Julius Caesar’s account of the Gallic Wars recounts how the Parisii—a Gallic tribe who lived on the Seine—burnt down their own capital, Lutetia, to prevent Roman invasion. The bold yet risky decision unfortunately didn’t stop the Romans, and it also meant the ancient settlement would stay lost for over two thousand years.

Until now, that is. In a statement, France’s ministry of culture announced the discovery of ancient Gallic stone and wood walls, as well as other Gallic artifacts. The archaeological site is located in the courtyard of the Hôtel-Dieu, a public hospital that reportedly opened in 829. The hospital itself is on the Île de la Cité, an island in the middle of the Seine that was long believed to be the original location of Lutetia. Importantly, the wall shows traces of fire, and a thick platform behind it, made from sand and gravel, suggests it was built for defensive purposes.

The discovery supports the hypothesis that Paris was built from the oppidum of Lutetia, according to the statement. The project was conducted by the Department of History of Architecture and Archaeology of Paris and the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research.

“This discovery fills an archaeological gap,” Stéphane Deschamps, an archaeologist at DRAC Île-de-France, said in the statement (translated via Google). “For centuries, the location of Lutetia has been debated. Today, with this wall and its context, we may hold the key to the mystery.”

To the chagrin of experts, Julius Caesar’s account of the Battle of Lutetia leaves a lot of room for dispute as to the exact location of the settlement.

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