French Amateur Archaeologists Discover 200-Year-Old Message in a Bottle

dieppe - A team of amateur archaeologists volunteering at a research site in North France found a 200-year-old message in a bottle that was still readable. The message was written by PJ Féret in 1825 during an excavation in Dieppe.

A team of amateur archaeologists, volunteering at an archaeological research site in North France, unearthed a 200-year-old message in a bottle. The message was discovered while combing through the remains of a Gallic village on the cliffs near Dieppe earlier this week. The volunteers found an earthenware pot containing a small glass bottle. "It was the kind of bottle that women used to wear around their necks, often containing smelling salts," said Guillaume Blondel, the team leader who heads the archaeological service of the city of Eu.

Inside the bottle was a note with a message, rolled up and tied with a string. Yesterday, the contents of the message were revealed as the text was still fairly legible. "PJ Féret, born in Dieppe and member of several intellectual societies, conducted excavations here in January 1825. He continued his research in this vast area known as the Cité de Limes or Caesar's Camp."

Féret was a prominent figure in the local community, and historical archives confirm that he conducted the first excavation at this site 200 years ago. "It was an absolutely magical moment," said Blondel. "While we were aware of past excavations, discovering this message from 200 years ago was a complete surprise. Everyone was in euphoria."

Since the beginning of the excavation, various artifacts dating back to the time of the Gauls have been unearthed, primarily pieces of pottery from about 2000 years ago.