Traces of a heavy fire mark an ancient wall discovered in the courtyard of the Hôtel-Dieu hospital in Paris, near the Notre Dame cathedral. Archaeologists suggest that the structure may have been part of the fortified settlement of Lutetia of the Gallic tribe of Parisii - a place mentioned by Julius Caesar, whose exact location has long remained controversial.
The excavations began in February ahead of a large-scale reconstruction of the site. The expectations were initially related to the remains of dwellings, streets or settlements from the Middle Ages and later periods. Instead, archaeologists discovered a stone-and-wood wall, built using technology typical of Gallic fortifications.
20-meter wall and traces of fire
The preserved part of the structure is about 20 meters long. Traces of severe burning are visible in the masonry, and charred seeds and the remains of a wooden building destroyed by fire were found nearby.
Radiocarbon analysis of the wooden elements places them in the period between 200 and 10 BC. This coincides with the time when, according to Caesar's description, the Parisians burned their own fortified settlement in 52 BC, so as not to be taken by the Romans. However, the data does not yet prove that the fire was from this episode.
„Scientific prudence requires us to verify the purpose and chronology of the facility, but the body of evidence is truly impressive“, said French Culture Minister Catherine Pégar.The trail to Lutetia
Julius Caesar mentions Lutetia in „Notes on the Gallic War“, but until now archaeologists have not had convincing material evidence for the location of the Gallic settlement. It is the lack of such finds on the Île de la Cité that has fueled speculation that the fortification may have been located in Nanterre.
„The architecture of the wall - large stone blocks and a system of connected wooden beams - "It immediately pointed us to the Gallic building tradition," said Dorothea Chauy-Derreaux of the Ile-de-France Regional Department of Cultural Affairs.
Regional archaeological conservator Stephane Deschamps described the discovery as a possible key to a long-standing mystery. "With this wall and the archaeological context around it, we may finally have a key to solving this mystery," he said.
The wall will be moved
Due to the planned reconstruction, the structure will not remain in its original location. Archaeologists plan to document the find, dismantle part of it and restore a fragment with the original stones. It could be displayed in a museum in Paris in the future.
Further excavations are planned behind the wall and under the adjacent platform. They need to clarify the exact age, function and how the structure was destroyed. Only after these studies will it be possible to say whether the discovered wall is indeed part of the Lutetia described by Caesar.
Sources: foxnews.com