Take a look at the beta version of dw.com. We're not done yet! Your opinion can help us make it better.

We use cookies to improve our service for you. You can find more information in our data protection declaration.

A human-shaped lead sarcophagus found beneath the floor at the fire-ravaged Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris has generated much speculation about its contents.

Unveiling of French find under Notre Dame

During rebuilding work on the fire-damaged spire of Notre Dame Cathedral in March, workers discovered a well-preserved lead sarcophagus — a coffin — buried about one meter (3.3 feet) under the floor.

The find was announced last week, one day before the three-year anniversary of the devastating fire that engulfed Paris' 850-year-old cathedral.

During the fire, the vaulted ceiling crashed to the floor and opened up a 19th-century heating system and, underneath, a series of layers. Those layers contained the coffin, among other objects, including painted sculptures, that were discovered in March.

Experts are speculating that the discovered sarcophagus dates back to the 14th century.

"If it turns out that it is in fact a sarcophagus from the Middle Ages, we are dealing with an extremely rare burial practice," said Christophe Besnier, an archaeologist with the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP), during a press conference at the site on April 14.

Besnier said that the 19th-century architect and restorer Eugene Viollet-le-Duc discovered sarcophagi made of lead in French churches, but said they were more modern, having been found with a funeral plate used to identify the dead.

"Here, we don't have a funeral plate and, if you look at the period, it's still a hypothesis; it's from the 14th century or a bit later," Besnier said.

He said his team at INRAP would soon open the sarcophagus to reveal the skeleton's gender and former state of health, adding that carbon-dating technology could be used.

So far, the team has peeked into the sarcophagus using an endoscopic camera. The upper part of a skeleton, a pillow of leaves, fabric and as-yet-unidentified objects have been revealed. It is the start of a potential treasure trove of information about the cathedral's medieval past.

Anyone buried in such an auspicious location is likely to have been from the Paris elite.

"We're not on any place; we're on the island of the Seine, in Notre Dame," Besnier said.

"Considering the characteristics and location of the sarcophagus, the hypothesis of a burial of a high dignitary seems probable," the French Ministry of Culture said in a press release.

This hypothesis is backed by the sculpted elements also found at the site, which were identified as belonging to an old rood screen — the ornate partition at the front of the church — that was built around 1,230 AD and destroyed at the beginning of the 13th century.

Antique objects found by archaeologists in the floor of Notre Dame Cathedral

Viollet-le-Duc found other fragments belonging to this screen, which is now on display at the Louvre Museum in Paris. "It is therefore a discovery of the greatest interest," said the ministry.

The INRAP team also discovered numerous other artifacts, including a stone sculpture of a human head resembling Jesus, and decorative stone fragments with paint traces.

"We uncovered all these riches just 10-15 cm (4-6 inches) under the floor slabs," Besnier said. "It was completely unexpected. There were exceptional pieces documenting the history of the monument.”

The discovery was "an emotional moment," he said.

Many on social media are calling for the coffin to remain unopened, proposing — often in jest — that evil forces might be unleashed if the sanctity of the dead is disturbed.

Some argued that horror novels by US author Stephen King, including 1983's "Pet Sematary," should be a warning not to awaken evil spirits.

"What part of a 'human-shaped lead sarcophagus' buried under the holy ground of a cathedral do they not get means DON'T OPEN! You want to see a Antediluvian vampire?" tweeted @DFW_DM_Monty.

INRAP head Dominique Garcia confirmed that the examination of the body will be "in compliance" with French laws on dealing with human remains.

"A human body is not an archaeological object," he said. "As per human remains, the civil code applies, and archaeologists will study it as such." 

At 6:20 p.m. on April 15, 2019, a smoke alarm sounded in Paris, in its world-famous Notre Dame Cathedral. But the source of the fire could not be detected, which is why only a second alarm led to the evacuation of the church. Shortly afterwards, the ridge turret and the roof truss were engulfed in flames. The fire's cause remains unknown, but a short circuit or a discarded cigarette was suspected.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced almost defiantly that Notre Dame would be restored within five years, and "more beautiful than ever before." Experts meanwhile presume, also due to the pandemic, that it will take considerably longer until the restoration is complete. In addition to the damage to the building framework, the interior and the organ must also be restored.

Two hundred tons of building material fell into the nave of the Gothic building as a result of the fire. For a long time, it was unclear whether the ceiling vault was in danger of collapsing, as the extinguishing of the fire saturated it with water. The cathedral in the east of the city was built from 1163 to 1345; the wooden tower was added in the mid-19th century.

Construction economists estimated the cost of reconstruction at €400 to 600 million ($479 million to $718 million). Since there was no insurance coverage for the state-owned cathedral and no evidence of third-party fault, the costs would have fallen on the shoulders of French taxpayers. However, within days of the fire, donations of more than €800 million had already been pledged.

Donation pledges quickly reached the €1 billion mark. Large national corporations and the super-rich were the most prominent donors, which sparked criticism that the money elite was interfering in state affairs, acting like landlords, while otherwise always looking for ways to pay as little taxes as possible. Critics felt that the reconstruction of Notre Dame would become a symbol of the elite.

The old roof structure was nicknamed "La forêt" — the forest. It was built in the 13th century from around 1,300 oak beams. For the new roof structure, 2,000 oaks will be felled. The project was criticized as an "ecocide." A petition against the sacrifice of the ancient trees has been signed by 40,000 people.

As a counter-argument, forest owners point out that the 2,000 oaks only represent 0.1% of the total annual harvest. French President Macron announced in July 2020 that Notre Dame would be reconstructed according to its historical design, with oak and lead. Other cathedrals' structures have been restored with concrete instead.

Nothing in the cathedral's architecture is to be changed. After the blaze, alternative design ideas were considered, including a walk-on glass roof. But the French parliament decided that the restoration should remain true to the original. The works will not be completed by 2024, however. The director of Notre Dame, Patrick Chauvet, currently expects a total construction time of 15 to 20 years.

© 2022 Deutsche Welle | Privacy Policy | Accessibility Statement | Legal notice | Contact | Mobile version