Notre-Dame Excavations Uncover Roman to Medieval Paris Artifacts

Archaeological excavations in the forecourt of Notre-Dame Cathedral, which began in January 2025 and are expected to last eight months, have uncovered hundreds of artifacts spanning nearly 2,000 years of Parisian history. Researchers have dug 13 feet below the surface, revealing Roman settlement remains from the 4th-5th centuries, Merovingian and Carolingian grain pits (6th-10th centuries), and medieval cellars and latrine pits. Finds include shards of medieval pottery with reddish markings, coins bearing Roman emperor Constantine, animal bones, metal pieces, and intact jugs and cups. The dig precedes plans to add 160 trees and transform an underground parking lot into a visitor center. Artifacts are sent to the city's archaeology laboratory for conservation and study. The cathedral reopened in late 2024 after a devastating 2019 fire. Previous excavations during restoration uncovered 800-year-old iron staples, two lead coffins (including that of priest Antoine de la Porte, d. 1710, and possibly poet Joachim du Bellay, d. 1560), pieces of the 13th-century rood screen with original paint, painted sculptures, and a 19th-century brick pipe heating system.