Time Capsule

[davinci]

Found an old time capsule in Lancaster Pennsylvania while metal detecting. It says do not open until the year 3000. Should I or just leave it be? It's dated 1921 and is a rusty 50gallon barrel with some type of plastic lining and smells like old beef jerky.

 

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[jchsr]

I believe I would call the law, or cover it back up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[CoilyGirl]

Open that sucker up!

 

[Flick420]

Its a interesting choice you have here. If it was me I'd open it just to see who left it there because honestly who knows if man kind will be around 900+ years from now.
Upon opening it and finding out who left it and whats inside it. I'd either see if I could contact any relevant parties about it. Then I would add a note and an item or two; stating when it was discovered and how. Then if it was me id go return it where i found it and let it go till the year 3000 or when the next person finds it.

 

[Red James Cash]

Another 900 years that drum is dust.Open it up,might be some goodies inside.Thompson submachine guns could be bought mail order

 

[jeff of pa]

Smells like old beef jerky ? Amelia Earhart ?
Who disappeard in 1921 ?

open it. If you report it to the police , they will get freightend, wet their pants,
and call Bomb Squad,
blow it up & say Oooops !
I guess it really was a time Capsule from 1921

Location does matter of course.
if it's in the Court house Square, report it

if it's at an unmarked spot that could be rebuilt on or Excavated in the next 987 years,
Why let it it there for someone we will never know to get the pleasure ?
considering 92 years + the age of the actors who put it there,
the person/persons who buried it are almost definitely dead.
and odds are what is in it, is in very poor condition already.
Hope that a sampling of Gold, Silver & copper coins of the period were added.

also look carefully at the year. could you be mistaken ?
2000 would have been more realistic.

Pictures, Please, please, Please, please, Pleeeeeeeeeeeease

 

[Citiboy289]

From what little knowledge I have on the subject I would believe that any time Capsule would be buried at a location of interest , such as mentioned before a Court house, school ect. Now that is the question, If its buried in such a location I am sure there is some sort of record of who buried it ,,,, While not an engineer of materials I would be curious as to when plastic was invented and put into common use I didn't think it came into being until the late 30's

 

[NHBandit]

From what little knowledge I have on the subject I would believe that any time Capsule would be buried at a location of interest , such as mentioned before a Court house, school ect. Now that is the question, If its buried in such a location I am sure there is some sort of record of who buried it ,,,, While not an engineer of materials I would be curious as to when plastic was invented and put into common use I didn't think it came into being until the late 30's

I'm looking forward to seeing the pictures of how the message was written on a steel drum that's been in the ground for almost 100 years...

 

[jeff of pa]

From what little knowledge I have on the subject I would believe that any time Capsule would be buried at a location of interest , such as mentioned before a Court house, school ect. Now that is the question, If its buried in such a location I am sure there is some sort of record of who buried it ,,,, While not an engineer of materials I would be curious as to when plastic was invented and put into common use I didn't think it came into being until the late 30's

before plastic Bakelite was used.

Many time capsules go lost. Schools go out of existance or records Burn, get misplaced,
Memories fail.

example: Corona, California, Time Capsules
The City of Corona seems to have misplaced a series of 17 time capsules dating back to the 1930s. Efforts to recover the capsules in 1986 were in vain. "We just tore up a lot of concrete around the civic center, "said the chairman of the town's centennial committee. A Los Angeles Times reporter has called Corona "the individual record holder in the fumbled time capsule category."

Oglethorpe University : Most Wanted Time Capsules

 

[Randy Bradford]

Its a interesting choice you have here. If it was me I'd open it just to see who left it there because honestly who knows if man kind will be around 900+ years from now.
Upon opening it and finding out who left it and whats inside it. I'd either see if I could contact any relevant parties about it. Then I would add a note and an item or two; stating when it was discovered and how. Then if it was me id go return it where i found it and let it go till the year 3000 or when the next person finds it.

If you're feeling real ambitious check on the property ownership records and cross reference against area census data...might be able to figure out who buried it without opening it. Fact is it's probably not goign to last, as is, until 3000 so there's something cool about the idea of opening it, adding to it, and burying it again in a manner more sustainable to the elements.

 

[cherrypicked]

I agree with a lot of the previous posters. Open it up, add to it and bury it again. Chances are it was buried by kids or teenagers. Most time capsules buried by towns or groups go by 100 years. It was very common in those days for kids to make time capsules and bury them under or around their school/church. I would however consider calling the historical society prior to opening it. They sometimes like to be in attendance, they also may know what was on the site in 1921 and possibly who buried it if there is a record.

 

[Fletch88]

May have a can of Spam inside! That stuff last for centuries! Maybe old coins or relics and of course Amelia! Lol.

 

[NHBandit]

Maybe you can get Geraldo to do a special about opening it...

 

[ModernMiner]

Call in Rick Savage for the job. BOOM Baby!!!!

 

[RobRieman]

Mmmmmm.... 92 year old beef jerky. Open it!!!
You surely must have at least took a picture of a find like that?

 

[RJGMC]

I know it has only been a week since this was posted. Do I need to get a new cup of coffee and get comfortable while I wait on the popcorn? Or should I just move along.

A 55 gallon barrel does have some size to it.

Just wondering.

RJGMC
HI BOB!

 

[bcruzin]

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[davinci]

I opened it!!! It was a bell. A big bell! There was lots of sludge mud or whatever and odor but no bones just a bell. Barrel was rusted through however the bell cleaned up nicely. My brother Samuel is in town for holidays and is taking it back to his town In coupville WA. He said he should be able to get me a couple hundred for it. I only wish it was bronze! Thank you Lancaster.

 

[Fletch88]

Cool that a neat bell. I have one almost identical in my yard!