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Discovery in Vitry-sur-Seine reveals rare traces of hunter-gatherers, flint tools, arrowheads, and an ancient campfire preserved under the future Les Ardoines station.
An archaeological excavation conducted in Vitry-sur-Seine, France, revealed a Mesolithic camp approximately 10,000 years old under the area of a future train station.
The discovery occurred during preventive archaeology work for the construction of the Les Ardoines station, part of the Grand Paris Express megaproject.
Experts from Inrap, the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research, identified traces linked to ancient hunter-gatherers who lived on the banks of the Seine River.
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The find gained importance because the materials were protected for millennia. Layers of sediment and mud, left by the floods of the Seine River, preserved the objects at about 2.5 meters deep.
The excavation shows how a modern urban project can reveal deep fragments of human occupation. In this case, the future metropolitan transport brought to the surface a rare prehistoric memory.
Archaeological investigation reveals camp preserved by the Seine
The analyzed area covers about 4,000 m² and is located in a region marked by intense urban and industrial transformation.
Archaeologists collected thousands of flint fragments and tools made of sandstone. These materials indicate the presence of nomadic groups in the area during the Mesolithic period.
According to Lapogianni Marcucci, an archaeologist at Inrap, the camp would have functioned as a strategic point for preparing and repairing arrowheads.
These pieces were essential for bow hunting. The practice characterized the human groups that circulated in the region about 10,000 years ago.
The location near the river also favored access to water and attracted animals hunted by the ancient inhabitants.
Small tools reveal details of prehistoric life
The pieces found are impressive for their quantity and scientific value. Many of them are small, fragile, and difficult to identify during the excavation.
Cécile Ollivier-Alibert, an archaeologist at Inrap, highlighted the care needed to recognize the tiny fragments preserved in the soil.
A well-preserved projectile point represents an important piece for research. This type of remnant helps to understand hunting techniques, movement, and survival.
Researchers also found a fireplace marked by heated stones. The remnant indicates the use of fire and helps to understand the organization of space within the camp.
The collection reinforces the importance of the site for studying the daily life of Mesolithic hunter-gatherers.
Climate change transformed the hunters’ landscape
The camp belongs to a phase of major environmental changes in Europe.
The warming of the Holocene transformed the landscape and replaced the old cold steppe with forested areas.
Animals like deer and wild boars began to circulate more frequently in this new environment.
Human groups had to adapt routes, tools, and hunting strategies to survive in this changing scenario.
The remnants found in Vitry-sur-Seine help explain how these hunter-gatherers responded to changes in climate and vegetation.
Arrowheads link discovery to Beuronian culture
Technical reports coordinated by Bénédicte Souffi, archaeologist at Inrap and scientific leader of the operation, relate the site to Beuronian culture.
The association was made based on the types of arrowheads found in the excavation.
The presence of this technical set indicates a northern influence already observed in other areas of Île-de-France.
The camp, in this way, expands knowledge about the movement of human groups in the region during the Mesolithic.
The discovery also reinforces the role of the Seine banks as a strategic area for occupation, hunting, and movement.
Memory buried beneath the modern metropolis
Vitry-sur-Seine is currently undergoing changes related to urban expansion and metropolitan transport.
The excavation, however, revealed a historical depth that spans from the Mesolithic to the Middle Ages.
The site was opened to the public in June 2026, during the European Archaeology Days.
Residents were able to follow part of the archaeological work done with spatulas and observe remains preserved under the city’s soil.
The future Les Ardoines station thus comes to represent more than urban mobility. It also exposes a rare link between the contemporary metropolis and human groups that lived in the region 10,000 years ago.
What catches your attention most about this discovery: the camp hidden under a modern construction or the preservation of the remains by the Seine River mud? Share your opinion!
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