"You found her!" Wrote Ralph Northam, the governor of Virginia, on Twitter Monday night.

“This is probably the time capsule everyone was looking for.” Photos show a mud-smeared square copper box.

It was found in Richmond, the former capital of the Confederate States, where until recently the 18-meter-high statue of Southern General Robert E. Lee stood.

After years of discussion, his equestrian statue was removed in September to cheers.

Sofia Dreisbach

Editor in politics.

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But under the statue there should be a very special evidence of the time, which experts suspect was placed there on October 27, 1887.

Records in the Virginia State Archives suggest that 37 Richmond residents, organizations, and corporations placed a total of sixty items in the "time capsule" at the time.

Many are said to be related to the Confederation.

Lee had led the Confederates in the American Civil War.

The southern states resisted the abolition of slavery and against more rights for blacks.

It's not the first time I find it

On December 17th, such a lead “time capsule” was found in the remaining base of the statue. Inside was an almanac from 1875, two other books, a British coin, a letter and a photo of a stonemason who was involved in building the statue. But because the appearance and contents did not match the description in the records, it quickly became clear that this was not the box we were looking for. With the new find, at least the Democratic Governor Northam seems to be sure. According to CNN, the “time capsule”, which weighs a good 16 kilograms, is to be opened by experts in Northam's presence on Tuesday.

X-rays suggest that there may be books, buttons or ammunition from the civil war inside. The wanted box should also contain a rare photo of the former President Abraham Lincoln in the coffin, said the head of the monument protection agency, Julie Langan, the "New York Times". However, experts fear that the content could be corrupted; the "time capsule" was found standing in water. It is not yet clear whether moisture has penetrated.

Lee's bronze sculpture was dismantled in September.

The background to the decision were protests against racism and police violence after the death of the African American George Floyd in a police operation.

A small group of local residents filed unsuccessful lawsuits to protect the monument.

When the statue was removed, Governor Northam said the day had been a long wait.