On October 9th, a conference will take place with Maxime L’Héritier (Université Paris 8 ), on the restoration of the upper parts of the main walls of the choir of Notre Dame Cathedral, with the title “Research carried out in the Notre Dame Dame de Paris scientific project (CNRS/Ministry of Culture) since the 2019 fire and new discoveries about metals”.

Organized by IEM, between 10:30 am and 11:30 am on the Av. de Berna campus (room B207), the professor will present the work resulting from his research on metal, a working group that he coordinates of the Notre Dame Paris project, from the Center national de la recherche scientifique and the French Ministry of Culture.
The communication will be carried out in English and will be recorded, for later availability on the IEM YouTube channel.

Abstract: The Notre Dame fire (2019) led to the creation of a vast and unprecedented scientific project bringing together researchers from all areas of heritage research. The intervention of archaeological services made it possible to preserve and classify the material remains left by the fire, and the research project, financed by the CNRS and the Ministry of Culture, was organized into nine working groups. On the one hand, it is the study of the materials used in the construction of Notre Dame from a historical and archaeological perspective (construction techniques, chronologies, site supply, nature and quality of materials), but also, for example, reconstructions of the medieval period climate using timber from the roof structure and the degradation of materials by fire. Non-material themes are also in development, including reconstruction of the soundscape of the building’s past and an anthropological and sociological approach to restoration work.

With regard to metal, the fire revealed thousands of iron staples used in the construction of the cathedral and highlighted the tons of lead used in the building since the Middle Ages (roofs, fences, stained glass, etc.). How innovative was the use of iron in the 12th century, and how did builders use these reinforcements to create a new type of architecture? What can lead tell us about the practices of medieval and 19th-century builders? Based on a detailed archaeological survey of the building and physical-chemical analyses of metal samples taken from the building during restoration work, the secrets of these materials can now be revealed.