The ongoing restoration of Notre Dame in Paris has revealed an important aspect of the original construction of the cathedral in the later twelfth and early thirteenth centuries in the form of iron bars or cramps to bind the masonry together.
Analysis of the iron has dated it to the time of the building, and indicates the technological breakthrough this represents in the construction of the great gothic cathedrals of Capetian France. On the basis of this it appears that Notre Dame was the first such church known to have used this method to bind the masonry together, enabling a lighter construction than had been used hitherto.
There are reports about the research from crns.fr at Notre Dame: First Gothic cathedral to make massive use of iron and from New Scientist at Notre Dame fire revealed cathedral’s innovative use of iron
Live Science has a report about the findings at Notre Dame is held together by a first-of-its-kind 'iron skeleton,' catastrophic fire revealed as has Popular Science at The Notre Dame fire revealed a long-lost architectural marvel
Both of these articles draw attention to the different sources for the iron used and how this may cast light on the trade in iron ore and iron in the period of the cathedral’s construction.
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