. Remember: digging means destroying the context, so every clue must be recorded with extreme care so as not to lose precious pages of history! The work then continues in the laboratory with other experts: the geologist studies the soil, the archaeobotanist studies ancient seeds and fruits, and the anthropologist studies human remains. Thanks to their teamwork, even the smallest find begins to speak again, telling us the incredible stories of the populations who lived before us.
Imagine: fifteen million years ago, Finale was a warm area, with a tropical climate, and above all, it was covered by the sea. Over time, the seabed hardened and rose, transforming into the rock you see today on hills and valleys: we call it Pietra di Finale. Inside this stone, you can find fossils. Do you know what they are? The fossilization process takes place over thousands or millions of years: the substances that made up dead plants and animals are slowly replaced by minerals. In this way, the remains of plants, shells, shark teeth and bones of marine mammals have been preserved. For this to happen, animals and plants had to be buried immediately after death in the mud of the seabed, slowing their decomposition and allowing minerals to take their place.
In Western Liguria, archaeologists have discovered traces of three ancient human species, which tell us how human life has changed over time. Through a sort of identity card, let's try to uncover the characteristics of each of these species. The first is Homo heidelbergensis, a very distant ancestor of ours with African origins. He lived hundreds of thousands of years ago and already knew how to hunt with a spear. One of his most important discoveries was fire: he learned to light it about 500,000 years ago! In the Finale area, his stone tools have been found, called bifaces because they were worked on both sides. They were used for cutting, hunting, or building, showing us how ingenious he was. Much later came Homo neanderthalensis, a descendant of heidelbergensis, also known as Neanderthal Man. He lived in Europe and the Near East between 300,000 and 40,000 years ago. He was an excellent hunter and gatherer, able to make very precise stone tools for working and self-defense. He may have been able to speak, though with a language simpler than ours. Neanderthals lived in groups, helped each other, and cared for the sick and the dead: this shows us they had a strong sense of solidarity and affection. Then we come to Homo sapiens, the species we belong to! Our species originated in Africa and then spread to many other parts of the world, eventually arriving in Europe. Here, they met Neanderthal Man, and for a while, the two species lived in the same places. We don't know if they got along, but after some time, the Neanderthals disappeared. Homo sapiens was very creative and full of ideas: he invented new tools that made hunting and daily life easier and safer. But above all, he began to create beautiful and decorated objects, to paint cave walls, and to bury the dead with special objects. Having completed your visit to Room I, let's move on to the entrance of Room II, which you will find on your left.
We are now in Room II. Here you can see objects that demonstrate how skilled Homo heidelbergensis was at designing and making stone tools for daily activities. For example, choppers: pebbles flaked on just one side, used for cutting and breaking animal bones. By breaking the bones, they could extract the marrow, a highly nutritious substance. Homo heidelbergensis also made even sharper tools called bifaces (or hand axes), which are sharp on both sides. You can see two examples of these in the cylindrical display case at the back of the room. These tools were used for many purposes, such as sharpening branches to make spears. We know they also used wood, skin, leather, and tendons, but these materials have deteriorated and have not been preserved. In front of the display case, you can touch some reproductions to better understand how they were made and how they worked.
Moving into Room III, be careful! During the Paleolithic (the ancient stone period) it was not uncommon to encounter gigantic animals, ancestors of those we know today, such as Merck's rhinoceros, the ancient elephant and the megaloceros deer. But the animal that represented the greatest danger was the Cave Bear (Ursus spelaeus). Here you can see the reconstruction of this large mammal in its natural refuge: the cave, which it used for winter hibernation. In the caves, the bear left traces such as footprints in the mud or scratches on the walls. Some specimens did not survive the winter and their bone remains were found by archaeologists. Despite being enormous, the Cave Bear was agile and fast. It often competed with humans (especially with Neanderthal Man) because both sought out caves as shelter and the same food sources. Observe the reconstructed skeleton with the remains found in the Caverna delle Fate, belonging to a young female. Adult males were the largest: they could reach three metres in height and weigh more than 800 kilograms. The Cave Bear became extinct approximately 25,000 years ago.
