150-year-old time capsule unearthed beneath Oz fountain
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A time capsule in the form of a bottle containing coins, newspapers and a memorandum of the 1800’s has been uncovered beneath a monument in Ballarat, Australia.
A small paragraph of an 1887 history book, William Withers’ History of Ballarat, mentioned that Governor Henry Barkly had buried a time capsule beneath the city’s Burke and Wills fountain in 1863 in memory of the two explorers.
But, historians weren't sure whether the capsule was still there until, when, after three-and-a-half hours of excavation, 150 years of history were unearthed.
"We knew that it had been put there but there is a long tradition of time capsules having been stolen. I think this one was really put there in a way that no one could remove it," Courier Mail quoted Heritage Victoria archaeologist David Bannear as saying.
The bottle, which was removed and replaced in 1867 with an updated edition of The Star newspaper, was uncovered beneath the fountain in a cavity covered by plaques of granite and marble.
Bannear said the glass bottle in which the coins and papers had been stored was broken, meaning the parchment and newspaper had partially disintegrated.
But the full set of coins are in mint condition and Bannear estimates they're worth more than 50,000 dollars.
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