An archaeological discovery on the Île de la Cité may offer the first physical evidence of the Gallic origins of Lutetia, as described by Julius Caesar. Since February 2026, archaeologists have been excavating two courtyards of the Hôtel-Dieu on the Île de la Cité, as part of a hospital restructuring project carried out by the Assistance publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP). The excavation, conducted under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture (Drac Île-de-France), the City of Paris’s archaeological service (DHAAP), and Inrap, has uncovered a significant wall made of stone and wood, preserved over twenty meters. This structure is believed to be characteristic of Gallic fortifications from the end of the Iron Age. The wall also shows signs of a violent fire, with charred seeds and remnants of a burned wooden building found nearby. Alongside it, archaeologists identified an artificial platform of sand and gravel, which may be part of the rampart of the oppidum (fortified settlement) of Lutetia, the Gallic city that was reportedly burned in 52 BCE as Roman forces led by Julius Caesar approached. A Gallic spearhead was also found at the base of the wall. The discovery could represent a major breakthrough in understanding the origins of Paris. "We may be facing one of the most important relics ever discovered to understand Gallic Lutetia," said Catherine Pégard, Minister of Culture. Gallic Lutetia is primarily known through Caesar’s writings. In 53 BCE, he visited "Lutetia of the Parisii," where he held a meeting with Gallic leaders. In 52 BCE, his lieutenant Titus Labienus fought the Battle of Lutetia. Caesar described the city as a fortified settlement on an island in the Seine, occupied by the Parisii, a Gallic tribe. According to his account, the Gauls set fire to their own structures before the Roman forces arrived. For centuries, however, the precise location of Lutetia remained uncertain. While the Île de la Cité was a likely candidate due to Caesar’s description and the continuity of the name Lutetia, archaeological evidence of Gallic occupation on the island had been limited. Some scholars had even proposed a location in Nanterre. The newly discovered wall, with its Gallic construction style, may now shift this debate. The structure is built using a combination of stone blocks and horizontal wooden elements, a technique common in Gallic oppida at the end of the Iron Age. The platform of sand and gravel behind the wall may have supported the rampart or served another function. Archaeologists are now examining the wall’s possible role in the site’s organization, whether it was purely defensive, and how it relates to the surrounding structures. The intense fire that damaged the wall and nearby area adds another layer of intrigue. Charred seeds and a burned wooden building suggest a sudden and violent event, possibly linked to the destruction of Lutetia in 52 BCE. However, precise dating of the fire remains a challenge, requiring further analysis. The excavation has been approved under the Heritage Code, with additional studies planned to confirm the wall’s function and chronology. Researchers aim to determine the wall’s construction date, the nature of its destruction, its relationship with the sand and gravel platform, and whether older occupation layers exist beneath it. The wall, located at a significant depth, is not being preserved in situ due to the hospital restructuring project. Its fragile condition, with heavily damaged stone and calcined wood, presents challenges for conservation. In the coming weeks, archaeologists will create a cast of the wall for reconstruction purposes. In the long term, a section of the wall incorporating original stones may be displayed in a Paris museum. Digital documentation, including 3D modeling, will also help preserve the structure’s details. The findings could finally answer one of the oldest questions in Paris’s history, directly linking the city’s modern identity with its ancient Gallic roots.