Between 400,000 and 40,000 years ago, Neanderthal Man appeared in Europe, more socially and technologically advanced than his predecessors. They used caves or open-air camps as shelters, creating different spaces for various activities. In the reconstructed environment you can see a Neanderthal covered in a fur garment to protect himself from the cold, intent on observing a flint point that he will attach to a branch to create a spear. Around him are tools, remnants of materials and the traces of a hearth where they cooked their prey. They used natural elements such as fossil shells and lumps of ochre to decorate the body. Neanderthals had a medium-low stature and a robust build, perfect for cold environments. They had receding foreheads and chins and strong ridges above the eyes, but their brain was larger than ours. They were very skilled hunters and their diet was based on meat. They were also very supportive of one another: we have found remains of individuals with very serious injuries who nonetheless survived, or of people who were very old for the time, which demonstrates that the group took care of them. The numerous burials of men, women and children confirm the great attention they paid to the deceased.
About 50,000 years ago, modern humans, Homo sapiens, our species, arrived in Europe, coming from Africa. A few thousand years later, Neanderthal Man became extinct, disappearing entirely around 40,000 years ago. Scholars still debate how the two species interacted and why the Neanderthals disappeared. One interesting thing: analyses of our DNA show that many of us carry Neanderthal genetic traces, a sign that there was interbreeding between the two human groups. On the wall you can compare the skulls and skeletons of the two human types to notice the differences. From here onwards, we enter a space dedicated to the Upper Palaeolithic: from this point on, Homo sapiens remains the only protagonist of human history to have left evidence over the course of the subsequent millennia.
Here you can see the reproduction of an extraordinary burial: that of a young hunter, just 15 years old, who lived around 28,000 years ago. The tomb was discovered in 1942, seven meters underground. It is considered one of the most important examples of the Upper Paleolithic in Europe, due to the wealth and rarity of the objects found with the boy, who has therefore been nicknamed the "Young Prince." You may be wondering why such an elaborate funeral treatment was given. Most likely, the care taken in his burial is related to the circumstances of his death, which may have been caused by the attack of a large animal, such as a cave bear or a hyena. The burial was a special tribute from his group. There are signs of a violent death on the left side of his face, where half of the jaw is missing, and a deep wound on his shoulder. These injuries were treated with a mixture of yellow ochre, known for its healing properties, in an attempt to reconstruct his face. Unfortunately, the wounds proved fatal. The body was laid out on a bed of red ochre (used for rituals) and accompanied by a very rich funerary assemblage.
Starting from the head and moving down toward the feet, we can imagine how the young man was dressed. On his head he wore a beautiful cap decorated with many small perforated shells and deer teeth: a true headdress from which an ivory pendant hung over the forehead. On his chest he had a very particular sea shell, called a cowrie. Scholars believe it held a special meaning, perhaps linked to life and birth, because it recalls certain forms of the female human body. On the left shoulder and along the sides there were four batons made from elk antler: three of these had incised lines as decorations. We do not know exactly what they were used for, but they may have been used as tools for straightening bone lance tips. In his right hand the young man held a long grey flint blade, which had come from very far away, from southern France: just think, almost 200 kilometres away. Near the left wrist there were a mammoth ivory pendant — an extremely precious material — and some perforated shells. Perhaps together they formed a bracelet or a sleeve decoration. At knee height, two figure-of-eight shaped ivory pendants were found: they could have served to fasten the upper part of a pair of leggings, somewhat like prehistoric laces or clasps. All these objects have been drawn and reconstructed in an image that shows us how the "Young Prince" may have appeared and how he may have been dressed at the time of burial. His attire, rich in decorations and precious materials, had probably been prepared specifically to accompany him on his final journey, like a ceremonial garment for the afterlife.
