The French culture ministry announced on Wednesday that archaeologists discovered a roughly 65-foot ancient wall beneath a hotel in central Paris. The stone-and-wood structure, dating from the Gallo-Roman period, was found this summer beneath the Hotel-Dieu on the Île de la Cité, near Notre Dame Cathedral. Officials stated the find could confirm the location of the city's original settlement, known as Lutetia.
The discovery addresses a long-standing debate regarding the origins of Paris. While the Île de la Cité has traditionally been considered the center of Lutetia, a rival theory supported by some archaeological research suggests the original settlement was located in the suburb of Nanterre to the west. Culture Minister Catherine Pegard said in a statement that the remains may be among the most important ever found for understanding the Gallic period of the city, though she noted that scientific caution requires further verification of its function and chronology.
The wall shows traces of fire, which may correspond to accounts in Julius Caesar's \"Gallic Wars.\" In the text, Caesar wrote that the Gauls set fire to their town before the Battle of Lutetia against the Romans. Carbon dating of the charred evidence places the wall's origin between 10 B.C. and 200 B.C., a period that encompasses the conflict in 52 B.C. The wall is believed to be a fragment of ramparts built by the Parisii, a Gallic tribe that lived along the Seine during the Iron Age.
The discovery provides physical evidence to a dispute over where Paris began. The identification of a defensive structure links the modern center to the Parisii tribe and a documented Roman conflict involving Julius Caesar.
The find adds to a recent series of archaeological recoveries in the vicinity of Notre Dame. These include a 4th-century coin and inscriptions found recently, and 14th-century tombs and a sarcophagus discovered in 2022.
Continued archaeological activity is expected at the site as experts work to verify the wall's exact age and purpose. What happens next involves further scientific testing by the culture ministry to finalize the chronology. No specific deadline for the completion of the study or a date for public display of the artifacts has been announced.