Taurus foundation
for arts
and sciences

The 2016 edition of the Taurus Prize for Sciences was awarded to the prehistoric department of the MCAH, canton of Vaud, spearheaded by Lionel Pernet.

Founded in 1852 under the name of Musée des Antiquités and housed by the Academy in Lausanne, the Musée Cantonal d’Archéologie et d’Histoire (MCAH) changed names three times, from the Musée Archéologique (1877) to the Musée Historique (1908) before finally adopting its current name in 1955. It is responsible for the conservation and restoration of numerous collections, which illustrate 150 years of changes in museum practice. Vaud is the richest Swiss canton in terms of prehistoric dwelling sites listed on the UNESCO world heritage list and this probably explains the incredible diversity of the prehistorical department of the MCAH. In 2016, the Taurus Foundation therefore decided to support the prehistorical department of the museum and to enable the development of its activities in the years to come.