Tourists stand in line under the summer sun outside Notre Dame Cathedral, waiting to climb the landmark and see its famous Roman artifacts. Just a few meters below them, archaeologists are digging into nearly 2,000 years of Parisian history.

The excavation is taking place beneath the cathedral’s forecourt as part of a project to redesign the square. Paris plans to add trees, shade, and cooling features around Notre Dame following its restoration after the devastating 2019 fire. Before work can begin, archaeologists must investigate and protect any remains buried underground.

French media have dubbed the project the “dig of the century” because of the discoveries emerging from one of the city’s most historic locations.

“It’s a rare opportunity for us to work on something that’s tangibly going to make a difference to the history of Paris,” Lucie Altenburg, a conservator with the Paris archaeology unit, told The Associated Press.

Ancient artifacts emerge

Researchers have already recovered hundreds of artifacts. One of the most important finds is a fourth-century coin depicting Roman Emperor Constantine. The coin was heavily corroded when it was unearthed, but X-ray imaging revealed the emperor’s portrait. Such finds help archaeologists date the different occupation layers beneath the cathedral.

The team has also uncovered fragments of medieval pottery marked with faint reddish inscriptions painted on the inside. Similar symbols appear on multiple shards, but experts have not yet determined their meaning.

Archaeologists digging beneath Notre Dame Cathedral have uncovered Roman-era artifacts, medieval pottery with mysterious markings and evidence of Paris' ancient past.#notredame #romanartifacts pic.twitter.com/NB7zlQJtGq

— Tom Marvolo Riddle (@tom_riddle2025) June 3, 2026

Some of the most remarkable discoveries have come from medieval latrines buried beneath houses that once crowded the area around Notre Dame. The pits served as both toilets and rubbish dumps, creating conditions that preserved everyday objects for centuries.

Archaeologists have recovered complete jugs, cups, and other ceramics that survived intact after spending hundreds of years underground. It is “rare to find complete ceramics,” said archaeologist Valentine Breloux.

Clues to Paris’ evolution

The excavation has also revealed evidence of Paris’ transformation from the Roman city of Lutetia into the medieval capital that followed.

Archaeologists discovered a Roman stone doorstep that had been removed from a larger building, turned upside down, and reused as paving in a later roadway. The find shows how residents repurposed materials as the Roman world gave way to a new era.

Once artifacts leave the site, they are transported to the city’s archaeology center, where specialists clean, catalog, and study them.

Looking deeper into the past

The work is expected to continue as Paris moves forward with plans to plant 160 trees and create a cooler, greener public square by 2028. Archaeologists hope to dig even deeper before then, searching for traces of the Gauls, the people who inhabited the area before the Roman conquest.

“The hope is that we are able to go back in time even further than we’ve ever been before,” Altenburg said.

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