In this and the next room, we begin a fascinating journey into the Neolithic, or new stone age. This period (spanning between 7,800 and 5,600 years ago) was fundamental because it brought many innovations that still characterize our lives today. This new culture was born in the Fertile Crescent (a vast area between Egypt, Syria, Turkey, and Iraq). There, thanks to the fertile soil and the presence of suitable wild plants and animals, humans experimented with the first forms of agriculture and animal husbandry. Over thousands of years, hunters and gatherers stopped being nomadic and became settled, as farmers and herders. Due to population growth and food shortages, they set out from the East toward Europe in search of new spaces to colonize. The large drawing in front of you shows the arrival in the Finalese area, around 7,800 years ago, of new populations from central-southern Italy who brought the new discoveries of that period by sea. You can observe these "settlers" transporting already domesticated sheep, grains of cereals and legumes. These were new resources for the Finalese and for all of Europe. These people arrived on the Ligurian coast aboard dugout canoes (that is, boats made from tree trunks), bringing with them agricultural and herding practices and the technology to produce ceramic containers. In the nearby display case, you can see some of the vessels used by the first Neolithic people, decorated by pressing the still-soft clay with the serrated edge of shells, bird bones, or reeds. But how do we know they traveled by sea? Thanks to obsidian! Among their objects, there are tools made of obsidian, a black volcanic glass found only on some islands of the central-southern Tyrrhenian Sea and in Sardinia. This material could only have reached Liguria through movements and exchanges by sea.
We are at the Pian del Ciliegio Rock Shelter, a cave located inland. Here, many hearths have been found - some used for daily activities such as cooking food and keeping warm, others inside workshops dedicated to pottery production. The illustration in the background of the display case shows all the stages of a potter’s work, from shaping clay using the coil technique (which involves creating cylindrical clay ropes to be wound together) to firing in a kiln. A unique object for Neolithic Italy was found here: a terracotta cylinder with incised squares. On eight of these squares, a dot was impressed before firing. Similar objects, called "tokens," come from the Near and Middle East and are considered counting tools, possibly an early step toward writing. If you look closely, you’ll see the surface is divided into 5 rows of 12 squares. This division suggests that Neolithic Ligurians counted in sixties, just like the Sumerians. By linking this object to pottery production, we can hypothesize that it was used to keep track of the number of pots made in the cave.
Let's begin our exploration of Neolithic rituals. In this display case, you see fragments of female terracotta figurines. These were found in caves such as Arene Candide and Grotta Pollera. The figurines reflect the importance placed on women as symbols of fertility. Fertility—the ability to give life—was extremely important to prehistoric people. They knew well that their survival depended on it. It was not only the fertility of women that mattered, enabling the birth of children and thus the future of the group, but also the fertility of nature, which had to continue to produce plants and animals to provide food for everyone. These figurines are also called "Neolithic Venuses." During the Neolithic, a ritual associated with these small sculptures spread throughout Europe, perhaps a true cult of the "Mother Goddess." Now, let's proceed to the right and enter the area dedicated to Neolithic burials.
This space tells how Neolithic people buried their dead more than 6,000 years ago. During that period, men and women lived by farming and raising livestock, and in Liguria they often used caves for many activities: as homes, as shelters for animals, and also as places for burials. When someone died, the body was laid down with great care. The deceased were placed on their side, with knees bent and hands near the face. The head was oriented toward the north, while the face looked toward the east, that is, where the sun rises: a symbolic gesture linked to rebirth and light. Inside the tombs discovered in this territory, objects to accompany the deceased on their final journey were almost never placed. In this section of the Museum you can see four examples of Neolithic burials found in three caves in Liguria: the Caverna delle Arene Candide, the Grotta Pollera, and the Arma dell'Aquila. The tombs were simple pits dug in the earth, where the body was protected with stone slabs. Scholars carefully analyzed the bones found in order to understand how these people lived and what they died of. In the first tomb, that of Arene Candide, the skeleton of an adult man was found who had on his skull a small form of tumor, called an "osteoma." In the Grotta Pollera, on the other hand, a young woman was discovered who probably died during childbirth together with her child. Another individual, also found at Arene Candide and covered in red ochre, shows signs on the spine that suggest very strenuous work, perhaps due to the carrying of heavy loads. Finally, in the tomb of the Arma dell'Aquila, there are the remains of an elderly woman who shows on her skull traces of a particular practice: a light incision made with a piece of flint, perhaps to treat a pain or as part of a magical rite. Scholars observed that the bone had healed, so the woman had survived this practice.
