Notre Dame Dig Unearths 4th-Century Constantine Coin as Paris Prepares 160 Trees for Forecourt
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Jun 2
Notre Dame Dig Unearths 4th-Century Constantine Coin as Paris Prepares 160 Trees for Forecourt
3 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Jun 2
Archaeologists digging 4 meters beneath Notre Dame's forecourt have uncovered a fourth-century coin bearing Emperor Constantine and medieval pottery marked with still-undeciphered reddish writing.
The excavation was triggered by Paris's plan to remake the square with shade and cooling features, requiring a rescue dig before construction disturbs centuries of buried remains.
Finds are coming from tightly stacked layers that run from medieval house cellars and latrines down to Merovingian, Carolingian and Roman levels, with teams sometimes filling 15 crates a day.
The Roman material is especially prized because it can help date underground layers and illuminate how people retreated to the Ile de la Cite as the empire collapsed.
The redesigned square is due to be mostly finished by 2028, with 160 new trees and a cooled stone surface, while archaeologists hope to dig deeper toward pre-Roman Paris.
As Paris plants a forest at Notre Dame, can it save the Roman city buried beneath?
Will the 'dig of the century' treasures be visible in the new visitor center by 2028?
What secrets do mysterious markings on medieval pottery found under Notre Dame reveal?
Unearthing 2,000 Years of Paris: The Notre-Dame Forecourt Dig and Its Impact on History, Restoration, and Urban Renewal
Overview
After the 2019 fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral, restoration efforts led to the installation of a modern heating and cooling system, which required a preventive archaeological dig beneath the forecourt. This 'Dig of the Century,' initially planned as a short operation, was extended when extraordinary discoveries were made. The excavation, led by INRAP, uncovered layers of Parisian history dating back to the Neolithic era, including Roman structures and a medieval necropolis. These findings have transformed a routine restoration into a major historical exploration, revealing the deep and continuous human presence at the heart of Paris.