🌅 Archaeologist Uncovered the Original Paris

SOURCE

French Ministry of Culture

WHAT TO KNOW

• Archaeologists in France have uncovered the remains of an ancient wall that may have formed part of Lutetia, the Iron Age settlement that eventually became Paris. The 66-foot-long stone and timber wall found on the famed Île de la Cité, an island on the Seine River in the heart of Paris, could settle the longstanding debate surrounding the location of the city’s original Gallic settlement, representing one of the most significant archaeological breakthroughs in the understanding of ancient Paris.

WHY IT MATTERS

• Lutetia was the capital city of the Gallic Parisii tribe, which lived along the Seine River probably as early as the fourth century BCE. Roman legions conquered the city in 52 BCE during Julius Caesar’s eight-year campaign against the Gauls, a group of Celtic farmers who lived across modern France, Belgium, Germany, and Italy. In his chronicle of the Gallic Wars, Caesar described Lutetia as a fortification situated on an island in the Seine. According to Caesar’s account, the Gauls, in an attempt to prevent Caesar’s men from taking the city, set fire to Lutetia and cut down its bridges.

CONNECT THE DOTS

• Historians have long questioned Caesar’s description of Lutetia, with some evidence suggesting the heart of ancient Paris actually lies near the western suburb of Nanterre. However, the research team says the newly discovered wall segment appears to support Caesar’s account. Behind the wall, archaeologists found a 6.5-foot-thick artificial platform made of sand and gravel, characteristic of a larger structure. Nearby, the team also found a Gallic spearhead, charred seeds, and the remains of a burned wooden building. Initial carbon dating suggests the wooden elements date to a range between 200 BCE and 10 BCE, consistent with both the known timeline of Lutetia’s settlement and Caesar’s contemporary account.