MOSCOW, December 12 (Sputnik) — A time capsule placed by Revolutionary War figures Samuel Adams and Paul Revere in 1795 has been discovered in Boston, CBS News reports.
Scholars are excited about what the extraordinary artifact might say about the formative years of the US history.
The time capsule was unearthed after repair works were started on the statehouse.
Following precautious steps, workers removed the capsule from the cornerstone of the Massachusetts Statehouse. Then it took several hours for a museum conservator to free the time capsule from its stone and plaster tomb.
According to state officials, they have a good idea about what the copper case, of the size of a cigar box, contains.
"We have a list, going back to the original 1795. We have coins; we have a Paul Revere plate. We have a number of things. The question is what condition are they in?" Massachusetts Secretary of State Bill Galvin said as quoted by CBS News.
Meanwhile, the reason is still unclear why founding father Samuel Adams and midnight rider Paul Revere left the capsule behind more than 200 years ago.
"They knew they represented history — history that would not be forgotten; history that would be remembered as long as the republic stood," Rogers said.
The finding was taken to Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts under a state police escort. Historians and museum experts plan to x-ray, analyze and maybe open it.
"I still don't think we know, but I could clearly see that there are screws on the top, which means hopefully it won't be difficult to open, if we decide to open it," Museum of Fine Arts head of objects conservation Pamela Hatchfield said.
In fact, the capsule was retrieved before, in 1855. Its contents were washed with acid, so now there are some concerns about their condition, according to CBS News.
The box will be returned back to where it was found, after work on the statehouse is completed next year, officials said.