We are in a room that tells us about a fundamental turning point in human history: the discovery of metals. By learning to melt them using fire, humans were able to create tools far more effective than those made of stone. We do not know exactly how this discovery happened. Perhaps, by breaking rocks that contained metallic minerals, people noticed that when heated near a fire at high temperatures, these minerals would melt and become liquid, then cool and solidify into a different shape. This knowledge reached Liguria, but it had already developed in areas such as the Near East. Metallic minerals were not found everywhere, which encouraged trade and exchanges between different peoples. Extracting and working metals required special skills, and this led to the first social differences and possible conflicts between those who controlled production and those who did not. Archaeologists divide the Metal Ages into: the Copper Age, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age. In the reconstruction, you can see a small pit for smelting and the metallurgist’s tools: a hammer for breaking the ore, a bellows to blow air into the fire and raise the temperature, stone molds, and a container called a crucible used to pour the molten metal.
The Iron Age in Liguria spans from 900 to 180 BC. During these years, the ancient Ligurians lived in a territory much larger than present-day Liguria. The Ligurians were skilled traders and exchanged goods with neighboring peoples such as the Etruscans and the Celts, even adopting some of their customs. Greek and Punic coins found at Perti tell us about these exchanges throughout the Mediterranean. During this period, fire played a very important role, especially in funerary ceremonies: they burned the bodies, a practice known as cremation. In men's tombs, weapons such as spears, swords, and daggers were often found, while in women's tombs there were spindle whorls (small weights used for spinning wool) and decorative objects. Some artifacts, like bronze helmets and javelin tips, show that the Ligurians were also brave warriors. Stories told by the Greeks and Romans say that they were often hired as mercenaries for their strength and skill. The reconstruction you see shows how the ancient Ligurians lived: their villages, called "castellari," were built on steep hills for better protection. Their houses were wooden huts set on stone foundations. The Ligurians cultivated fields, raised animals, and produced cheese and textiles, but they also continued hunting and gathering what nature provided. This made them a highly skilled people, capable of living in difficult places and making the most of everything around them.
The last part of the room dedicated to the Metal Ages deals with rock engravings, that is, drawings made on stones. Here you can see copies of the depictions, which were carved outdoors on large stone slabs (called "ciappi" in dialect) or inside caves. The ancient Ligurians created them using hard tools made of stone or metal, scraping or pecking the surface of the stone. In the Finalese area, the most common drawings were crosses, grids, and figures of people and animals. To this day we do not know exactly what they were meant to signify, so they remain a small mystery of the past. You can now go through the door indicated by the red sign to reach the next room dedicated to the Roman-Byzantine and early medieval age.
The large illustration in this room depicts the battles that began in 181 BC, when the Romans attempted to conquer western Liguria. The Romans were used to fighting in open spaces, but in the narrow and steep valleys of Liguria, they encountered fierce resistance from the ancient Ligurians, who bravely defended their land. Over time, the Ligurians began to learn Roman customs and traditions, until the entire region was conquered around the 1st century AD. From that moment on, life in the Finale area followed the rules and traditions of the Roman Empire, which lasted until the 5th century AD. After the fall of the Romans, some traditions were preserved by the Byzantines and later by the so-called "barbarian" peoples. During this period of great change, Christianity also spread, a new religion that replaced the old pagan cults.
