Paleotime

What Paleotime does

Paléotime is a French state-approved operator of preventive archaeology (agrément granted in 2008 by the Ministry of Culture) headquartered in Villard-de-Lans, Isère. The firm delivers excavation and post-excavation study services that developers (aménageurs) are legally required to commission before construction projects, covering prehistoric periods from the Paleolithic through the Metal Ages across mainland France. Its core offering bundles preventive excavation with specialized laboratory services including petroarchaeology of siliceous and carbonate rocks, geoarchaeology (micromorphology, sediment analysis, paleomagnetism), lithic and ceramic artifact studies, archaeo-anthropology, topography, and drone-based photogrammetry.

The firm is structured as a private SARL founded in 2006, led by co-directors Sébastien Bernard-Guelle and Alexandre Morin, with a multidisciplinary team of approximately 30 permanent researchers, support staff, and three CIFRE doctoral students. Paléotime operates a project-based professional services model with revenue generated from developer commissions, supplemented by cultural mediation, school workshops, and training programs (e.g., the annual petroarchaeology training at Chartres Métropole). Its scientific credibility is anchored by affiliations with multiple CNRS UMRs (LAMPEA, ArScAn, PACEA, Archéorient, Biogéosciences, TRACES), membership in FEMAP, and active roles in the GDR Silex research network and PCR Réseau de lithothèques.

Beyond its domestic French footprint, Paléotime extends into international research through the Franco-Moroccan 'Préhistoire de Casablanca' program, including co-authorship on a January 2026 Nature publication reporting 773,000-year-old human mandibles from Thomas Quarry I. Distribution is entirely direct (B2B/B2G professional services); no reseller or marketplace channels exist. Marketing and demand generation rely on scientific publications, conference participation, national cultural events, and documentary features rather than paid promotion.

Name

Paleotime

Legal name

PALEOTIME

Website

https://paleotime.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Paléotime is a French state-approved preventive archaeology firm that conducts legally mandated excavations and specialized studies (petroarchaeology, geoarchaeology, lithic and ceramic analysis) for developers and public institutions across mainland France, with international research activity in Morocco.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Preventive Archaeology Services

NAICS

Historical Sites (71212), Historical Sites (712120), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Archaeological Sites & Heritage Interpretation Centers (THAJADAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Historic Sites, Heritage Landmarks & Archaeological Sites (THAJACAC)

Keywords

• Preventive archaeology
• Archaeological excavation services
• Petroarchaeology analysis
• Geoarchaeology studies
• Cultural heritage research

Headquarters

HQ city

Villard-de-lans

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Preventive archaeology excavation services: Paléotime operates as a state-approved (agréée) operator of preventive archaeology, conducting mandatory archaeological excavations commissioned by developers (aménageurs) before construction projects. This is a project-based, fee-for-service model driven by legal requirements under French cultural heritage law.
2. Specialized study services: Paléotime offers specialized laboratory and analytical services including geoarchaeology, petroarchaeology, lithic and ceramic studies, anthropology, topography, and artifact drawing, billed as independent or bundled professional services.
3. Cultural mediation and school programs: Paléotime delivers cultural outreach and educational programs for schools and the general public, including workshops on prehistoric techniques, site visits, and Archéorando events, typically commissioned by municipalities, schools, or cultural institutions.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Paléotime is a French state-approved operator of preventive archaeology that conducts mandatory archaeological excavations commissioned by public and private developers before construction projects, covering prehistoric periods from the Paleolithic through the Metal Ages. The company delivers end-to-end professional services spanning field excavation, specialized laboratory studies (geoarchaeology, petroarchaeology, lithic/ceramic analysis, anthropology), topographic and photogrammetric documentation, and scientific dissemination, while also providing cultural mediation, school workshops, and professional training programs.

Product overview

Paleotime is a state-approved operator of preventive archaeology services in France, offering a comprehensive suite of archaeological services from site excavation to specialized laboratory studies. The company operates a unified service portfolio organized around core excavation operations (fouilles préventives), specialized analytical services (géoarchéologie, pétroarchéologie, anthropologie), artifact studies (étude de mobilier, dessin technique), and educational/outreach programs (formation, médiation). The services are delivered by a multidisciplinary team of archaeologists, geologists, and specialists covering periods from Paleolithic through Metal Ages, with expertise in geoarchaeology, petroarchaeology, lithic studies, and cultural mediation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Preventive Archaeological Excavations (Fouilles préventives)

