A copper box was found beneath the pedestal, “below grade in a very wet area,” said department director Julie Langan, adding it is “too soon to know whether water infiltrated the box.”
The box weighs 36 pounds, Langan said. It measures 13.5 inches by 13.5 inches by 7.5 inches.
“X-rays give a first look inside the time capsule: Experts believe there may be coins, books, buttons, and even ammunition from the Civil War,” he tweeted.
The capsule was brought to the conservation lab at the Department of Historic Resources where conservators began assessing it, Langan said. “Next we will try to determine how the box is sealed and whether the seal has been breached.”
Richmond’s bomb squad was first consulted to make sure it was safe to open.
Langan said two paper conservators will be present when the box is opened.
“It is a second time capsule and likely the one that was known to have been placed in the pedestal,” Langan said. “The one recovered last week was unexpected and likely left by men involved in the construction.”
First time capsule was found in the Lee pedestal
The first capsule was found in the tower of the pedestal, about 20 feet above ground level. Among the items found inside the lead container were an 1875 almanac, two withered books, a coin and a cloth envelope.
The state plans to store the pedestal until officials decide what to do with the partial monument.
CNN’s David Williams, Sharif Paget and Sara Smart contributed to this report.