Today, we have a palate cleanser specifically for you history lovers: historians opened a Civil War-era time capsule recovered from the pedestal of the former Robert E. Lee monument in Richmond yesterday.
Watch as the contents of which — forgotten for more than 130 years — were shared:
NBC12 News reports:
The team started their work to open the lid of the lead box on Wednesday morning. The box took nearly four hours to remove from the 1,500-pound granite block it was found in within the tower of the pedestal where Robert E. Lee’s statue once stood.
🚨TIME CAPSULE: Here’s a closer look at the contents – which are three book, a cloth envelope and a coin. It appears there’s a printed page and photo stuck in the envelope. One of the books appears to be an almanac from 1875. @NBC12 pic.twitter.com/iu50fHEXUU
— Desiree Montilla (@desmontilla) December 22, 2021
The conservation team used a portable X-ray fluorescence machine to analyze the materials the box was made of, which turned out to be lead.
On Wednesday afternoon, the conservation team and Governor Ralph Northam lifted the lid of the box containing three books, a cloth envelope, and a coin.
“Just a really important and exciting day for the history of this Commonwealth,” said Northam.
What do you make of these artifacts and how important is history to you? As always, share your thoughts with us in the comments below!