Quantifiable outcome

• 1002-page final operational report produced for the Gerzat-Courlandes Bronze Age excavation, demonstrating the scale and depth of post-fouille (post-excavation) studies.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FEMAP (Fédération des Métiers de l'Archéologie Préventive)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPaléotime is a member of the FEMAP, the Federation of Preventive Archaeology Trades, which represents and supports companies operating in France's preventive archaeology sector. Membership provides professional networking, industry advocacy, and collective representation.
• GDR Silex (Groupe de Recherche sur les Silex)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPaléotime is an active participant in the GDR Silex, a CNRS-supported research group developing shared methodologies, databases, and GIS tools for the characterization and sourcing of flint and siliceous materials used in prehistory. Paul Fernandes of Paléotime is a founding/contributing member.
• PCR Réseau de lithothèques (Programme Collectif de Recherche)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPaléotime contributes to the PCR 'Réseau de lithothèques en Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes' and 'Réseau de lithothèques en Centre Val de Loire', which build regional reference collections and databases for siliceous raw materials, supporting archaeological sourcing studies.
• PNRV (Parc Naturel Régional du Vercors)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPaléotime co-created the 'Archéorando' initiative with PNRV, developing four interpretive hiking trails on prehistoric settlement and Quaternary paleoenvironments of the Vercors Massif. Access to trails is free or guide-accompanied, promoting public heritage awareness.
• CNRS Research Laboratories (UMR 7269 LAMPEA, UMR 7041 ArScAn, UMR 5199 PACEA, UMR 5133 Archéorient, UMR 5140 ASM, UMR 6282 Biogéosciences, UMR 6566 CReAAH, UMR 5608 TRACES)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPaléotime's team members hold associate or member affiliations with multiple CNRS research units, enabling academic integration of field research. The company employs CIFRE doctoral students and collaborates on publications and research projects.
• DRAC / SRA (Directions Régionales des Affaires Culturelles)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDRAC/SRA offices across French regions serve as the regulatory supervisors of preventive archaeology, prescribing operational requirements and receiving final reports from operators like Paléotime. This is a quasi-partnership required by law.
• ANRT (Association Nationale de la Recherche et de la Technologie)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerANRT administers the CIFRE program, providing subsidies to companies like Paléotime that employ doctoral researchers. Paléotime currently employs 3 CIFRE doctoral students through this partnership.
• Chartres Métropole / PCR 'Réseau de lithothèques en Centre Val de Loire'minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPaléotime co-organizes annual 'Formation aux méthodes de collecte et de caractérisation pétroarchéologique des silicites' training programs at Chartres Métropole, supported by the PCR and GDR Silex networks.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Chronoterre Arch\u00e9ologie: French private preventive archaeology firm providing excavation and post-excavation services to public and private developers under state agr\u00e9ment.
• Arch\u00e9a (Arch\u00e9ologie et environnement): French preventive archaeology operator with agr\u00e9ment covering prehistoric and historical periods; similar multidisciplinary team model and public-outreach activity.
• Had\u00e9lia Arch\u00e9ologie et Environnement: French preventive archaeology operator combining archaeological field operations with environmental diagnostics; relevant overlap in geoarchaeology and field expertise.
• HADES Arch\u00e9ologie: French state-approved private operator specializing in preventive archaeology across multiple periods; directly competes for developer-commissioned excavation mandates in the same regulatory framework.
• Arch\u00e9odunum: Swiss-based preventive archaeology operator with French operations and agr\u00e9ment; comparable service portfolio spanning excavation, post-excavation studies, and scientific dissemination.
• \u00c9veha: Agr\u00e9\u00e9 French private operator of preventive archaeology with similar nationwide approval and multi-period capability; competes head-to-head with Pal\u00e9otime for mandates prescribed by DRAC/SRA.

Others

• Arch\u00e9osciences Bordeaux (UMR 5199 PACEA): CNRS-affiliated research unit to which several Pal\u00e9otime specialists (Erwan Vaissi\u00e9, Quentin Villeneuve) are associate members; functions as a research partner and talent pipeline rather than a competitor.

Regional players

• Centre National de la Recherche Arch\u00e9ologique (CNRA) Luxembourg: National preventive archaeology operator in neighboring Luxembourg with comparable mission and methodologies; relevant for understanding cross-border demand and benchmarking practice in adjacent regulatory regimes.

Emerging players

• Archeovision: Specializes in 3D recording, photogrammetry, and digital documentation of archaeological sites; relevant as an emerging technology specialist overlapping Pal\u00e9otime's topography and photogrammetry service line.

Broad incumbents

• INRAP (Institut national de recherches arch\u00e9ologiques pr\u00e9ventives): France's national public institute for preventive archaeology and Pal\u00e9otime's largest counterpart; operates across all periods and the entire national territory as a publicly funded operator, but is institutionally structured rather than privately owned.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC56srssqSG0fqnvsa-Zy70w
• Facebookfacebook.com/paleotime
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/paleotime
• Instagraminstagram.com/paleotimesarl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Paleotime