The find included several ancient tombs from the Middle Ages and a sarcophagus in the shape of a body that was buried in the heart of the monument destroyed by fire under the floor of the crosswalk. French experts described the discovery as “extraordinary and emotional”. “We revealed all this wealth just 10-15 cm below the floor slabs. It was completely unexpected. “There were excellent pieces that document the history of the monument,” said Christophe Besnier, who led the excavation team. “It was a moving moment. Suddenly we had several hundred pieces from small fragments to large blocks, such as sculpted hands, feet, faces, architectural decorations and plants. “Some of the pieces were still colored.” Photo: Denis Gliksman / Inrap The discovery was made by the French National Archaeological Institute, Inrap, on Thursday. A team from the institute was called in to carry out a “precautionary excavation” under a section of the cathedral floor between February and April, before a 600-ton 100-meter-high scaffolding was constructed to reconstruct the monument’s bell tower. So far, only a few pieces remain of the original screen of the Notre Dame de Paris, an elaborate partition between the sanctuary and the church that separated the clergy and choir from the church. Some of them are in the cathedral’s warehouses, while others are on display at the Louvre. In catholic churches, most were removed during the Counter-Reformation in the 16th and 17th centuries. The rest of Notre Dame seems to have been carefully buried under the cathedral floor during the restoration of the building by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc – who added the bell tower – in the mid-19th century. One of the most striking pieces was an intact sculpture of a man’s head, believed to be a representation of Jesus carved in stone. Another square of the screen, believed to date from the 13th century, shows a Gothic-style monument. The head of a statue that experts believe may be Jesus. Photo: Denis Gliksman / Inrap The Inrap team was given a strict schedule and only a specific area to carry out the excavation. After the fire that swept the 850-year-old cathedral, one of the most symbolic and most visited monuments in Paris, in April 2019, destroying almost the entire building, President Emmanuel Macron vowed to rebuild it and reopen it in five years. Last September, General Jean-Louis Georgelin, who was appointed to oversee the restoration, said the security of the cathedral structure had been consolidated, meaning that restoration and reconstruction of the fire-damaged sections could begin. He said the cathedral will be open for services and public visits as promised in 2024. Besnier said they had found several other screens under the floor, but these were outside the excavation limit. “We know they are there and they will not be destroyed. “Let’s hope we can reveal them later,” he said. The excavation also revealed a network of masonry heating pipes placed under the floor in the 19th century. Experts believe the lead sarcophagus may contain the body of a top church official, probably dating from the 14th century. A camera inserted into the coffin had revealed plant debris under the dead man’s head along with hair and fragments of cloth, but there was no sign identifying the passenger. Dominique Garcia, president of Inrap, said further tests would be performed, including DNA tests, but added: “A sarcophagus containing a human body is not an archeological object. “These are human remains, and while examining the sarcophagus and analyzing the body and other objects inside, we must do so with respect.” He said no decision had been made on where the body would be reburied once the tests were completed. “It’s too early to tell. It is possible that he will be buried again somewhere in the cathedral “.
