We thought we knew everything about the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral, and yet… This Monday March 14 marks the day of an incredible discovery. As a matter of fact, the French Minister of Culture announced the discovery of major archaeological relics within Notre-Dame de Paris including a lead sarcophagus.
An operation of preventative archaeological digs at the crossing of the transept of Notre-Dame de Paris enable to discover fragments from the former jube and a lead sarcophagus probably dating from the 14th century, the minister claimed.
#CommuniquédePresse | Une opération de fouilles archéologiques préventives à la croisée du transept de Notre-Dame de Paris a permis la mise au jour de fragments de l’ancien jubé et un sarcophage en plomb datant probablement du XIVe siècle.
👉 https://t.co/5ZdOjpAUtc pic.twitter.com/YGkyuKGJUu
— Ministère de la Culture 🇫🇷 🇪🇺 (@MinistereCC) March 14, 2022
This discovery was made about a dozen days ago, Le Figaro says. At the time being, we do not know who is resting within the sarcophagus that is in a great state of preservation. The sarcophagus was actually placed underneath the nave. Given its location and intact condition, the Ministry of Culture thinks it could be “the sepulcher of a high dignitary”.
A pit has been discovered as well including several “polychromous sculpted elements identified as belonging to the former jube of Notre-Dame, built circa 1230 and destroyed in the early 18th century”. “This is a highly valuable discovery, likely to deliver new data on this jube and the quality of its painted décor”, the Ministry of Culture adds.
These digs – carried out by the INRAP (the national institute of preventative archaeological digs) – initiated on February 2 will continue until March 25, the Ministry announced. For your information, this is not the first time such discoveries are made. In the 19th century, renovations carried out by Viollet-le-Duc enabled similar findings now displayed at the Louvre.
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