Excavations at Notre Dame: Unearthing History Beneath Paris

In Paris, as tourists queue up to ascend Notre Dame Cathedral and view its iconic gargoyles, archaeologists embark on a unique exploration in the opposite direction. They delve into the depths, uncovering layers of history that date back 2,000 years to Roman Paris.

Following the dramatic 2019 fire that saw Notre Dame’s spire fall, the cathedral has been rebuilt and reopened by the end of 2024. Paris now plans to enhance the front plaza with trees for shade. However, care must be taken with such an ancient site, necessitating thorough excavation work before any landscaping occurs.

A section of Notre Dame’s plaza now resembles an archaeological dig site, with open trenches marked by barricades and wooden walkways, mere steps from the tourist line. The French media have dubbed this project “the dig of the century.”

It’s a rare opportunity to make a tangible mark on Paris’s history, said Lucie Altenburg, a conservator from Paris’s archaeology unit, to The Associated Press.

Among the significant finds: a fourth-century coin featuring Emperor Constantine and painted medieval pottery shards with undeciphered scripts reminiscent of a present-day Da Vinci Code.

Tourist Emily Carter, visiting from Manchester with her children, remarked, “Notre Dame feels alive again. You come for the cathedral, and you discover a city beneath your feet, which is even more moving.”

The excavation process uncovers historical layers. Initial traces appear at a depth of 50 centimeters (20 inches). Four meters (13 feet) down, further past is revealed. Archaeologists often fill 15 boxes daily with soil that has remained untouched for decades.

Excavating Layers of Paris

In ancient cities, history doesn’t rest in a nearby museum but lies beneath the streets. Each era builds over the remnants of the previous one, causing the ground level to rise. For instance, Rome’s ground level has risen about nine meters (30 feet) since the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

During the construction of Athens’ subway for the 2004 Olympics, Greece’s largest excavation revealed tens of thousands of artifacts now displayed in stations. Similarly, Paris’s foundations originate from the Île de la Cité, where the city was founded. Notre Dame was erected on this ground centuries later.

The cathedral began construction in 1163, when the area was densely packed with medieval homes lined along a single road, explained Camille Colonna, the lead archaeologist. Beneath, excavators have reached ancient basements of Merovingian and Carolingian eras, spanning from the sixth to the tenth centuries.

Further down lies a densely packed Roman neighborhood from the fourth and fifth centuries. Twenty centuries of history compact into a mere four-meter thickness, illustrating layers from medieval Paris, Roman Paris, and perhaps even earlier periods.

Archaeology student Yasmine Benali expressed, “You can witness the layers: medieval and Roman Paris, possibly more. It transforms the city from a postcard into a place of ongoing discovery.”

Uncovering and Preserving History

The excavation site reveals treasures from deeper levels, including whole jugs and dishes remarkably preserved by the soft refuse from old medieval homes. “It’s rare to find complete ceramics,” said Valentine Breloux, an archaeologist, noting the condition attributed to the protective environment.

Marks inside some pottery pieces challenge experts with mysterious red inscriptions yet to be understood. These discoveries are astonishing and intriguing.

Coins unearthed appear as black disks, their corrosion masking history until X-rays reveal faces like those of fourth-century Roman emperor Constantine, noted Altenburg. Such objects are invaluable in dating underground layers.

Roman finds are particularly prized by archaeologists for being the deepest and least understood. In Roman times, the city known as Lutetia lay across the river from Île de la Cité. As the Roman Empire declined, Paris fortified its remaining territory with stone walls and reused materials, evidence of which the team has discovered.

Every artifact travels north to the city’s archaeological center, described by Colonna as an extensive trove of Paris’s history. Excavations at Notre Dame are rare gifts, driven by the city’s desire to enhance the area aesthetically.

By 2028, a new plaza aims to cool the summer heat with trees and water features, part of a strategy to address climate change effects. Tourists presently waiting in full sun will eventually find respite among tree shade.

The old underground parking lot will transform into a visitor center with views of the Seine. In the meantime, Notre Dame’s team seeks to dig deeper, beyond Roman layers to the Gauls—Paris’s earliest inhabitants.

The hope is to turn back time further than ever before, Altenburg concluded.

Nicolas Garriga in Paris contributed to this report.

This story was translated from English by an AP editor using generative artificial intelligence tools.