Mysterious Sarcophagus Discovered Below Paris' Notre-Dame Cathedral Will Soon Be Opened

The announcement of the sarcophagus being opened came a day before the third anniversary of the Notre-Dame de Paris fire, which engulfed the 12th century Gothic landmark.

The picture shows a 14th-century lead sarcophagus discovered in the floor of Notre Dame Cathedral, in Paris, on March 15, 2022. Credit: JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP

New Delhi: A mysterious sarcophagus discovered below Paris' Notre-Dame cathedral after it was devastated in 2019 in the Notre-Dame de Paris fire, will soon be opened, and its secrets will be revealed, French archaeologists said Thursday, news agency AFP reported.

The announcement of the sarcophagus being opened came a day before the third anniversary of the Notre-Dame de Paris fire, which engulfed the 12th century Gothic landmark.

A sarcophagus is a stone coffin, typically adorned with a sculpture or inscription and associated with the ancient civilisations of Egypt, Rome, and Greece. 

Last month, preparatory work to rebuild the church's ancient spire was underway, when workers found the well-preserved sarcophagus buried more than a metre underground. The large decorative stone receptacle was lying among the brick pipes of a 19th-century heating system.

However, the sarcophagus is believed to be much older. It could possibly be from the 14th century, an AFP report said.

Scientists who peeked into the sarcophagus using an endoscopic camera saw the upper part of a skeleton, a pillow of leaves, fabric, and some unidentified objects.

France's INRAP national archaeological research institute said during a press conference that the sarcophagus was extracted from the Notre-Dame cathedral on Tuesday.

The sarcophagus is currently being held in a secure location and will be sent "very soon" to the institute of Forensic Medicine in the south-western city of Toulouse, the report said.

Lead archaeologist Christophe Besnier said that forensic experts will then open the sarcophagus and study its contents, to identify the skeleton's gender and former state of health. He added that carbon dating technology could be used.

Besnier noted that it was found under a mound of Earth that had furniture from the 14th century. Quoting Besnier, the report said "if it turns out that it is in fact a sarcophagus from the Middle Ages, we are dealing with an extremely rare burial practice".

The scientists also hope to determine the social rank of the deceased. Considering the place and style of burial, the person who was buried in the sarcophagus was presumably among the elite of that time.

Dominique Garcia, head of INRAP, said that the body will be examined "in compliance" with French laws regarding human remains, adding that a human body is not an "archaeological object". He further said that as human remains, the civil code applies and archaeologists will study it as such.

Garcia also said that once they are done studying the sarcophagus, it will be returned "not as an archaeological object but as an anthropological asset".

The possibility of reinterment in the cathedral was being studied, INRAP said. Reinterment is the act of reburial of a dead body.