The secrets revealed by the archaeological excavation of Notre-Dame – Le Monde

By Nathaniel Herzberg Published today at 1:03 p.m., updated at 1:21 p.m. Reserved for our subscribers FactualTwo leaded sarcophagi, a mysterious wall, but above all a sumptuous polychrome rood screen: the results of the research carried out in the basement of the cathedral, made public Thursday, April 14, is considered “exceptional”. It was to be a flash campaign. Three weeks of regulatory excavations carried out under the crossing of the transept of Notre-Dame de Paris, before the casting of a thick concrete slab and the erection of a scaffolding of 600 tons for the reconstruction of the famous arrow, disappeared in the cathedral fire just three years ago. Thursday, April 14, it is however the balance sheet of nine and a half weeks of intense work that the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (Inrap) has made public. Despite the urgency of the construction site, the public establishment of Notre-Dame granted three extensions. On Friday April 8, the team of five researchers officially ended their research, which began on February 2. With however a last and delicate tightening, Tuesday April 12, to leave without damage of the embankments the leaded sarcophagus, object of all the attentions. View of the lead sarcophagus surrounded by 19th century heating flues at Notre-Dame, in Paris, on March 28, 2022. DENIS GLIKSMAN / INRAP The announcement of its discovery, Monday March 14, by the Minister of Culture, Roselyne Bachelot , caused a sensation. Last probable residence of a high religious dignitary, this anthropomorphic tomb, which therefore follows the shape of the body of the deceased, has not yet revealed all its mysteries. We do not yet know the name or rank of the buried clergyman. The lead protection had been fantasized for a while. What if the mummified body had remained intact? “There were small openings, so time has done its work of decomposition,” explains Christophe Besnier, the operation manager. The small endoscopic camera slipped inside mainly saw bones, plants, pieces of tissue. “It seems that there are shreds of dry skin on his skull, but we will know more when we open the coffin”, continues the archaeologist. The operation should take place within a few months at the Forensic Institute of Toulouse, a past master in the study of ancient human remains. “We will do all the necessary research, but these are not archaeological remains, these are human remains, insists Stéphane Deschamps, head of the regional archaeological service of Ile-de-France, which controls the mission. The time of the reburial will come. A space in the cathedral is the option we are heading towards. “Read also: Article reserved for our subscribers At Notre-Dame de Paris, a sarcophagus comes to cause trouble The last days of excavation have delivered a major surprise. By completely clearing the sarcophagus, the researchers found that it had already been moved. The metal structure was placed at an angle in a niche too small to accommodate it properly. “He was in the middle of embankments, on a slope, head down, specifies Mr. Besnier. If that was his original position, he would at least be flat. For the time being, it is impossible to know when the trip took place. Or when the dignitary died. Pieces of ceramics found in the embankments surrounding the sarcophagus and characteristic of the 14th century suggested that the sarcophagus predates it. “It is only a hypothesis, weighs the researcher. The ceramic material could also be moved. And the sarcophagus is not in its primary position. Lead-lined sarcophagi are very rare in medieval times. But we will have the answer with the carbon 14 dating of the bones and the analysis of the tissues. And if we find objects inside, it will be even better. You have 56.94% of this article left to read. The following is for subscribers only.