Mystery Bodies Buried Under Notre Dame | NOVA | PBS
Qbq3_4BOq7M • 2024-12-21
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Language: en
Paris April 15th 2019 fire breaks out in
notredam Cathedral it engulfs the roof
bringing the iconic Spire crashing to
the
ground the collapse leaves a huge hole
in the heart of the
building but it also sets the stage for
surprising discoveries that might shed
new light on the history of notredam
as they clear away the floor first they
uncover a network of brick tunnels
dating back to the 19th century and it
doesn't require special
handling but what archaeologists see
next does human
remains a seal of lead sarcophagus of
unknown
age finding bodies is not completely
unexpected burials in and around the
cathedral are part of its history
[Music]
but a sarcophagus like this one is very
rare and immediately begs the questions
whose remains are these and why are they
here here at rangai hospital in
tulus a team of anthropologists forensic
doctors and Radiologists will analyze
the contents of the
coffins hello
Canon antoan delaport
sarcophagus as well as that of the John
Doe are first carefully
cleaned Professor Eric kzzi an
anthropologist at the University of tulo
examines the two sarcophagy with
archaeologist Kristoff benier before
opening
them a few teeth Remain the canines are
in place he's looking for any clue or
detail on the surface of the coffins
the enlargement for the buttocks here
have you ever seen this before or not I
don't recall
no unlike antoan de leart
sarcophagus this unknown coffin has a
unique hourglass
shape these lead coffins were usually
custom made lead being a particularly
soft and malleable metal it was the
perfect material to make an airtight
human-shaped capsule
armed with an angle grinder they start
with antoan deart
sarcophagus the bottom of the coffin is
very badly
eroded what will this mean for the
condition of the remains inside is
everyone holding it everyone's got it
yes okay let's do this all right K yeah
I have you can give it to me it's okay
it's okay I've got it all right let go
let let go boys
if the coffin had remained completely
sealed deap port's body would likely
have been better
preserved next the mystery
sarcophagus it is a bit harder to open
because its lead walls are much
[Music]
thicker it is also less damaged with
fewer
holes so archaeologists hope the body
inside will be better preserved than
Antoine
delaport the lid is also much heavier to
lift up okay okay hold on you can let it
go now you can let it go now it's
good it's s off an immediate surprise
for the archaeologists John
skull is sawed open oh beautiful there's
a leaf there's lots of them there's lots
of leaves oh wow that's beautiful there
are spikes of plants that that's
beautiful it's
great this coffin is full of unexpected
discoveries the body has been buried
with plants but what kind and why and
what possible reason had there been to
saw open the the skull so many questions
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file updated 2026-02-13 12:59:58 UTC
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