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A 66-foot stone and timber wall discovered near Notre-Dame may belong to Lutetia, the ancient Gallic city described by Julius Caesar in his writings, the French Ministry of Culture announced.

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Archaeologists in Paris recently discovered an ancient wall that may belong to a lost city — possibly solving a centuries-old mystery dating back to the time of Julius Caesar.

This discovery was recently announced by the French Ministry of Culture.

In a translated statement, authorities said a wall discovered in the courtyard of the Hôtel-Dieu hospital - a stone's throw from Notre Dame Cathedral in the city's 4th arrondissement - may belong to the ancient city of Lutetia.

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Officials said the dig, which began in February, preceded a "major redevelopment project."

"Researchers initially expected to discover traces of houses, roads or ancient settlements from the medieval and early modern periods," the translated statement said.

Instead, next to those remains, they discovered a stone and wooden wall typical of ancient Gaulish fortifications.

The settlement was mentioned by Julius Caesar in his writings, particularly the Gallic Wars - but no definitive archaeological evidence has ever confirmed its location.

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French Culture Minister Catherine Pagard said in a statement that authorities "may be looking at one of the most important discoveries ever made in the understanding of the Gallic Lutetia.

"Scientific prudence still requires us to examine its performance and timing, but the convergence of evidence is particularly striking," Pegard added.

The wall, which stretches approximately 66 feet, bears evidence of a large fire, while radiocarbon testing of wooden elements found at the site suggests that they date between 200 BC. and 10 p.m.

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Researchers believe that this structure may have served as a defensive fortification for the Gauls.

The stonework of the wall showed signs of fire damage, while archaeologists also discovered burnt seeds and the remains of a burnt wooden building nearby.

Caesar's report shows that the Gallic Parisian tribe burned their fortified city in 52 BC. to prevent it from falling into the hands of the Romans.

Dorothée Chaoui-Derieux, a Paris archeology official at DRAC Île-de-France, said the fire damage is exactly what fueled researchers' suspicions that the wall might belong to the ancient settlement described by Julius Caesar.

Today, with this wall and its archaeological context, we may finally hold the key to solving this mystery.

"The architecture of the wall, with large stone blocks and a system of interlocking wooden beams, quickly got us thinking. A wall built in the Gaulish tradition." He said in this statement.

Due to the redevelopment project, the ancient wall cannot remain in its original location, officials said.

Instead, researchers plan to reconstruct part of the wall using the original stones and hope to eventually display it in a Paris museum.

Looking to the future, researchers plan to conduct further excavations to determine the wall's age and purpose.

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They will also examine the platform behind the structure and the remains buried beneath it.

Stéphane Deschamps, regional archeological conservator at DRAC Île-de-France, said the discovery "fills a gap in the archaeological record."

"Due to the lack of concrete evidence on the Île de la Cité, some have even suggested that it was located in Nanterre," Deschamps said.

Today, with this wall and its archaeological context, we may finally hold the key to solving this mystery.

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