Researchers discover 200-year-old message in a bottle left by archaeologist

Group leader Guillaume Blondel called the discovery an “absolutely magical moment.”

A group of volunteers have unearthed a message in a bottle left by an archaeologist nearly 200 years ago. The “time capsule” was discovered at an excavation site in Normandy, France, earlier this week as part of an emergency dig. The glass bottle contained a neatly rolled-up letter that revealed details about the archaeological site at the ancient Gaulish clifftop village near the town of Eu.

Researchers unearthed a 200-year-old message in a bottle at an archaeological site in Normandy, France (Guillaume Blondel)

Researchers unearth 200-year-old message in a bottle

“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,” read the contents of the letter. Féret, the archaeologist who left the letter, was a local notable, reported BBC. Municipal records of the French town confirm that he first conducted a at the site 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?”