Scientists Are Gaining More Knowledge On The Sarcophagi Buried Beneath Notre Dame Cathedral

PARIS - Months ago, during the reclaiming efforts after a fire that damaged a good portion of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris some three years ago, archaeologists found two enigmatic sarcophagi SSJ had reported on several months ago. Since then, archaeologists have uncovered more about exactly who was buried in them.

One of the tombs contained the remnant of a high priest who passed away in 1710. Scientists have discovered the man's identification, Antoine de la Porte from inscriptions on his casket that divulged that he was 83 years old when he passed on, according to a comment from Toulouse University Hospital and the National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP).

The casket had been contaminated over the previous 300 years, permitting air from the outside to creep in. All that is left behind are beard and head hairs, bones, and various goods.

A report from LiveScience implies that Antoine de la Porte lived a stationary life and took magnificent care of his teeth. The man displayed traces of gout – which is an agonizing type of arthritis that is most often called the “disease of kings” partly because of the correlation between the intemperance of food and drink.

The second casket contained an unidentified male between the age of 25 and 40 that probably existed during a previous time. Archaeologists postulate the man was a horseback rider predicated on research done on his hip bones. Scientists have also dubbed this man “Le Cavalier” as an exact name that has yet to be determined.

In analyzing how the man was interred, investigators presume the man was a nobleman. On the interior of the casket, they located debris from flowers and leaves, probably from a wreath or crown. The man also seems to be mummified as per a report from The Guardian. Specialists presume “Le Cavalier” experienced a bout of some type of persistent illness, and speculate the man could have died from chronic meningitis as an aftereffect of tuberculosis, as reported by
LiveScience.

The two men were entombed in sarcophagi crafted out of the lead, which is a tradition restricted to the upper class and still employed today with the passing of Queen Elizabeth II.

The two caskets are quite unique from each other, which indicates that each man existed at differing time periods. The casket of “Le Cavalier,” seems to be sculpted around his body.

Notre Dame Cathedral was constructed between the 12th and 13th centuries and the fire which damaged a large portion of it happened in April 2019. About 500 firefighters attempted to manage the fire, preserving greater portions of the building from damage. The fire devastated a majority of the wooden ceiling and made the spire cave in. Inspectors speculate a cigarette or an electrical issue could have started it.


Afterward, the French government requested scientists from the National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research to clean up the damage and assist with reconstructive endeavors. Amid digging out the wreckage, previously in this year, they located the remnant of the initial 13th-century construction, statues, sculptures, and the two sarcophagi.

The caskets were transported to the forensic organization at the Toulouse University Hospital in November. Researchers utilized medical projecting machinery engineering to learn about the components held within. Accompanying additional study, the scientists aspire to gain information regarding the men, along with where they originated from and what brought about their deaths.


For the time being, recovery efforts at the cathedral keep going. Teams are enthusiastic that reinstatement will be completed by 2024.
 
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