Second Time Capsule Discovered at the Former Site of the Now Removed Robert E. Lee Statue

In Richmond, Virginia, at the site where the now removed Robert E. Lee statue once stood, a second time capsule from 1887 has been discovered and opened, according to NPR.

That’s 134 years ago, a long time.

The first time capsule was found a week ago underneath the pedestal of the statue and was opened by preservation experts. It did not have what they expected or wanted.

But, like Dora the Explorer, they kept digging and on Tuesday eventually found what they were looking for.

More from NPR:

Historians had been looking for a copper box with as many as 60 objects placed there by a group of residents, organizations and businesses, according to an 1887 article in the Richmond Dispatch. Many of the artifacts placed inside were pieces of Confederate memorabilia, according to the article.

The container they opened last week was made of lead and contained just a fraction of the contents they thought they’d find. Among the contents were several books, a cloth envelope and a coin.

Richmond was once the capital of the confederacy, so to no surprise, a lot of confederate artifacts will be found in the capsule.

While I’m not excited about finding confederate memorabilia, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam clearly is and tweeted, “They found it! This is likely the time capsule everyone was looking for.”

He also tweeted, “X-rays give a first look inside the time capsule: Experts believe there may be coins, books, buttons, and even ammunition from the Civil War.”

The capsule was opened on Tuesday and you can watch the opening on YouTube.

According to the stream, some of the items found by Conservators of the Virginia Department of Historic Resources include newspapers, books, coins, letters, an 1865 edition of Harper’s Weekly magazine, a Bible with a coin stuck to it, a Richmond directory and a minié ball, a bullet that was frequently used during the Civil War.

Many of the items were wet and now crews will work to research and preserve the items discovered.

The statue where the time capsule was found has already been removed and the pedestal, where the capsules were hidden, has been ordered to be taken down soon by the governor, according to NPR.