Published on
03/06/2026 - 6:40 GMT+2
Tourists queue in the heat outside Paris’ Notre-Dame Cathedral, while just metres below them, archaeologists are digging into centuries of history.
Four metres beneath the forecourt, a team is uncovering layers of history stretching back nearly 2,000 years, from medieval Paris to the Roman-era city once known as Lutetia.
The excavation began as part of plans to redesign the square in front of the cathedral, which reopened in late 2024 after a devastating fire in 2019. Paris aims to turn the space into a cooler, greener area with trees and shade to cope with rising temperatures.
