The Notre Dame Cathedral has its own 'Tutankhamun coffin' which has been hidden under its floor for more than 800 years.
Repair workers unearthed the 14th century coffin under the cathedral's central spire which came crashing down in a devastating fire in Paris.
Several tombs, a pair of carved hands and the bust of a bearded man were also removed along with some sculpted vegetables with traces of paint still visible.
Meanwhile the human shaped coffin, known as a sarcophagus, was described as "completely preserved" and thought to be for a senior dignitary in the 1300s – more than a hundred years after the Notre Dame was built.
"You can glimpse pieces of fabric, hair and above all a pillow of leaves on top of the head, a well-known phenomenon when religious leaders were buried," said lead archaeologist Christophe Besnier.
"The fact that these plant elements are still inside means the body is in a very good state of conservation," he told The Sun.
The team used a mini endoscopic camera to peek inside the sarcophagus, which seemed to be warped by the weight of the stones and earth.
Work to rebuild the iconic Notre Dame continues after it caught fire in April 2019.
The newly found burial sites were said to be "of remarkable scientific quality", France's culture ministry announced late Monday.
Archaeologists also discovered parts of painted sculptures under the cathedral floor, which were identified as bits of the original 13th century rood screen which separates the altar from the nave.
The significant find is expected to help improve the understanding of funeral practices during the Middle Ages.
It comes after reconstruction workers prepared to install huge scaffolding to recreate the cathedral spire.
When checking the stability of the ground, they discovered an underground heating system from the 1800s and the sarcophagus among the brick pipes.
Despite the exciting find, archaeologists only have another nine days to complete their work before the reconstruction project resumes on March 25.
This is in order to ensure the Notre Dame can reopen in 2024.
Investigators think an electrical short-circuit was the most likely cause of the fire, a police official said at the time.
Tearful Parisians watched in dispair as the historic building went up in flames and more than 400 firefighters battled to save it.
The medieval cathedral was ravaged during the Holy Week of Easter.
