Professor Jean-Jacques Hublin, holder of the Chair in Paleoanthropology , will give a lecture entitled ‘Prehistory: between utopia and reality’ on Thursday 7 May 2026, from 6.00 pm to 7.00 pm.
Since the discovery, in the 19th century, of the first stone tools and human fossil remains, Prehistory has established itself as an adventure that is both scientific and emotional. From the very beginning, it has aroused public interest, driven by knowledgeable enthusiasts, whilst artists and writers have seized upon this still little-understood past. Their works reflect both the imaginations of their time and an emerging body of knowledge. Scientists themselves have not been immune to these projections. Despite advances in methodology, prehistory remains permeated by representations and myths, as it touches upon fundamental questions: humanity’s place in nature, and the origins of culture, language and society. It questions not only what we once were but also what we believe ourselves to be – to the extent that each era tends, to some degree, to invent its own prehistory. Shaped by intellectual and political contexts, these questions explain the enduring power of this discipline, which remains a mirror of our own reflections on the human condition.
This inaugural lecture, the first in a series of five, forms part of the exhibition ‘Prehistory: between utopia and reality’, which will run from 29 April to 19 July 2026 at the Collège de France.
