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Discoveries of some interest to antiquarians have been made in Dundee. While workmen were preparing the trench for the culvert for the electric lighting mains at the North West corner of the Howff Burying Ground, in
Meadowside, they came upon a stone about four feet from the surface. On removing it the stone was found to be
beautifully sculptured. The attention of gentlemen interested in such matters was called to the discovery, and
after examination they came to the conclusion that the stone formed the centre portion of a Gothic window,
showing the spring of the arches. The base from which the arches spring is elaborately carved with representations of what appear to be flowers and leaves in the form of cornucopia. The stone is about 12 inches
high, 9 inches on the face, which gradually widens out to 15 inches, and has a depth of 18 inches. The second
discovery was made in Couttie's Wynd and Netherkirkgate, where operations have been started for remodelling the basement of a tenement there which has been secured by Mr William Millar, grocer, Commercial Street. At this place some very old buildings stand, and while workmen were demolishing part of a wall they pulled out, among other stones, one which from the fine carving displayed on it at once attracted their attention. Like the stone found at Meadowside, it also appears to be part of a Gothic window, and seems to have been the rest from which the arches of the window sprang. The carving work, which, however has been somewhat injured by the stone having been built into a wall, is in the form of a head. The mouldings of both stones are almost identical, and they were doubtless part of the same class of structure. This stone varies from 12 inches to 24 inches wide, 19 inches from back to front, and the mouldings on it were of a very deep and rich character. The discoveries were reported to the burgh engineer, and the stones have meantime been placed in the basement of the Old Steeple.
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