More than 1,000 fragments of Gothic sculpture have been uncovered beneath the floor of the transept crossing at Notre-Dame de Paris. This discovery, announced by the DRAC of Île-de-France on November 27, 2024, includes 650 pieces that still retain their original colors. These fragments belong to a jubé, a monumental structure that separated the choral area, reserved for the clergy, from the nave, where the faithful gathered. The jubé was built around 1230 and destroyed at the start of the 18th century to meet evolving religious practices. The section separating the transept from the choir was removed during the reign of Louis XIV. Rather than being discarded, the sculptures were buried in a pit within the cathedral itself. The excavation, which took place under the crossing of the transept, covered an area of 120 m²—roughly the size of a large family apartment. The DRAC of Île-de-France mandated this preventive excavation on October 2, 2021, as part of the restoration efforts following the fire in April 2019. The operation, led by Christophe Besnier from the Inrap, began on February 2, 2022, and lasted until April 8, 2022. The sculptures were found about 40 cm below the floor, and archaeologists identified a pit containing polychrome elements from the old jubé. The 2024 assessment highlights that this excavation is part of a broader set of 22 operations, both inside and outside the cathedral, conducted by the Inrap in accordance with the law of July 19, 2019. These operations include 7 diagnostics, 14 excavations, and one geophysical survey. The approximately 100 burials mentioned in the assessment are part of this broader project and not specifically related to the jubé. While the DRAC states that 650 of the fragments retain their original polychromy, the Inrap reports that more than 700 of the 1,035 fragments are polychrome. These pieces show signs of repairs and even gold leaf, but the exact count from 2022 is not available. Stabilization of the fragments is a priority, as the paint had begun to separate from the stone during the excavation. Specialists from the DRAC, Inrap, C2RMF, and LRMH have developed a stabilization protocol, and the process to restore the color and clean the blocks is expected to be completed by spring 2025. The DRAC has described the entire set of fragments as a masterpiece of Gothic art. Before 2022, only a few elements of the jubé’s statuary were known, uncovered in the 19th century by the architect Viollet-le-Duc and now preserved at the Louvre. The recent discovery significantly expands the known corpus, moving from a few isolated pieces to over 1,000 fragments from a single pit. Some parts of the jubé may still be buried, and the collective research project, led by Christophe Besnier, aims to clarify this and propose a digital reconstruction. On April 19, 2024, the Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, visited the fragments at the Inrap post-excavation center, where they are currently studied. The public had the opportunity to view about thirty of the fragments at the Cluny Museum in Paris until March 16, 2025. Additionally, an anthropomorphic lead sarcophagus was discovered in the same area, believed to contain the remains of a high-ranking church official from the 14th century. The study of these finds, including their furnishings, DNA, materials, and iconography, is expected to continue for many years. The DRAC plans to eventually create a digital reconstruction of the jubé, offering a glimpse of what the clergy saw in the 13th century.