Two years after the devastating fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, archaeologists have made an exciting find during restoration work: under the floor they came across a sarcophagus that is more than 600 years old and a number of sculptures.
As reported by the French Ministry of Culture, several previously unknown graves were discovered during floor work in the area of the crossing (where the nave and transept cross). They probably date from the 14th century and are “of remarkable scientific quality”.
In the tombs, researchers discovered a lead sarcophagus. “We went down there with a small camera and discovered remains of clothing, organic material such as hair and plant remains,” says Christophe Besnier of the National Institute of Archaeology. He adds: “The fact that the plant material still exists shows that the finds are very well preserved.”
Archaeologists suspect that a high dignitary was buried in the sarcophagus. Besnier and his team also discovered a pit in which several multicolored sculptures were found. They are probably part of the old rood screen (a kind of barrier separating the space of the priests’ college from the rest of the church space), which was built around 1230 and destroyed in the early 18th century.
The Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris is one of the oldest Gothic churches in France. It was built from 1163 to 1345 and was largely destroyed in just 63 minutes during renovation work in 2019. During the fire inferno, the oak roof structure was destroyed and the wooden crossing tower collapsed.
The sympathy after the fire was huge – within just two days, more than 900 million euros were donated from all over the world. Most recently, more than 1000 oak trees were felled in France, which are now being dried in 45 sawmills. They are then to be sawn to size for the reconstruction of the roof truss and installed in the cathedral next year. The grand opening is planned for 2024.
