Ancient sarcophagus turns up during Notre Dame restoration | Abroad

“Parts of the ceiling have crashed,” explains chief archaeologist Christophe Besnier. “They punched a hole in the 19th-century heating pipes, which revealed several layers of soil that are very interesting and fascinating.” Exactly below the transept, the crossing between the two naves that make up many churches, several undiscovered tombs turned out to be located, including a lead sarcophagus.

The archaeologists think that the sarcophagus dates from the 14th century. Among other things, the layer in which the coffin was found would confirm this. If that turns out to be true, the find will be spectacular, says Besnier. “We were able to get a small camera in the box and on the images we saw fabrics, but also organic material such as hair and remains of plants. The fact that the plants are still there shows that the contents of the sarcophagus have been very well preserved.”

It is not yet known who is buried in the coffin. The archaeologists for now think it is someone in a high position, who was buried in the cathedral around 1300, 70 years after it was officially opened. The findings would point to a ritual “common when a religious leader was buried.” They hope the find can contribute to knowledge about medieval burials.

Notre Dame is in need of a major makeover after the catastrophic fire of 2019. For example, parts of the floor have to be replaced and the wooden vaults on the ceiling have to be almost completely redone. There are also plans to give the church an ‘update’with room for art and new lighting techniques.

Before gigantic scaffolding could be placed, archaeological research had to be carried out, according to the church leaders of the cathedral. This way the havoc could still be used for something good in the building that first opened in 1230. Time is ticking for the archaeologists, as they only have until March 25 to explore the newly found tombs.