After nearly three years of removing debris and ensuring that the 12th-century cathedral was structurally safe following a catastrophic 2019 fire, archaeologists were finally able to enter Notre-Dame for excavations in 2022.
Archaeological investigations were mandated under French law due to the scale of the cathedral reconstruction project and the potential presence of ancient artifacts or remains on the site. Finding items of interest was likely, given the cathedral’s 800-year-long history. The team from the French National Institute for Preventative Archaeological Research (INRAP), led by archaeologist Christophe Besnier, was given a little over a month to excavate beneath the cathedral’s transept. Initially, they were allowed to dig only 16 inches beneath the stone floor, reflecting the depth of the more than 700 tons of scaffolding which would shortly be installed for reconstructions to begin.
More than 1,000 fragments—700 of which still demonstrated colored paint on their surface that was, in some instances, incredibly well-preserved—were discovered beneath the cathedral’s stone floor. Due to the success of the five weeks of excavations, Besnier’s team was given more time to complete their research, which lasted more than two months. The area they excavated, beneath the transept, made up only 10 percent of the Notre-Dame’s ground surface.
Writing in April 2024, referencing the huge number of treasures that had been unearthed during the short excavation period and the limitations placed on INRAP to be able to publicize their finds, journalist Didier Rykner said, “it would be unforgivable to leave such splendors in the cathedral floor. The excavations must continue.”
Of the 1,035 fragments found by Besnier’s team, here are three of the most surprising:
Rood Screen Limestone Sculptures
Detail of 13th-century sculpted blocks discovered during Inrap’s restoration work. Photo: © Denis Gliksman, Inrap.
During their dig, archaeologists unearthed a row of limestone statue fragments. These figures were once part of Notre-Dame’s “rood screen”—a 13-foot-high ornate wooden divide that concealed the cathedral’s choir and sanctuary from the aisles. The sculptures were created in the 13th century, but were dismantled in the early 18th century due to changing aesthetic tastes and demands from the Sun King Louis XIV, leading to their whereabouts being undocumented for 300 years.
A fragment of the head of Jesus was described as “incredible” by Besnier for the National Geographic, saying that it is “really exceptional in its finesse, its attention to detail.” Around 30 fragments from sculptures from the rood screen were displayed at Paris’ Museé de Cluny this summer.
The Sarcophagus of an 18th Century Priest
A 14th century lead sarcophagus discovered during excavations of the floor of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. Photo by Julien de Rosa/AFP via Getty Images.
More than 400 people have been buried on the grounds of Notre-Dame, but archaeologists did not necessarily expect to find a leaden sarcophagus beneath the cathedral floor. The sarcophagus was analyzed using x-rays at the Toulouse University Hospital to learn more about the bodies inside, and experts identified the remains as those of a high priest named Antoine de la Porte who had died in 1710. Even before the sarcophagus was scanned, archaeologists were able to insinuate that the high priest’s body belonged to a significant religious reader.
Besnier told the Telegraph that because the casing was cracked, the team was able to look inside using an endoscopic camera, enabling them to “glimpse pieces of fabric, hair, and a pillow of leaves on top of the head, a well-known phenomenon when religious leaders were buried.”
A Poet’s Final Resting Place
An archaeologist works on a skeleton in a tomb at the burial site discovered in the nave of the Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral (Photo by SARAH MEYSSONNIER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Another surprising burial found during excavations was the tomb of the 16th-century poet Joachim du Bellay. Although it was known that du Bellay was buried in the cathedral, it wasn’t until Besnier’s team excavated Notre-Dame that his tomb’s precise location was discovered. Analysis undertaken on du Bellay’s remains found evidence of horse-riding injuries, tuberculosis, and meningitis. Before he was identified, archaeologists nicknamed him “Le Cavalier” based on the skeletal evidence of intense horseback riding. It is still not clear why du Bellay was buried beneath the transept and not in the side chapel where he had been interred, but it may have been a “temporary burial that became permanent,” as suggested by geneticist Eric Crubézy.