310 J. Durham — On a Kitchen Midden near Dundee. 



local residents, who have the best means at their command of com- 

 pleting a history which so many have attempted to give. Let us 

 doubt anything except this, that the North Devon strata are worthy 

 of a separate study, a separate name, and a separate history. 



Y. — Discovery of an Ancient ''Kitchen Midden" near Dundee. 

 By James Dtjeham, F.G.S. 



RECJENT operations in connexion with the Dundee Harbour 

 works have been the means of opening up a very interesting 

 section of superficial deposits. 



In order to fully understand the position of the section, it must 

 be remembered that on either side of the Firth of Tay , as well as round 

 most part of the Scotch coast, are a series of raised beaches or gravel 

 terraces succeeding each other at vertical intervals of from five to 

 ten feet. Up to a hundred or a hundred and fifty feet above the 

 sea-level they are well marked, and are readily observed by the most 

 inexperienced eye. Above this height the old sea-levels can be 

 traced by means of wave- worn clifi's ; but owing to the influence of 

 denudation, the terraces are extremely difficult to distinguish, or are 

 altogether wanting. Among the lower terraces none are usually 

 more conspicuous than a beach about 25 or 30 feet above the 

 Ordnance Survey datum-line, but, at a point about a mile east of 

 Dundee, called the Stannergate, it is by no means so promine'nt as at 

 other parts of the estuary ; the denudation of the slope behind having 

 buried it to a considerable depth under a mass of unstratified earth 

 and stones, so that, instead of the abrupt terrace, the Stannergate 

 braes slope gently to the top of the cliff at the sea-margin. It is 

 to the burying of that old beach that we are indebted for the preser- 

 vation of the interesting remains that have just been brought 

 to light. 



A cutting in connexion with the works referred to has exposed a 

 section from the very top of these superficial deposits to a con- 

 siderable distance into the rock beneath. The section is approxi- 

 mately as follows : — 



Earth containing Stone Coffins, Urn, etc 3 to 4 feet 



Earth undisturbed 7 ,, 8 ,, 



Shell-bed ... 1 „ 2 „ 



Gravel of raised beach 1 » 2 ,, 



Eock 

 The discovery of the stone coffins created considerable interest 

 among local antiquaries, two of them being what are termed short 

 cists, in which the body was buried in a sitting position, with the 

 knees brought up to the chin, which is supposed to be a very early 

 manner of interment ; while an urn or rude earthen vessel, which 

 was found in one of them, is said to be of a very ancient type ; but 

 it is to the shell-bed that the chief interest attaches. Very soon after 

 its exposure it was observed that, not only were the shells all broken, 

 but that, while the greater part of them were that of the mussel, in 

 no case were the valves found in their natural position, and at the 

 same time a very large proportion of them were those of adult 



