In an extraordinary discovery, a team of archaeologists and volunteers unearthed a 200-year-old time capsule during a dig near the coastal cliffs of Bracquemont, France. Hidden inside a small earthenware jar was a fragile glass vial containing a rolled-up message tied with string. The note, dating back to January 1825, provides a rare glimpse into the past and the efforts of an early archaeologist.
Guillaume Blondel, head of the archaeological service of the town of Eu, led the excavation at the historic site known as Caesar’s Camp. The dig was necessitated by the ongoing erosion of the cliffs, threatening to wash away centuries of history. “We knew there had been excavations here in the past, but to find this message from 200 years ago… it was a total surprise,” Blondel told the BBC.

A Message From History
The message was written by Pierre-Jacques Féret, a noted archaeologist and historian from Dieppe. Féret, who conducted the first dig at the site in 1825, wrote: “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.”

Féret’s letter had been tucked inside the bottle along with two coins, serving as a time capsule for future generations. “It was an absolutely magic moment,” Blondel said, still amazed by the discovery. The note had survived two centuries in near-perfect condition, safeguarded in its ceramic container, a testament to the careful preservation methods of the time.
The Incredible Discovery
The discovery was made while the team was conducting a rescue dig to protect the site from the encroaching coastline. Pierre, a volunteer, was the first to strike the ceramic jar with his shovel. “The team's reaction was a great ‘Wahoo.’ It was a super surprise. Totally magical,” Blondel recalled, his excitement still palpable. As they carefully extracted the bottle, the team marveled at the idea that they were holding a message from nearly two centuries ago.
“It’s even rare in our profession to find time capsules,” Blondel remarked to France Info. “I don’t know if there have been any this old in France before. I still need to look into it.”

Connecting the Past to the Present
For Blondel and his team, the discovery of the time capsule sparked curiosity about the work Féret had done at the site. While the Gaulish village at Caesar’s Camp was known, much remains a mystery about the people who lived there and the activities that took place. “What we don’t know is what went on inside the village. Was it a place of importance?” Blondel pondered in his interview with the BBC.
The team hopes the discovery will shed light on the significance of the site, which has already yielded several artifacts dating back over 2,000 years. Blondel and his team are now considering how best to preserve and present this historic find to the public.

Leaving a New Legacy
In a poetic twist, Blondel, along with the mayor of Dieppe, Nicolas Langlois, and the mayor of Eu, Michel Barbier, decided to follow in Féret’s footsteps by creating their own time capsule. The three men wrote letters and placed them in a container, which they buried at the site where Féret’s note was found. Blondel hinted at the contents, saying they were “writings in place with the history of the site, archaeology, and the teams that worked here.”
These modern-day messages will remain buried, awaiting discovery by future archaeologists. “To find out what we wrote, we’re meeting in 200 years,” Blondel said, leaving a new mystery for generations to come.
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