Ancient wall found under Paris hotel could confirm origins of city
Summary
Archaeologists found a 65-foot ancient wall under a Paris hotel on the Ile de la Cite, near Notre Dame. This wall could prove that the original city of Lutetia, now Paris, was located there, as the wall dates back to the time of the Gallic Parisii tribe.Key Facts
- The wall dates from 10-200 B.C., during the Gallo-Roman period.
- It was discovered beneath the Hotel-Dieu on the Ile de la Cite in central Paris.
- The wall may be part of the ramparts (defensive walls) of Lutetia, the ancient name for Paris.
- The wall shows signs of fire, matching historical accounts that the Gauls burned their town before a battle with the Romans.
- Lutetia was mentioned by Julius Caesar as located on an island in the Seine River.
- The discovery supports the theory that Lutetia’s center was on the Ile de la Cite, not in the nearby suburb of Nanterre.
- The Ile de la Cite is also where Notre Dame Cathedral stands and has yielded other archaeological finds.
- French culture officials called the finding a major breakthrough for understanding Paris’s origins.
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