Musee Edgar Clerc

The Musée Edgar Clerc sits above the coast near Le Moule and holds the principal collection of pre-Columbian material from Guadeloupe and the surrounding islands: pottery, stone tools, shell ornaments and three-pointed zemi stones from the Arawak-speaking and later Carib communities who occupied the archipelago for around two thousand years before European arrival. It is named for the amateur archaeologist who assembled much of it. The building stands on a low rise above the Atlantic coast with the sea visible from the grounds, and a garden of useful plants is laid out around it.

What you actually see

• The pottery - decorated ceramics from the Arawak-speaking periods.
• The zemi stones - the three-pointed carved objects used in ritual.
• The shell and stone work - tools and ornaments from the excavations.
• The Clerc collection - the material gathered by the museum's namesake.

When to go

Year round; it is indoors and free. It closes on Mondays and some public holidays. Mornings are quietest.

Honest expectations

The museum is small and the labelling is entirely in French. Opening hours are limited and change. It is some way from the main tourist areas.

Nearby

Le Moule is south, and Porte d'Enfer is northeast.