In Notre Dame de Paris found a sarcophagus - it was a mummy with a sawn skull (6 photos)

Studies have shown that in childhood it was also artificially deformed.





Notre Dame Cathedral is located in the center of the French capital Cities. It was built for a long time: from 1163 to 1345. During this time they built five-nave basilica with a crown of chapels. The façade was decorated with sculptures and erected a 96-meter spire.



And in 2018, the French decided to restore this very spire. They built scaffolding, overlaid with materials and painstakingly worked for a whole year. And then someone seriously missed the safety precautions - flared up fire. The hearth was just at the spire. The flames engulfed the entire roof, the spire collapsed and demolished half of the building.



To restore the cathedral in its original form, archaeologists were attracted. First, they dug into the archives, and then they also began excavations at the site. fire. And during these works, they stumbled upon two burials - they were under the floor of Notre Dame de Paris.



In one sarcophagus lay the remains of Canon Antoine de la Porte, who died in 1710. In the other - the skeleton of a noble rider origin. Scientists were especially interested in his skull: specially deformed in early childhood and sawn after death. Remains belonged to the 16th century, the man died at the age of 40 or so Togo. It is clear that an aristocrat - in clothing, jewelry and weapons. Yes another would not have been buried in the cathedral.



Why his skull was deformed is not clear. It was generally extremely atypical for that time in Europe. For the Australian aborigines it is was normal for Africans, Egyptians and many other ancient peoples. But medieval Europeans were not fond of this.

After the death of the rider, they embalmed, so the skull and sawed. And before putting it in the sarcophagus, they also decorated flowers. It looks like the funeral of a leader in antiquity, but in no way aristocrat from the Middle Ages.



Scientists are now closely engaged in this issue. And soon we find out why in the very center of Paris lay an aristocrat, with a deformed skull and buried according to ancient customs.