Maintenance teams were ready to erect scaffolding before restoring the 800-year-old cathedral’s spire, which had survived a massive fire in the spring of 2019.
Archaeologists excavating at Notre Dame Cathedral discovered many burials dating back to the 18th century. The found anthropomorphic lead coffin, which belonged to a high-ranking dignitary who died no later than the 14th century, stands out among them.
The history of Notre Dame and the devastating fire
The Notre Dame Cathedral, erected between 1163-and 1345 on the site of the Gallo-Roman temple of Jupiter and the Christian Basilica of Saint Stephen, is located in the heart of France’s capital, on the Ile de la Cité island.
The temple is a Gothic five-nave basilica with a short transept, a choir, and a crown of chapels; the temple is a Gothic five-nave basilica with a short transept, an ensemble a dome of chapels. Sculptures depicting scenes from the life of the Mother of God and the Last Judgment adorn the building’s façade.
The cathedral’s interior and facade were considerably reconstructed in the XVII-XVIII centuries. A 96-meter oak spire was created during the renovation, which took place in the middle of the 19th century and was embellished with bronze statues of the apostles and evangelists.
On April 15, 2019, a fire broke out at Paris’ Notre Dame Cathedral, taking 14 hours to put out. The majority of the tower that caught fire was a timber frame built from 1300 oaks in the 12th and 13th centuries.
The fire originated near the foot of the spire, where restoration work was proceeding at the time, beginning in 2018. The fire soon spread throughout the cathedral’s roof because of the scaffolding. As a result, the spire fell, causing damage to the building’s vaults.
A human-shaped sarcophagus was discovered during new excavations at Notre Dame.
From February 2 to March 25, 2022, archaeologists from France’s National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research are excavating at Notre Dame Cathedral, followed by the erection of scaffolding for the repair of the spire.
The researchers concentrated their efforts in the temple’s middle area, where the transept crosses the central nave.
Even though some work on the site was done in the nineteenth century, archaeologists could unearth critical historical artifacts. Scientists have discovered many burials dating back to the 18th century.
A well-preserved lead sarcophagus in an anthropomorphic form sticks out among them. According to archaeologists, it belonged to a high-ranking dignitary who died no later than the 14th century.
The coffin was beautifully maintained but slightly distorted under the weight as it rested in the center of brick pipes (a 19th-century subsurface heating system). There are still bits of cloth, hair, and a leaf pillow inside.
The archaeologists discovered medieval pits beneath the temple’s level, which contained shards of polychrome sculptures.
According to the experts, these items are the remains of the old altar barrier from the 13th century, which separated the temple’s altar from the nave. Some of these earlier discoveries are currently on display at the Louvre.
