A wall that could confirm the birthplace of the city found in Paris — Asharq Al-Awsat

In Paris, France, beneath the Hôtel-Dieu hospital on the Île de la Cité, archaeologists discovered a roughly 20-metre wall made of stone and wood that may help establish the location of the original settlement of Lutetia, ancient Paris. France’s Ministry of Culture called the discovery a significant archaeological breakthrough, Asharq Al-Awsat reports.

Fragment of Lutetia’s fortifications

The wall was found this summer near Notre-Dame Cathedral. Researchers suggest that it may have been part of the defensive fortifications of Lutetia, built by the Gallic tribe of the Parisii, which lived along the Seine during the Iron Age.

The Île de la Cité is traditionally considered the centre of Lutetia. At the same time, there is another theory, supported by archaeological research, according to which the settlement may have been located in Nanterre, a suburb west of Paris.

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Traces of fire and dating

Culture Minister Catherine Pégard said that the discovered object may be one of the most important sites for understanding Gallic Lutetia. At the same time, she stressed that the wall’s function and chronology need to be verified.

Traces of fire were also recorded on the wall. They may correspond to Julius Caesar’s account, according to which the Gauls burned their city before the Battle of Lutetia against the Romans. According to the ministry, radiocarbon dating of charred remains points to a period from 200 to 10 BCE, which also includes the battle of 52 BCE.

Lutetia is mentioned in the seventh book of Caesar’s “Commentaries on the Gallic War” as a settlement on an island in the Seine. This general description has given rise to different versions regarding its exact location.