Notre-Dame excavations unearth 17 centuries of Paris history

Paris is undertaking "the excavation of the century" on the square in front of Notre-Dame, uncovering 17 centuries of the city's history. The ongoing work, part of a project to redesign the plaza, has yielded a trove of artifacts, including human remains, a 4th-century coin featuring Emperor Constantine, and medieval pottery shards marked with mysterious red symbols that remain undeciphered.

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You come for the cathedral and then you discover that there is yet another city under your feet. That touches you almost more.

Archeologists describe the findings as a rare opportunity to illuminate Paris's past. Lucie Altenburg of the Paris archaeological service noted the significance of the site, which is being meticulously examined before the plaza's renovation. The discoveries range from Roman-era structures dating back to the 4th and 5th centuries to medieval dwellings and pits from the Merovingian and Carolingian periods (6th to 10th centuries).

Among the most surprising finds are pottery shards, considered by archeologist Valentine Breloux to be the most astonishing discoveries so far. Many artifacts were recovered from former latrines, which, due to their soft contents, preserved complete vessels. The excavation has revealed the city's development in distinct layers, offering a tangible connection to nearly 2,000 years of Parisian history.

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a rare chance to investigate something that really makes a difference for the history of Paris.

Tourists have expressed awe at the discoveries, with one visitor telling AP that finding "another city beneath your feet" is even more impactful than seeing the cathedral itself. The archeological team has been unearthing objects from depths of 50 centimeters down to 4 meters, filling up to 15 crates of material daily, much of which had lain undisturbed for decades.

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the most astonishing finds so far.