Sarcophagi with skeletons were found under the ruins of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris (Photo: Twitter, UT3)
After the famous Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris burned to the ground in 2019, a number of amazing finds were found under its charred ruins.
Among them were two unusual sarcophagi (ancient coffins) made of lead, which had been buried under the cathedral for centuries.
One of the sarcophagi found is several hundred years older than the other.
The iflscience website reports that recently, archaeologists donned special protective clothing and opened the sarcophagi.
The shielding is required due to the fear of the toxicity of the lead from which the coffins are made.
The researchers, from the University of Toulouse in France, found in them the remains of two wealthy men, on their bodies hints of the hardships of their lives.
Laboratory researchers examine the sarcophagus from Notre Dame
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The clue is in the Louvre Museum
One of the bodies was easily identified as Antoine de la Porte, thanks to a largely intact memorial inscription.
And so it was written: "This is the body of Mr. Antoine of Canon Fort Church. Death (on) December 24, 1710 in his 83rd year. Rest in peace."
The coffin was made of lead to help preserve the body, a privilege that at the time was reserved only for the wealthy.
But the coffin was not complete and the body was significantly decomposed.
All that was left of her were bones, hair and a few pieces of cloth.
His bones hinted at a sedentary lifestyle, as well as gout, a disease that may sometimes be caused by excessive eating and drinking.
The investigators reported that de la Porte was buried in the area reserved for the privileged, and during his life he was a rich and influential man.
In fact, he commissioned a number of paintings that hang here in the Louvre Museum in Paris and paid with his own money for renovations at the Notre-Dame Cathedral, where he was buried.
The identity of the second person buried remains a mystery.
It is believed to be a male aged 25-40, who apparently used to ride horses during his life.
Leaves and flowers were placed on his skull and stomach area.
Although his coffin was also placed in a part of the cathedral indicating importance or prominence, it is still not known who it is, nor in what century he lived.
The bones showed signs of chronic disease, while most of his teeth were destroyed even before his death.
On top of that, his skull was deformed, most likely the result of wearing a certain headdress when he was a baby.
The first secret of the Notre Dame sarcophagi was revealed in Toulouse
Thanks to the sawing of the skull
The researchers call him "Le Cavalier", and believe that there is still a chance to identify him in the future.
"If the time of his death was around the second half of the 16th century or the beginning of the 17th century, we may be able to identify him in the register of the dead that we have," researcher Christophe Besnia said at a press conference.
"If the date is earlier than that, we will probably never know who he was."
However, the man's skull was sawed off after his death, indicating that the team of investigators was lucky.
"The skull of that horseman was sawed off and his chest was opened for embalming," said Eric Corubizzi, a professor of biological anthropology at the University of Toulouse.
"It was a common practice among the aristocracy after the middle of the 16th century."
It was also reported that the examination of the horseman's remains suggests the cause of his death: chronic meningitis caused by tuberculosis.
In the coming months, the tests will continue, and the research teams plan to continue publishing.
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