Ancient Sarcophagus Found under Notre-Dame Cathedral

French Ministry of Culture announced that ancient tombs and lead sarcophagus were found under Notre-Dame Cathedral during maintenance operations after the fire of 2019.

Archaeologist Christophe Besnier mentioned that the Sarcophagus must have been built for a respectable person in 13th century AD. It appears to have deformed somehow under the pressure of soil and stones. Scientists used a small endoscopy camera to see what’s inside this sarcophagus.

“Parts and pieces of cloth, hair, pillow of plant leaves can be seen on the head of the deceased. This is a well-known phenomenon that was used when burying senior clerics. the fact that the plant leaves are in good condition indicates that the body is in a very good condition too," Besnier  said.

In addition to tombs, scientists discovered elements of painted carvings, which archaeologists believe are parts of a barrier that separated the altar and the nave dating back to the 13th century.

Contribute by Israa Farhan