Recent archaeological findings excavated from the grounds of Notre Dame in Paris will be unveiled to the public soon. The new announcement was relayed by the cathedral's management, along with the experts behind the discovery.
Sarcophagus in Notre Dame, Paris
Workers stand among scaffolding of construction and renovation work, on the site of the discovery of a 14th-century sarcophagus, inside the Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris on April 15, 2022, on the third anniversary of a fire that partially destroyed the cathedral.
The church's restoration team first discovered the Notre Dame artifacts in March 2022. Among these artifacts were a mysterious, human-shaped sarcophagus and other objects dating back to the 14th century.
Archaeologists believe that the ancient materials under Notre Dame once belonged to the high-ranking officials of the cathedral.
Behind the unearthing of Notre Dame artifacts, French archaeologists are expected to open the mysterious sarcophagus sometime before the year ends.
Due to the devastating 2019 fire that nearly wiped out the church, the authorities and clergy behind the church pushed for a reconstruction project that would preserve the remaining parts of the place and improve the quality of its architecture.
Following the initial phases of the scaffolding preparations for Notre Dame's renovation, the specialists stumbled upon a human-shaped sarcophagus made of lead.
The location of the ancient coffin was underneath the floor of the nave, or the portion of the church's center. It is placed between a couple of brick pipes believed to have been used during the 19th century for heating systems. Yahoo reports.
Even though the sarcophagus had numerous holes accumulated from its burial time, its integrity was kept after being extracted safely from the ground. The ancient casket was challenging to dig, causing a few displacements on its original covering, but it remained unopened.
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Opening Soon
The sarcophagus and other objects collected were estimated to date back to the 14th century. However, the details of these materials will be examined further to point out the exact date of its creation and the identity of the body enclosed in the casket.
The first steps carried out by the experts included an endoscopy camera to have a glimpse of the ancient coffin's interiors. According to a report by NPR, the sarcophagus has organic matters (including hair) and clothes.
Plant compounds were also detected inside the coffin. This suggests that the people responsible for burying the person in the casket were able to preserve the remains properly. In addition to the plants, the body is made intact inside a thin wood made from a boxwood tree.
During the middle ages, boxwood trees and other materials for body preservation were utilized. The practice was more prominent among ancient France's social elite.
The National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research (Inrap) explained that the person lying on the sarcophagus was most likely an important person during the time and might be one of the names listed on the diocese's burial registry.
Inrap president Dominique Garcia said that a series of DNA tests would take place to know the individual's identity kept inside the lead coffin.
CBS reported that the sarcophagus is currently at a secure location and will be sent to the Institute of Forensic Medicine to learn more about its background.
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