Based on the ratio of the isotopes strontium-88 and strontium-86, along with levels of calcium and magnesium taken up from the soil into the oaks, a group led by Alexa Dufraisse of the National Museum of Natural History zeroed in on a croissant-shaped area with a similar mineral profile spanning hundreds of kilometers around Notre Dame that must have supplied the timber during construction, which began in 1163 C.E.

Researchers also used these charred chunks of wood to open a window into local climate conditions during Europe’s Medieval Warm Period, which lasted from approximately 950 to 1250 C.E.

Only the inner parts of some fire-damaged beams could be analyzed—but by combining the data with those from two abbeys near Paris built around the same time as Notre Dame, the scientists were able to paint a picture of climate conditions over a 200-year period—from 980 to 1180 C.E.

Thought to have battled during the first and second centuries C.E., she is much more elusive than her male counterpart, the gladiator, who has been venerated thousands of times — through art, historical text, and pop culture.

With the gladiatrix banned by Septimius Severus in 200 C.E., blotted from Roman history, and overlooked in both “Gladiator II” and its predecessor, it seems we’re still not ready for a woman to carry the sword.