Scientists Find Out More About The Coffins Buried Under Notre Dame Cathedral

Both men are speculated to have been from different time periods. An inscription says one of the men lived from 1627 to 1710. Image | Gilbert Bochenek Wikipedia | CC-BY-3.0.

By Matt Pepple, SJ Correspondent
January 02, 2023 10:00 pm UTC
Modified: 2023-01-02 10:00 pm

PARIS - After a fire damaged a good portion of the Notre Dame Cathedral on On April 15th, 2019 archaeologists began restoration efforts, at which time they unearthed two sarcophagi (coffins) Reported on by The Standeford Journal several months ago, and have since found out more about who they were.

One of the tombs contained the remains of a high priest who passed away in the year 1710. Scientists have discovered that the man's name was Antoine de la Porte from inscriptions on his casket that revealed that he was 83 years old when he passed on, on December 24th, 1710, according to a statement from the Toulouse University Hospital and the National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP).

De la Porte was alive from the years 1627 to 1710 according to the inscriptions. His casket had been contaminated over the last 300 years that it was buried allowing air from the outside in, decaying the body. 

All that was left behind upon opening the casket was beard and head hair, bones, and various goods that were buried along with the body.

A report from Live Science said that Antoine de la Porte lived a stationary life and took wonderful 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 royalty and their often over indulgence 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 speculate the man was a horseback rider based on research done on his hip bones. Scientists have also dubbed this man “Le Cavalier” as an exact name for him is yet to be determined.

In analyzing how the man was buried, investigators presumed that the man was a nobleman. On the interior of the casket, they located the remains of flowers and leaves, probably from a wreath or crown. The man also seemed to be mummified according to a report from The Guardian. Specialists postulated that “Le Cavalier” must have been afflicted with some type of persistent illness, and speculate the man may have died from chronic meningitis as an aftereffect of tuberculosis, as reported by Live Science.

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

The two caskets are quite unique from one another, which indicates that each man must have lived during different time periods. The casket of “Le Cavalier,” seems to be sculpted around his whole body.

The Notre Dame Cathedral was constructed between the 12th and 13th centuries and the fire that damaged a large portion of it occurred in April 2019. 

Around 500 firefighters attempted to put out the fire, saving a great portion of the building from being consumed by the fire. The fire devastated a majority of the wooden ceiling and made the building's spire cave in. Inspectors speculate a cigarette or an electrical issue may have initially started the fire.

After the fire was put out, the French government requested scientists from the National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research to clean up the damage and assist with efforts to reconstruct the building. While digging out the wreckage in 2022, 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 used medical projecting machinery engineering to learn about the components held within the caskets. With additional study, scientists would like to discover more information about the men, including where they originated from and what caused their deaths.

For the time being, recovery efforts at the cathedral are ongoing. Teams are confident that their research will be completed by 2024.