Story perspectives

Notre Dame Dig Uncovers Roman Street, Plans 2028 Plaza

6/2/2026

Summary

Story summary

Archaeologists began excavating a pit at Notre Dame in June 2026, uncovering a 2,000-year-old Roman street and layers from Roman, Merovingian, Carolingian and medieval periods.
The dig yielded a fourth-century Constantine coin, medieval ceramics with red interior markings, a Roman doorstep and a 1300s lead sarcophagus.
City officials intend to clear the site for a shaded plaza with a 160-tree garden and water-film cooling feature, scheduled to open in 2028.

History

Historical Context

Mid-19th-century excavations uncovered the 1st-century Arènes de Lutèce, a Roman theatre that once held about 15,000 spectators and was later restored as a public square in 1896. Today, heritage officials digging beneath Notre-Dame have revealed a 2,000-year-old street, a Constantine coin and medieval ceramics, prompting a 2028 plan for a 160-tree plaza that weaves archaeology into Paris’s urban fabric.

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Story summary

Archaeologists began excavating a pit at Notre Dame in June 2026, uncovering a 2,000-year-old Roman street and layers from Roman, Merovingian, Carolingian and medieval periods.
The dig yielded a fourth-century Constantine coin, medieval ceramics with red interior markings, a Roman doorstep and a 1300s lead sarcophagus.
City officials intend to clear the site for a shaded plaza with a 160-tree garden and water-film cooling feature, scheduled to open in 2028.

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