Following the fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, archaeologists have been granted permission to search beneath the monument, and the artifacts they have unearthed have shed further light on the history of one of France’s most iconic symbols.
On December 7, 2024, Notre-Dame Cathedral, one of the oldest and most renowned symbols of France, will reopen to visitors after five years of restoration following the fire in April 2019.
The interior of Notre-Dame Cathedral. (Source: AFP/TTXVN).
After the fire, it took nearly three years to clear the debris and reinforce the damaged stone walls and vaulted ceilings.
According to regulations in France, any construction project that disturbs the ground where artifacts or ancient remains may be found must involve archaeologists.
At Notre-Dame, their task was to ensure that no valuable artifacts were crushed by the 770-ton scaffolding erected for the reconstruction of the spire.
Archaeologist Christophe Besnier and his team from the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research were initially allowed no more than five weeks to excavate beneath the stone floor at the intersection where the transept (the short arm of the cross-shaped cathedral) meets the nave and the choir.
Historical artifacts are quite common at Notre-Dame. However, since Besnier’s team was permitted to dig only 40.6 cm beneath the floor—the depth of the scaffolding’s foundation—he did not expect to find many items. Fortunately, he was mistaken as his team discovered 1,035 pieces of various beautiful artworks in the cathedral’s center.
The head of a statue found beneath the floor of Notre-Dame Cathedral. (Source: Inrap)
As soon as Besnier’s team removed the floor tiles and a thin layer of soil along with the debris, the top of a lead coffin emerged. Nearby, limestone sculptures appeared: life-sized heads and bodies carefully arranged just beneath the floor along the entrance to the choir.
Subsequently, Besnier was allowed to dig deeper than 40.6 cm to excavate the artifacts. While the construction team waited, the excavation, originally planned for five weeks, extended over two months.
Archaeologists determined that the unearthed statues were remnants of a 13th-century “cross screen” made of limestone that originally separated the choir and the sanctuary of Notre-Dame from public view.
Removed in the early 18th century, the nearly 4-meter high screen essentially vanished, leaving behind only a few fragments and no complete descriptions or records of its fate.
The Cross Screen – A Lost Masterpiece
The cross screen is a sculptural masterpiece in the Gothic style. Among the life-sized statues unearthed by Besnier’s team were the head and body of a statue of the dead Christ—eyes closed, blood dripping from the wound inflicted by a spear on his side.
Architectural historian Mathieu Lours noted that the cross screen at Notre-Dame served two purposes.
A portion of the cross screen buried beneath Notre-Dame Cathedral. (Source: Inrap)
The first purpose was to provide a pulpit for priests to read scriptures to the congregation gathered in the nave. Stairs led to the pulpit on the screen, from where priests could preach to the public.
The second purpose was to ensure privacy: the screen allowed priests to hide in the choir during their daily prayers, away from public view.
Reasons for the Removal of the Cross Screen
The cross screen existed for nearly five centuries. Eventually, liturgical practices changed, and the Gothic style came under criticism. The clergy of Notre-Dame were traditionalists, retaining their cross screen longer than most churches in France.
However, under pressure from King Louis XIV, who desired a more open choir, the original cross screen was ultimately dismantled in the 1710s and buried next to where it once stood. Although the sculptures were dismantled and broken, they were still considered sacred, and thus could not be removed from the cathedral.
Researchers have excavated about 1,000 pieces of the screen, of all sizes, with around 700 pieces still bearing traces of paint. Archaeologist Besnier is uncertain how many parts of the screen his team has unearthed, but he believes many more lie beneath the choir, beyond their excavation area.
Without the fire, Besnier stated, his team would have never had the opportunity to uncover even this portion of the cross screen.
