The French government has ordered archaeological excavations at Notre-Dame Cathedral following a devastating fire in 2019 before full restoration begins. In March, a month after the archaeological investigation began, it was revealed that the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeology had uncovered a sarcophagus dating back to the 14th century.
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French archaeologists said on Thursday they would open the sarcophagus soon after examining it with an endoscopic camera. According to Phys.org, the camera showed the top half of a skeleton, a pillow, fabric and unidentified objects.
Carbon dating can be used to determine the age of a skeleton, while scientists will also be able to determine its gender and previous health, the report said.
The French National Institute for Preventive Archaeology said that, given the importance of the final resting place of senior dignitaries, the sarcophagus is likely to contain the remains of senior dignitaries.
“The entire passage is covered with a single slab of stone, no later than the eighteenth century,” the institute said in a March press release describing the discovery. “It contains numerous tombs and is based on the level of occupation in the fourteenth century. Among the tombs found, a fully preserved lead anthropomorphic sarcophagus was found.”