The stone-and-wood find is thought to be a fragment of the ramparts of Lutetia \u2014 the ancient name for Paris \u2014 built by the Gallic Parisii tribe which lived along the river Seine in the Iron Age.<\/p>\n
The \u00cele de la Cit\u00e9 has traditionally been regarded as the center of Lutetia, but a rival theory, backed by archaeological research, contends that it was in Nanterre, a suburb to the west.<\/p>\n
“We may be looking at one of the most important remains ever discovered for understanding Gallic Lutetia,” Culture Minister Catherine Pegard<\/a> said in a statement from her ministry.<\/p>\n Paris Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire visits an archaeological site following the discovery of a Gallo-Roman era wall of Lutetia under the Hotel-Dieu hospital on the \u00cele de la Cit\u00e9 in central Paris, on Sept. 22, 2026.<\/p>\n SIMON WOHLFAHRT \/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n “Scientific caution still requires that we verify its function and its chronology, but the convergence of evidence is particularly remarkable at this stage,” she added.<\/p>\n Lutetia was first mentioned in book seven of Roman leader Julius Caesar’s “Gallic Wars” series, where it was said to be on an island in the river Seine \u2014 a vague description that has given rise to many theories about its location.<\/p>\n The wall, uncovered in the course of excavations beneath the Hotel-Dieu, also bears traces of fire, which may correspond to Caesar’s account that the Gauls set fire to their town before the Battle of Lutetia against the Romans.<\/p>\n Through carbon dating technology, the charred evidence is estimated to date from 10-200 B.C., the ministry said in its statement \u2014 a timeframe that includes the Battle of Lutetia in 52 B.C.<\/p>\n The \u00cele de la Cite, home to Notre Dame cathedral, is the largest island in the river Seine in the Paris region and became the center of the Roman settlement of Lutetia.<\/p>\n Notre Dame itself has yielded numerous archaeological finds. In June, officials announced the discovery of multiple artifacts<\/a>, including a fourth-century coin and mysterious inscriptions.<\/p>\n In 2022,\u00a0several tombs and a sarcophagus<\/a>\u00a0likely dating from the 14th century were uncovered by archaeologists at the cathedral.<\/p>\n The news of the ancient wall comes less than a year after a massive prehistoric stone wall was found in the sea off the coast<\/a> of France near the \u00cele de Sein.<\/p>\n \n More from CBS News\n <\/p>\n \n Go deeper with The Free Press\n <\/p>\n![\"FRANCE-ARCHAEOLOGY-HISTORY-POLITICS](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/gettyimages-2296120682.jpg#.jpeg\")
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