Ancient Roman Road and Ruins unearthed in Paris
 

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory?id=1930682

Interesting that eventually they are going to rip it up so they can build a research center to study ancient Paris....

WOW! How amazing. It is hard to beleive it will be torn up.
How can they tell the floors were heated??!! :)

They probably found a preserved floor that had pipes running under it. I know they had the same thing in ancient Rome.

Roman heated floors: as I understand it, if a floor is resting on lots of small brick piers resting on another floor a few inches below, the supposition is that hot air was circulating in that gap. Often it's clear to see where there was a fire to heat the air.

Sounds vandalistic that it may disappear, but sites like this aren't that uncommon in older European cities (imagine the problems Rome, Athens and Istanbul have!). Major items, like mosaic floors and wall paintings, would normally be removed to a museum, but for historical purposes it's often enough to draw and photograph structural details.

I wonder if it is open to the public before the new building will be constructed.

It does seem a shame that it has to be dismantled, but it reminds me of an archeological site on Cape Cod some years ago. The shore there is eroding at a good pace, and one winter as the dunes receded they revealed an ancient native American campsite filled with artifacts. The archeologists had only a year or so to study it before the next winter would carry the remnants into the sea. Viewing it felt a little like Brigadoon.