Experts Open Time Capsule Found at Gen. Lee Statue Site

Conservation experts in Virginia’s capital pulled artifacts from a time capsule found in the remnants of a statue pedestal.

Conservation experts in Virginia's capital Tuesday pulled books, coins, ammunition, documents and other artifacts from a time capsule found in the remnants of a pedestal that once held a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee.

The lead conservator for the Virginia Department of Historic Resources, Kate Ridgway, said that the measurements and material of the box, copper, match historical accounts. As the contents inside were unpacked, they appeared to match the description of the 1887 time capsule they had been looking for.

"It does appear that this is the box we expected," Ridgway told reporters.