200-Year-Old Archaeologist’s Note Found in France

A team of student volunteers in northern France has uncovered an unexpected piece of history during an archaeological dig. While excavating the remains of a Gaulish village near Dieppe on Monday, they found an earthenware pot containing a glass vial. Inside the vial was a message, written in 1825 by P.J. Féret, a local archaeologist who conducted excavations at the same site 200 years ago.

The note, rolled up and tied with string, reads:

“P.J Féret, a native of Dieppe, member of various intellectual societies, carried out excavations here in January 1825. He continues his investigations in this vast area known as the Cité de Limes or Caesar’s Camp.”

Guillaume Blondel, the dig team leader and head of Eu’s archaeological service, described the moment as “absolutely magic,” reports the BBC.

Unrolled message documenting 1825 excavations (Guillaume Blondel)

The discovery was made during an emergency excavation due to cliff erosion. It has added a personal touch to the ongoing exploration of the Gaulish fortified village, where several ancient pottery fragments have also been found.

Blondel noted that while the team had known about previous excavations at the site, discovering a personal message from an archaeologist who worked there two centuries ago was entirely unexpected.

“It’s very rare in archaeology to find something like this. Sometimes you see these time capsules left behind by carpenters when they build houses. But it’s very rare in archaeology. Most archaeologists prefer to think that there won’t be anyone coming after them because they’ve done all the work!”

Top image: The bottle containing an archaeologist’s note on earlier excavations.          Source: Guillaume Blondel

By Gary Manners