Ancient wall linked to Julius Caesar discovered in central Paris

According to France’s Ministry of Culture, excavations have been underway since February 2026 in two courtyards of the Hôtel-Dieu hospital as part of redevelopment work at the site. This summer, specialists discovered a massive stone-and-timber wall preserved over a length of around 20 meters. Its construction technique is characteristic of Gallic fortifications from the late Iron Age.

The wall bears traces of an intense fire. Nearby, archaeologists found charred seeds, the remains of a burned wooden building and a Gallic spearhead. Behind the fortification stood an artificial platform of sand and gravel, preserved to a thickness of nearly two meters.

Preliminary radiocarbon analysis dates the wooden elements to between 200 and 10 BC. Archaeologists believe the wall may have formed part of the defenses of a settlement of the Parisii tribe, burned in 52 BC as Roman troops approached.

“We may be looking at one of the most important remains ever discovered for understanding Gallic Lutetia. Scientific caution still requires us to verify its function and chronology, but the convergence of evidence is already particularly striking,” French Culture Minister Catherine Pégard said.

Gallic Lutetia is known primarily through the writings of Julius Caesar. He described it as a fortified settlement of the Parisii on an island in the Seine. According to his account, the Gauls set fire to their own buildings before confronting Roman troops.

The settlement’s precise location, however, has long been debated. With limited archaeological evidence supporting the Île de la Cité, researchers also considered an alternative location within a bend of the Seine in what is now Nanterre.

Further research will seek to establish when the wall was built, its purpose and the circumstances of its destruction. Researchers will also investigate whether it served solely as a defensive structure or also functioned as a retaining wall.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Egypt had recovered an ancient gold mummy mask from Switzerland. The handover was part of a campaign to reclaim cultural property illegally taken out of the country.