We and our partners do the following data processing based on your consent: store and/or access information on a device, personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development 'Breakthrough' archeological find could confirm location of Paris's original settlement An ancient wall discovered this summer under a hospital in central Paris is thought to be a fragment of city ramparts built by Iron age settlers. Experts say the stone-and-wood structure could confirm the location of the ancient city of Lutetia. Elodie Perugini, an archeologist with the city of Paris, holds a Gallic wine amphora piece during excavations at an archaeological site on the Ile de la Cité in Paris on September 23, 2026. © Simon Wohlfahrt, An ancient wall discovered beneath Paris was described as a "major breakthrough" on Wednesday by France's culture ministry, with the archaeological find possibly confirming the location of the city's original settlement.
A roughly 20-metre (65-foot) wall dating from the Gallo-Roman period was discovered in Paris this summer beneath a hospital on the Ile de la Cité, a stone's throw from Notre-Dame Cathedral in the heart of the City of Light. The stone-and-wood find is thought to be a fragment of the ramparts of Lutetia– the ancient name for Paris– built by the Gallic Parisii tribe which lived along the river Seine in the Iron Age. The Ile de la Cite has traditionally been regarded as the centre of Lutetia, but a rival theory, backed by archaeological research, contends that it was in Nanterre, a suburb to the west.
Read moreParis neighbourhoods: Inside the historic 1st arrondissement "We may be looking at one of the most important remains ever discovered for understanding Gallic Lutetia," Culture Minister Catherine Pegard said in a statement from her ministry which was sent to AFP. "Scientific caution still requires that we verify its function and its chronology, but the convergence of evidence is particularly remarkable at this stage." A Gallo-Roman era wall of Lutetia in an archaeological site under the Hotel-Dieu hospital on the Ile de la Cité in central Paris on September 23, 2026. © Simon Wohlfahrt, Lutetia was first mentioned in book seven of Roman leader Julius Caesar's "Gallic Wars" series, where it was said to be on an island in the river Seine– a vague description that has given rise to many theories about its location. The wall, uncovered in the course of excavations beneath the Hotel-Dieu hospital, also bears traces of fire, which may correspond to Caesar's account that the Gauls set fire to their town before the Battle of Lutetia against the Romans.
Read moreArchaeological dig at Notre-Dame unearths 2,000 years of history Through carbon dating technology, the charred evidence is estimated to date from 10-200 BC, the ministry said in its statement– a timeframe that includes the Battle of Lutetia in 52 BC. The Ile de la Cité, home to Notre-Dame Cathedral, is the largest island in the river Seine in the Paris region and became the centre of the Roman settlement of Lutetia. Archaeological dig at Notre-Dame unearths 2,000 years of history French connections## Paris neighbourhoods: Inside the historic 1st arrondissement 1. 1 ## Third-country removals: Trump’s deportation policy by the numbers 2. 2 ## 'No peace without justice,' Macron tells UN General Assembly As it happened Americas 3. 3 ## Investigation: In Cameroon, the victims of Trump’s deportations face uncertain fates Investigation Africa 4. 4 ## Ukraine slams EU's 'unacceptable' move to lift sanctions on two Russian oligarchs As it happened Europe 5. 5 ## Thousands protest in France against bill expanding protections for police use of force France 6. 6 ## French police arrest two Germans after 'for fun' Louvre stunt in Mona Lisa hall France © 2026 Copyright France 24 - All rights reserved.
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