According to media reports, on March 15, local time, archaeologists found a 14th-century sarcophagus under Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France.
Notre Dame Cathedral, known as the "National Treasure of France", has been being restored and rebuilt since the fire broke out in 2019. Recently, archaeologists accidentally excavated several tombs and a well-preserved 14th-century humanoid lead coffin at the site of the building's site.
The tombs were found while preparing to restore the spire at the heart of Notre Dame cathedral, the French Ministry of Culture said, and are almost in perfect condition. Experts believe that the coffin was made for a high-ranking official in the 1300s, a hundred years after the construction of Notre Dame Cathedral.
In addition to the tombs, painted sculptural elements have been found beneath the floor of Notre Dame de Paris, identified as part of a 13th-century partition wall (an architectural element separating the altar and the nave, which is a narrow space with a row of columns on one side, or a row of columns on each side).
The French minister of culture said that both the protection of the site and the reconstruction of the construction posed a challenge to the construction team. Archaeologists should end their work on March 25 to resume restoration work to ensure that Notre Dame can reopen in 2024.