Volunteers recently uncovered a message in a bottle left by archaeologist PJ Feret nearly 200 years ago at an excavation site in Normandy, France. The glass bottle, now referred to as a “time capsule,” was found earlier this week at the ancient Gaulish clifftop village near Eu. Inside the bottle was a carefully rolled letter revealing details about the site.
The letter, written by Feret, dated back to January 1825 and mentioned that he was a member of several scientific societies while continuing his research at the Cité de Limes site.
The note read, “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 head of the archaeological service in Eu, expressed his excitement about the discovery, calling it “an absolutely magic moment.” Blondel explained, “We knew there had been excavations here in the past, but to find this message from 200 years ago… it was a total surprise.” He further remarked on the rarity of such finds in archaeology, adding, “Most archaeologists prefer to think that there won’t be anyone coming after them because they’ve done all the work!”
Feret, a notable local figure, had conducted his first excavation at the site two centuries ago, confirmed by the town’s municipal records, according to The BBC.
