A time capsule buried by Samuel Adams and Paul Revere in 1795 was unearthed on Thursday in Boston.
The more than 200-year-old antique — thought by experts to possibly be the oldest unopened time capsule in the U.S. — was located in a granite cornerstone at the Massachusetts State House by workers repairing a water leak, CNN reported.
Massachusetts officials work to remove a time capsule in the cornerstone of the Statehouse in Boston, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2014. Secretary of State William Galvin says the 200-year-old time capsule is believed to contain items such as old coins and newspapers, but the condition of the contents isn’t yet known. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
Experts were then called in and the artifact was removed and taken by police escort to the Museum of Fine Arts to be X-rayed, according to WBZ-TV.
The Boston Herald reported that officials want to examine the capsule's contents via X-ray Sunday before actually opening it up.
Pamela Hatchfield, a conservator at the Boston's Museum of Fine Arts, holds a time capsule she had just removed from the cornerstone of the Statehouse in Boston, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2014. Secretary of State William Galvin said the 200-year-old time capsule is believed to contain items such as old coins and newspapers, but the condition of the contents isn’t yet known. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)
Based on records, the antique contains old coins, newspapers and other artifacts.
“We know what is supposed to be in it, we don’t know in fact if it’s still in good condition because of the container whether there was any damage done,” Massachusetts Secretary of State Bill Galvin said, according to CNN. "It may contain other stuff too, we don't know that yet."
[sharequote="center"]"It may contain other stuff too, we don't know that yet."[/sharequote]
"The contents are of concern, but the plaster that held the box in place is in good condition," he added.
The capsule had initially been discovered in 1855 during emergency repairs to the State House. It was later put back in its place before being unearthed again this week.
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