French church restoration uncovers centuries-old hidden tombs, ancient remains

An unexpected discovery during restoration work at the church in France has revealed a hidden burial vault and traces dating back to the sixth century. 

The 12th-century Church of Saint Philibert’s restoration in Dijon, France was triggered by damage caused by a 1970s renovation that installed a heated concrete slab. This slab trapped salt-laden soil beneath—remnants from the church’s use as a salt storage facility in the 18th and 19th centuries—leading to cracking and deterioration of the stone foundation, Caliber.Az reports per Popular Mechanics.

As workers excavated various parts of the foundation, the project quickly evolved into a full archaeological investigation. The French National Institute for Preventative Archaeological Research (Inrap) reported that a vault was uncovered in the church’s transept, containing coffins of both children and adults. The burials were simple, with shroud wrappings and accompanied by a few ancient coins and rosaries.

Led by archaeologists Clarisse Couderc and Carole Fossurier, the team also discovered slab tombs from the 11th to 13th centuries, alongside six sarcophagi from the Late Antiquity and Merovingian periods. Although the current church was built in the late 12th century with later additions such as a porch and bell tower, the team found evidence of an earlier church previously unearthed during 1923 excavations. Deeper still, walls constructed using herringbone masonry were uncovered, likely dating back to the 10th century in the Early Middle Ages.

Among the sarcophagi, one featured a sculpted lid. Inrap experts believe that the variety of burials from different eras highlights the church’s importance as a funerary site during the transition from the Roman era to the Early Middle Ages. The sarcophagi were probably part of an earlier building originally housing these ancient burials.

By Naila Huseynova