Ancient 2,000-Year-Old Wall Discovered Beneath Paris Hospital Redefines Lutetia's Location
Archaeologists uncovered a 2,000-year-old stone-and-wood rampart under the Hotel-Dieu, suggesting the original Gallic settlement of Lutetia lay on the Île de la Cité.
During July excavations at the Hotel-Dieu hospital, researchers revealed a 20-metre long defensive wall dating to the Gallo-Roman era. The French Culture Ministry called the find a major breakthrough, as it places the core of ancient Lutetia in the heart of modern Paris rather than the previously assumed suburb of Nanterme. The structure, located near Notre Dame, could reshape understandings of the city’s early history.
