THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

'Dig of the century' unearths 1,700 years of history under Notre Dame ... Paris ‘Dig of the century' unearths 1,700 years of history under Notre Dame cathedral Archaeologists are digging beneath Notre Dame Cathedral to explore as far back as Roman Paris from 2,000 years ago. By Thomas Adamson and Jeffrey Schaeffer | The Associated Press • Published June 2, 2026 • Updated on June 2, 2026 at 6:29 am BOOKMARKER NBC Universal, Inc. Paris’ iconic symbol of French Gothic architecture will reopen Saturday after more than five years of reconstruction following a fire in 2019. Wilting in the summer sun, a line of tourists waits to climb Notre Dame cathedral and meet its gargoyles. Thirteen feet beneath them, a team of archaeologists is digging the other way — straight down and back in time, to Roman Paris 2,000 years ago. In 2019, fire brought Notre Dame’s spire crashing down as the world watched. The cathedral was rebuilt and reopened in late 2024, and now Paris wants to soften the hot, bare square in front of it with trees and shade. Watch NBC 4 free wherever you are WATCH HERE But in a city this old, the soil cannot be turned until what lies beneath it is excavated, in case it is damage…

Archaeologists uncover mysterious markings, ancient secrets beneath Notre Dame Archaeologists excavating Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris have uncovered centuries of buried history, including a 1,700-year-old Roman coin and baffling markings that experts still can't explain.

Under Paris's Notre Dame, archaeologists are unearthing 2,000 years of history Since Notre Dame Cathedral reopened to the public in 2024 following a devastating fire, it has been one of the most popular tourist destinations in Paris. What many don’t realize is that the work continues near the cathedral underground. To make way for trees and shade on the square in front of the church, workers have undertaken a significant archaeological dig.

Why the 'dig of the century' is happening underneath Notre Dame More than a year after France's famed Notre Dame reopened, an archaeological exploration going thousands of years into the history of Paris has begun just metres below the cathedral's ground floor.

Under Notre Dame cathedral, a 'dig of the century' unearths 1,700 years ... Archaeologist Lucie Altenburg shows a drawer containing archaeological artifacts uncovered during excavations outside Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris on June 1. (Nicolas Garriga / Associated Press) By Thomas Adamson and Jeffrey Schaeffer June 2, 2026 7:27 AM PT 4 7 min Click here to listen to this article Share via Close extra sharing options Email Facebook X LinkedIn Threads Reddit WhatsApp Copy Link URL Copied! Print 0:00 0:00 1x This is read by an automated voice. Please report any issues or inconsistencies here . Beneath the crowds returning to newly restored Notre Dame, archaeologists are peeling back 1,700 years of history. From intact medieval jugs cushioned in ancient latrines to a rusted coin revealing Emperor Constantine, the excavation exposes stacked layers of medieval, Merovingian and Roman Paris beneath tourists’ feet. The emergency rebuild and plan to cool the forecourt with trees and water unlocked the dig, and esearchers race to reach pre-Roman Gaulish traces before construction resumes. PARIS — Wilting in the summer sun, a line of tourists waits to climb Notre Dame cathedral and meet its ga…

Under Notre Dame, archaeologists uncover layers of Paris history Wilting in the summer sun, a line of tourists waits to climb Notre Dame cathedral and meet its gargoyles. Four meters (13 feet) beneath them, a team of archaeologists is digging t...

Fourth-century coin and mysterious inscriptions found under Notre Dame ... Wilting in the summer sun, a line of tourists waits to climb Notre Dame cathedral and meet its gargoyles. Four meters (13 feet) beneath them, a team of archaeologists is digging the other way - straight down and back in time, to Roman Paris 2,000 years ago. In 2019, fire brought Notre Dame's spire crashing down as the world watched. The cathedral was rebuilt and reopened in late 2024, and now Paris wants to soften the hot, bare square in front of it with trees and shade. But in a city this old, the soil cannot be turned until what lies beneath it is excavated, in case it is damaged during works. So a slice of Notre Dame's forecourt has become an excavation site - an open pit ringed by barriers and crossed by a wooden walkway, a few steps from the line-up. A modern Da Vinci Code French media have dubbed it the "dig of the century." "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. Among the hundreds of objects already found: a fourth-century coin s…

AP exclusive: Under Notre Dame cathedral, a 'dig of the century ... Archaeologists are digging beneath Notre Dame Cathedral to explore as far back as Roman Paris from 2,000 years ago. The excavation started after the cathedral was rebuilt following the 2019 fire. The dig has uncovered hundreds of objects, including a 4th-century coin and a medieval jug with undeciphered markings. (AP video shot by: Nicolas Garriga) Archaeological workers wearing hard hats dig 4 meters (13 feet) underground during excavations outside Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, Monday, June 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Nicolas Garriga) Camille Colonna, archaeologist in charge of operations, wearing a safety helmet, poses in front of Notre-Dame Cathedral during excavations in Paris, Monday, June 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Nicolas Garriga) Archaeologist Lucie Altenburg examines a coin under a microscope after it was discovered during excavations outside Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, Monday, June 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Nicolas Garriga) A fragment bearing an inscription is photographed among artifacts discovered during excavations outside Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, Monday, June 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Nicolas Garriga) Archaeologist …