Just in time for Halloween festivities, Gothamist reported yesterday that workers on the Washington Square Park Phase II renovation unearthed an 18th century tombstone — with confirmation from the NYC Parks Department — near the perimeter of Washington Square South and Sullivan Street, near the chess corner.

Apparently, a tipster informed the WSP blog yesterday that he noticed a six-foot hole dug at the location, with some suspicious people (probably archeologists) inspecting what looked to be a tombstone, as in “a tombstone, not unlike those you’d see at Trinity Church – but in much better condition.” This is beginning to sound like a Dan Brown novel.

Not quite creeped out yet? Well, you should be. Last year, archeologists discovered full skeletal remains and bones in WSP during the park’s first renovation. This makes sense because before becoming an official city park, the area was a cemetery known as “potter’s field” in the late-18th Century. Gothamist even noted that there are still approximately 20,000 bodies (demons?) buried underneath WSP.

Of course, the necessity of on-campus archaeology doesn’t stop there. According to photos on NYU Home, dinosaurs also once roamed underneath the arch. Stay tuned.

Photo from Flickr user wallyg used under the Creative Commons License.