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Lead coffins beneath Notre Dame

A lead sarcophagus discovered underneath the floor of Notre Dame de Paris.
A lead sarcophagus discovered underneath the floor of Notre Dame de Paris. Photo: JULIEN DE ROSA/AFP (Getty Images)

Archaeologists rehabbing the Notre Dame cathedral following the devastating April 2019 fire that downed the venerable building’s spire found two lead sarcophagi under the floor. The 700-year-old coffins are now thought to belong to a church leader and a horse-riding nobleman.