Archaeological discovery in Paris challenges location of ancient Lutetia

Archaeologists in Paris have discovered a 20-meter-long wall dating back over 2,000 years beneath the former Hôtel-Dieu hospital. The discovery, unearthed this summer during site renovations that began in February, provides significant evidence that the ancient Gallic city of Lutetia was situated on the Île de la Cité island in the Seine, rather than in the suburb of Nanterre.

The find consists of stone and wood and is believed to be part of an ancient fortification system. This discovery shifts the long-standing academic debate regarding the city's location, which was inhabited by the Parisii tribe until Julius Caesar's conquest in 52 B.C. While excavations between 1994 and 2005 had previously suggested Nanterre was the primary site due to a vast 15-hectare settlement, the new evidence aligns more closely with Caesar's descriptions of an island connected by bridges at a bend in the river.

The French Ministry of Culture has labeled the find a major discovery, which was presented to the media on Wednesday. The site was identified following a 2019 archaeological evaluation, and the current remains are now subject to ongoing analysis to further clarify the early layout of the city.