Notre Dame Dig Unearths 1,700-Year-Old Roman Coin as 13-Foot Excavation Reveals Medieval Artifacts
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jun 19
Notre Dame Dig Unearths 1,700-Year-Old Roman Coin as 13-Foot Excavation Reveals Medieval Artifacts
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 19
Summary
Archaeologists digging about 13 feet beneath Notre Dame’s forecourt uncovered a 4th-century coin bearing Emperor Constantine, along with medieval pottery, grain pits and a Roman-era doorstep reused as paving.
The most puzzling finds are reddish markings painted inside pottery fragments that experts still cannot decipher, a rare detail on ceramics recovered from the site.
Hundreds of other objects—including whole jugs and cups tossed into a latrine that also held broken plates and animal bones—are offering a picture of everyday life in medieval Paris.
The excavation stems from the post-2019 fire rebuilding of Notre Dame and is tied to a broader redesign of the square, which is due to add trees and visitor features by 2028.
Researchers say the dig could push deeper into Paris’s past, with Roman layers already exposed and hopes of finding evidence from the pre-Roman Gauls.
Will archaeologists uncover definitive evidence of pre-Roman Gaulish activity under Notre Dame, and how could this reshape our view of Paris’s earliest inhabitants?
Could the mysterious reddish markings on medieval pottery reveal lost secrets about Paris’s past civilizations, and what might they mean for European history?
How might the ongoing discoveries beneath Notre Dame change our understanding of Paris’s origins and influence future urban development in historic cities?
The Notre Dame Forecourt Excavation 2026: Uncovering 2,000 Years of Parisian History and Archaeological Enigmas
Overview
The ongoing excavation in the forecourt of Notre Dame Cathedral, driven by post-fire restoration and Paris’s plans for a greener public square, is uncovering nearly 2,000 years of history beneath this iconic site. Required before major redevelopment, this archaeological work is revealing how the area evolved from Roman Lutetia to a medieval stronghold. The team is finding important evidence of these transitions, offering new insights into Paris’s layered past. This unique opportunity not only highlights the site’s historical significance but also connects the city’s ancient roots to its future transformation.