The cornerstone

The rite of laying a cornerstone is an important historical component of western architecture.

Derived from the ancient practice of consecrating chosen soil by making an animal or human sacrifice, followed by scattering the remains in the foundations of monumental structures, corner stones later became ceremonial masonry stones to be set in a prominent location on the outside of a building.

Often the "chief" cornerstone would be hollowed out to contain a time capsule of mythical treasures including, trade secrets, as well as varied items representative of the customs of the day; waiting to be discovered only upon total destruction of the building or monument. The origins of this tradition are vague but its presence in Judeo-Christian countries can be associated with one quotation from the Old Testament (Psalm 118:22) and six from the New Testament (Matthew 21:42,Mark 12:10, Luke 20:17, Acts 4:11, Ephesians 2:20 and 1 Peter 2:7).

The corner stone seen here is clearly large enough to potentially house a treasure trove of goodies left behind by the stone mason and his masters.