Ancient necropolis unearthed just feet away from bustling Paris train station

A forgotten necropolis packed with 50 graves has been discovered near a bustling train station in central Paris by archeologists excavating the site ahead of construction work.

Thousands of commuters have been unknowingly treading the ground just 10 feet (3 meters) above the 2,000-year-old graves, which belonged to the largest known burial site in what was the Gallo-Roman town of Lutetia. The ancient town spread across 10 acres (4 hectares) in its day and sat on the banks of the Seine River, where Notre Dame Cathedral stands today, according to the French Ministry of Culture (opens in new tab).

The site, known as the “Saint James necropolis,” was located in the south of Lutetia and sprawled along one of its main thoroughfares, the Roman-built cardo maximus. Archeologists estimate that the site was used as a burial ground between the first and third centuries AD, before it was abandoned in the fourth century.

The site, known as the “Saint James necropolis,” was located in the south of Lutetia and sprawled along one of its main thoroughfares, the Roman-built cardo maximus. Archeologists estimate that the site was used as a burial ground between the first and third centuries AD, before it was abandoned in the fourth century.