Denis Gliksman / INRAP
One of hundreds of artifacts found at Notre Dame
A historic screen and hundreds of other works of art lay beneath the iconic French cathedral. It took a fire and just a few meters of digging for unimaginable treasures to be found.
As soon as the archaeological team investigating the French cathedral of Notre Dame after the fire that destroyed it removed the floor tiles and a thin layer of dirt and rubble, the top of a lead coffin.
Nearby, limestone sculptures began to appear: life-size heads and torsos, lined up neatly beneath the floor, along the entrance to the choir, counts a.
The statues were the most significant find. Archaeologists have determined that they are remains of the limestone “screen” from the 13th centurywhich used to close Notre Dame’s choir and sanctuary from public view.
Today, when people enter Notre Dame’s central portal, they can see the modern altar and choir ahead. But in the 13th century, when Notre Dame was just being built, this vision was intersected by the screen, topped by a giant crucifix.
according to the historian Mathieu Lours, the screen was useful not only for hiding stairs that allowed priests to reach the pulpit, but also for allow priests to isolate themselves in the choir during his eight daily prayers.
The sculptures on the screen depict scenes from the central history of Christianity. “We know from ancient descriptions that there were scenes of Christ’s passion”, says the historian Dany Sandron. From the Last Supper to the crucifixion or resurrection.
Priests also used the screen to carry out the sacrament of the Eucharist. During this ceremony, the faithful were not able to see what was happening.
“It’s the moment when you see nothing and hear nothing that is most important,” says Lours. “It’s the most mysterious time, when people listen the most…. They know something absolutely incredible is happening. A miracle is happening.”
It was King Louis XIV, who wanted a more open choir — which included large statues of him and his father, Louis XIII — which led to the original screen being dismantled in the 1710s. As we now know, the object was buried close to where it was located.
There is also, among the discoveries, a sculpture of a Christ which “is truly exceptional for its delicacy, for its attention to detail”, says the archaeologist Christophe Besnier. “The representation of the eyelids, the ears, the nose — it’s incredible.”
Besnier and his team from the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research initially had no more than five weeks to excavate, as archeology laws in this type of space are very strict in France.
However, as new artifacts were discovered, the excavation time was extended. At the end of the investigation, the team had collected 1035 fragments of numerous works of art. “It’s very impressive,” says the archaeologist to National Geographic. But they weren’t just any works of art.
According to French art critic Didier Ryknethese are “some of the most exceptional works of sculpture from any period in the world”. Now, around 30 of these sculptures, which had been lost for centuries, have been displayed in the.
There are evils that come with good, and the Notre Dame fire was one of them. Without him, archaeologists would never have started this excavation. Now, with the cathedral reopened to the publicit will be more difficult to continue excavations, even though the archaeologist believes that there is much more to find.
“It would be unforgivable to leave such splendors on the floor of the cathedral. Excavations must continue,” Rykner wrote. But with the recently restored choir and the , This is not likely to happen anytime soon. “It’s not on the agenda,” says Besnier.
