The St. Philibert Burial Chamber: A Lost Past Comes to Life
As is often the case with archaeologists, archaeology has the singular opportunity to tie the past to the present. So, it is with the current archaeological plate found in Dijon, France. An ancient staircase crashed under the newly built Church of Saint Philibert to discover an untouched burial vault 400 years old. This fantastic find gives insight into medieval burial customs and artifacts from over a millennium ago, reflecting the medieval story of the site.
The Re-identification of the Chamber: A Lucky Step Back in Time
The Church of St. Philibert, built in the 12th Century and considered one of the best examples of Romanism, has always attracted the interest of archaeologists and historians. However, when experts from the French National Institute for Preventative Archaeological Research (INRAP) arrived to prepare the site for renovation, they found something unexpected while examining the church’s foundations.
Buried Secrets of Staircase in Church: What Lies Beneath
The vault, which is believed to date to the 15th or 16th Century, did not only hold human vertebrae. Researchers found a small dictate of rare coins and two rosaries alongside the coffins. Though few, they give us a glimpse of the social status and customs of the population of the time.
But the discoveries didn’t end there. Below that vault, archaeologists found more primitive graves. These findings also confirm Saint Philibert’s long-lasting value as a burial place through the centuries.
Other finds include six sarcophagi dating to the Late Antiquity and the Merovingian Era; extraordinary finds themselves after the site was somewhat sparingly excavated. Some of those coffins are vamped with breathing detail on the lids, dating human activity in the viz to at least 1500 years. This finding provides a rare insight into practices of early Christianity in the area.
Saint Philibert: An Institution of Several Eras
The existing church was built in the 12th Century, but the Relics indicate it was a significant religious and cultural center much earlier. With evidence of slab tombs and ancient sarcophagi, the site was used as a cemetery for hundreds of years before the building was ever constructed.
However, as with Saint Philibert, it seems clear that there must have been another church on the site, as the historical records tell us. Previous excavations in 1923 revealed the underlying structures, and this relic, which is now unearthed, provides corroboratory evidence. They found balconies beneath the church and sections of walls built of a famous and unique type of herringbone masonry style. The 10th Century, called woods built best, confirms previous slight evidence.
The coffins have intricate designs on their lids, implying that devout, high-status individuals were buried there. These noted the intervening period between the Roman and Early Middle Ages in which Christianity began to most solidly plant its wicked roots into the soil of this area. There is no other doubt that these sarcophagi are from 1500 years old.
An Inventive Past of a Church
Like the rest of the church’s floor, Saint Philibert’s Chronicles is indisputably complex. Besides being an architectural one and the last of the batch of Roman churches in the 12th century, it is still in a position of historical wonder. Contestability has had a less stable history than it currently enjoys.
It was abandoned and utterly ruined during the French Revolution (1795). The area was formed when the church’s structure was reconstructed in 1825 when the apse and portions of the building were removed. This church has survived the ravages of time, and each passing day reveals more of what lies behind its ancient walls. It is truly remarkable.
The most recent discovery was made while restoration work was carried out to preserve the building, including the church. The heated concrete slab also prevented moisture from leaking out of the church and caused a lot of salt to stay in the church, which caused many damaging cracks that weakened the church significantly over the decades. Restoration workers found more than the archaeologists were looking at when they started working.
Meaning of the Findings in Terms of Culture
The finds and burial practices themselves represent where the church used to be and the people who were active in the time period. It serves as a gateway through which archaeologists discover and receive knowledge about the church’s significance to early Christian traditions or the time period. The discovery of Merovingian sarcophagi further bolsters the theory. The new find is not just another archaeological discovery. It makes a difference in knowing modern history and what life was like in that period. It’s another piece that reinforces the importance of the church as this holy territory.
Today, Saint Philibert has such excellent heritage significance that these finds, with their accompanying history, can be admired by various visitors. These are a few beauties on selected days when the church mentioned above can be explored to delve into the wealth of history it preserves.
The Discovery Vault: Vital Waivers — and New Woes
New intel comes as the vault is discovered. What other ancestors may be lurking at Saint Philibert? What did the building that formerly housed the sarcophagi initially look like? And last, who are all of those people who lie here?
They hope to continue investigating the bones’ identity and action with DNA tests and radiocarbon analysis. Digging further afield could shed light on the early foundations that occupied the site long before the church of Saint Philibert.
The Church of Saint Philibert is not just a museum piece—it reflects living ties between the stories of yesteryear and the cosmos of today. So if every step up onto the main stage is a good thing for this powerful story, then every time Ever After is opened up for scrutiny, it will just build on its majestic narrative and make sure the voices of the ancestors are never lost.
Reference
Hidden staircase in church leads archaeologists to unearth 400-year-old burial vault
Archaeologists Followed a Forgotten Staircase—and Uncovered a 400-Year-Old Burial Vault
Staircase leading into forgotten 400-year-old vault unearthed at church in France
