Missions

The Cantonal Museum of Archaeology and History (MCAH) has been housed in the Palais de Rumine in Lausanne since 1906. It was established in 1852. Its origins date back to the Vaud Cantonal Museum, founded in 1818.

The museum is responsible for the restoration, conservation, study, and promotion of the archaeological, historical, and ethnographic collections of the State of Vaud (more than 300,000 inventory items).

The MCAH houses exhibition spaces, a conservation-restoration laboratory, offices for the management and study of the collections, a library, a photo library, archives, and storage facilities. Only 2% of its objects are on public display.

Supported by a team of some thirty staff members, the MCAH actively participates in scientific research in the following disciplines: archaeology, history, numismatics, ethnology, museology, etc. (articles, conferences, university courses, etc.)

Exhibitions and Cultural mediation

The museum currently has three permanent exhibition halls (prehistory, history, coins and medals), which showcase objects of exceptional interest from the Canton of Vaud. Temporary exhibitions, organized in collaboration with other institutions at the Palais de Rumine (Naturéum, BCUL) or independently, highlight recent discoveries, unseen collections (classical archaeology, Egyptology, ethnology, etc.), or specific themes.

The MCAH offers a wide range of outreach activities, including lectures, tours, workshops, and publications. It partners with several festivals (Ciné au Palais, Procès de Rumine, Histoire et Cité, Journées vaudoises d’archéologie, Nuit des Musées, PÂKOMUZE). 

Archaeology, History, and Ethnography Collections

The MCAH is one of the few Swiss museums dedicated simultaneously to archaeology, history, and ethnography. It manages collections derived from historic monuments, donations, bequests, and purchases at public auctions. The MCAH is responsible for the conservation and management of all archaeological finds in the canton of Vaud, with the exception of objects unearthed at the Aventicum site, which fall under the responsibility of the Site et Musée romain d'Avenches ( SMRA - Roman Site and Museum in Avenches).

In addition, finds—excluding coins and medals—from the sites of Lousonna, Colonia Julia Equestris (Noviodunum), and Yverdon-les-Bains are conserved and showcased, following restoration by the MCAH, by the museums recognized by the Canton of Vaud, which are, respectively, the Musée romain de Lausanne-Vidy (MRV - Roman Museum in Lausanne-Vidy), the Musée romain de Nyon (MRN - Roman Museum of Nyon), and the Musée d'Yverdon et région  (MYR - Museum of Yverdon and Region).

Most of the collections are housed at the Palais de Rumine, as well as in storage facilities in Moudon and Lucens. Another portion is on loan to some 70 Swiss institutions.