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Archaeologists Unearth Roman Coin and Medieval Objects in Notre Dame Square Renovation
Excavation 13 feet below Notre Dame Cathedral square has recovered a 4th-century coin, complete ceramics, and grain pits dating to the sixth century. The work precedes planned square renovations due by 2028.
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Archaeologists digging in the forecourt of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris as part of a square renovation have recovered a 4th-century Roman coin and other artifacts. The team reached roughly 13 feet below ground and also found medieval pottery fragments marked with reddish paint that experts have not yet deciphered.
Hundreds of objects were pulled from a latrine used as a garbage pit, including whole jugs, cups, broken plates, and animal bones.
Medieval grain pits used to store harvested grain from the sixth to the 10th centuries were also uncovered, along with a Roman-era doorstep that had been removed from a larger structure, turned upside down, and reused as road paving. Valentine Breloux told the Associated Press it is “rare to find complete ceramics” and called the reddish markings inside pottery fragments the most astonishing finds.
Lucie Altenburg, a conservator with the Paris archaeology unit, described the project as a “rare opportunity” and said the goal is to reach layers older than any previously examined at the site.
The excavation began after the cathedral reopened following the 2019 fire. ” The work is linked to a renovation of Notre Dame square that will add trees and visitor amenities by 2028, Altenburg said.
