A canal was drained in Paris. 21 photos show what they found on the bottom

Ever wonder what winds up at the bottom of a canal after 15 years?
For the first time since 2001, the Canal Saint-Martin in Paris was drained so it could be cleaned, and the photos of the operation do a pretty neat job of answering that question.

The project began on Monday, Jan. 4, and is expected to continue for the next three months, according to a report in The Guardian.

A lot of what workers have found so far is kind of fascinating. And definitely not pretty. It's either the remains of the most off-the-wall holiday party ever or a real-time look at a decade and a half of pollution.