Two lead coffins discovered after a fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris belong to a famous prelate and an unknown nobleman, scientists who analyzed them announced on Friday, AFP reported.

These anthropomorphic sarcophagi were unearthed in March and May by teams from the National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (Inrap) during excavations prior to the reconstruction of the cathedral’s tower, which was partially destroyed by fire in April 2019.

They were then entrusted to the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Toulouse, which was tasked with opening them and examining the bones of the deceased and other objects present in the graves.

Located at the intersection of the transept, in the same place and at different depths, both burials were in a good state of preservation.

The sarcophagus, first discovered in March, dates from “between the 14th and the end of the 17th century,” according to Christophe Besnier, who led the dig. It contains the remains of an embalmed man whose identity has not yet been established.

According to Eric Krubery, an anthropologist at the University of Toulouse III who participated in the analysis, the man was “between 25 and 40 years old”, had “been riding horses since his youth” and “had a slight skull deformity” and probably tuberculosis. This was stated at a press conference in Toulouse.

He must have been a rich nobleman because “only 4% of the nobles (…) had the opportunity to be embalmed or get a lead coffin,” he said.

As for the second sarcophagus, its location was known, and it contained an epitaph, medals and a plaque commemorating Prelate Antoine de La Porte. The latter, who died aged 83 in 1710, was a prelate whose portrait is preserved in the Louvre.

Burials in cathedrals were practiced throughout the Middle Ages and modern times. The most sought-after places were near the choir, where bishops and archbishops were buried.

“Over 300 people were buried at Notre Dame,” and this type of burial was “reserved for the elite” because “lead was very expensive.”

From these remains, 200 samples were taken, which have yet to be analyzed in detail. To more accurately determine the age of the first person to die, a C14 test will be performed. The first results are expected in the first half of 2023.

The sarcophagi will remain in Inrap’s hands for another two years before being handed over to the Ministry of Culture, which will decide their fate.

The skeletons could then be reburied, as was the case with other remains discovered during excavations.