One of the Romans' greatest strengths was their network of roads and trade, which allowed people and goods to move throughout the territories of the Empire, both by land and by sea. The large panel you see shows the construction of the Ponte delle Fate in Val Ponci, one of the five bridges built between the 1st and 2nd century AD in this valley in the Finale hinterland. The bridges were part of the via Iulia Augusta, a road commissioned by Emperor Augustus in 13 BC to connect the Po Valley to southern Gaul (the territory of France closest to us), avoiding the difficult Alpine passes. In the drawing you can see how the workers laboured: some operate a large machine called a polyspastos, made of wood, ropes and pulleys, to lift and position the heavy stone blocks. Two other architects use a groma, an instrument that helped them trace straight lines and perfect angles to build the road and the bridge. Other workers build the bridge's abutments with small blocks of Pietra di Finale and mortar, while three soldiers oversee the construction site to ensure safety. In the lower right of the panel you can see a reconstruction of these small blocks, as they appeared along the route. Along the roads the Romans also placed milestone stones, stones with inscriptions indicating distances, such as the one found at Varigotti. But trade was not only on land: the sea was full of ships laden with goods. The amphorae on display here were used to transport oil, wine, olives and fish sauce.
In the Roman world, religion and rituals related to the dead were very important. In the smaller display case, you can see a tomb from the 2nd century AD. It was a small pit covered with tiles and contained the ashes of the deceased. Next to these ashes were small glass jars, called balsamari, and a lamp, that is, an oil lamp, which was meant to "illuminate" the path of the dead in the afterlife. In the larger display case, there is a burial known as "alla cappuccina." The tiles are arranged to form a roof, like that of a small house. At the center of the roof was a ceramic tube where ritual offerings, such as food or objects, were placed for the deceased. Finally, in the third display case, you can see Tomb 22 from the necropolis of Perti, dating to the 4th century AD. Here, the body of a child was buried inside a terracotta amphora. The Romans often used amphorae to bury infants and children, a special way of caring for them even after death.
The history of Finale in the Middle Ages is closely tied to the Del Carretto marquises, a powerful family who ruled the territory of Savona and southern Piedmont from the 12th century until 1602. They founded new villages, such as present-day Finalborgo, and built Castel Gavone, their ancient residence. In this room, you can see many objects that tell us about life during that period. In the first part of the display case, there are many examples of ceramics that arrived from afar, from the Arab world, the East, and southern Italy. These objects show us how important maritime trade was in the Mediterranean. Among them is the "Reposadero de tinaja," marked as number 3. This is a decorated ceramic object from Spain. It was placed under a water-filled amphora to lift it off the floor, allowing air to circulate underneath and keep the water cool. As you continue to look through the display, you can see small everyday bronze objects, glass cups, decorated ceramics, and also simpler vessels used in the kitchen. All these items help us imagine daily life in Finalborgo during the Middle Ages.
This area explores the evolution of coins and marks the end of the Museum's journey. In the largest display case, you can see the coin collection of Giovanni Andrea Silla, a historian from Finale and the Museum's first director. His collection includes more than 1,600 coins, some purchased from collectors, others found right here in the Finale area or nearby. Many coins are on display for you to examine in detail using magnifying glasses. By observing them, you can understand how coins have changed over time, from the Greek period up to recent times. In a small pyramid-shaped case, there is a scale used by money changers at the end of the 18th century, along with the weights used to check the value of coins in Liguria. Finally, in another wall-mounted case, there are coins discovered during archaeological excavations in the Finale area. These are medieval and modern coins that tell us about the trade of the Ligurians: goods arrived by sea and along the valleys and mountain passes of the hinterland, connecting Finale to the rest of Europe. All these coins help us understand how people paid and exchanged goods in the past.