Caving Club in UK Discovers 'Time Capsule' Mine With Personal Objects Sealed in 1800s

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Cavers in the UK county of Cheshire have discovered a sealed mine that was used for sourcing cobalt during the Napoleonic Wars between 1803-1815, with some personal objects of that era preserved inside, the National Trust, Europe's largest conservation charity and the owner of the land where the mineshaft is located, said.

Alderley Edge, a small village in Cheshire where the discovery was made, has been a place for cobalt mining since prehistoric times.

The mine is believed to have been abandoned around 1810, as the inscription in candle soot on one of the walls suggests, and was reopened 200 years later. It was discovered by Derbyshire Caving Club in 2021, but it took some time to get access to its complex network of tunnels.

The cave and its contents remained nearly intact thanks to a lack of oxygen, the National Trust explained. Several relics, including mine machinery, clay pipes, leather shoes and a jacket button, were found on the site.

"To find a mine in pristine condition, together with such personal objects and inscriptions, is rare. It is a compelling window into the past and to the last day when the mine workers stopped their activities," Ed Coghlan, member of the caving club, was quoted as saying by the charity.

To avoid the inevitable wear and tear of the mine by possible visitors, the National Trust made an interactive 3D scan of its interior and has vowed to seal the tunnels and its artifacts soon.