An archaeologist left a bottle with a message almost 200 years ago, which a group of volunteers have discovered. As part of an emergency dig, the “time capsule” was found earlier this week at an excavation site in Normandy, France. Within the glass bottle was a neatly rolled-up letter that offered information on the archeological site located near the town of Eu at an ancient Gaulish clifftop settlement.
In January 1825, P.J. Féret, a Dieppe native and member of several intellectual groups, conducted excavations here. The letter’s contents stated, “He continues his investigations in this vast area known as the Cité de Limes or Caesar’s Camp.” According to the BBC, the archaeologist who left the note, Féret, was well-known in the area. It is confirmed by the French town’s municipal records that he conducted the first at the location 200 years ago.
The group’s leader, Guillaume Blondel, said of the discovery, “It was the kind of vial that women used to wear round their necks containing smelling-salts,” according to the outlet. Calling it an “absolutely magical moment,” Blondel went on to say, “We knew there had been excavations here in the past, but to find this message from 200 years ago… it was a total surprise.”
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!” Blondel, who heads the archaeological service for the town of Eu, continued. “We knew it was a Gaulish village. What we don’t know is what went on inside the village. Was it a place of importance?”
