http://bellingham.komonews.com/phot...-opened-wwu-leaves-few-clues-about-class-1912
Pics of the fail at the link.
First time capsule opened at WWU leaves few clues about class of 1912
- Western Professor of Anthropology Sarah Cambell examines a chunk of paper left from one of the time capsules.
One hundred years ago, students at the New Whatcom State Normal School at Bellingham deposited items into small, tin box, likely bought from the local hardware store, and buried it in the ground in hopes that one day future students would be able to look upon them as treasures of the past and keep the tradition going.
When utility workers at what is now Western Washington University went to open that time capsule box last week, they were met with quite a surprise--a 220 pound slab of concrete, but no concrete evidence of any mementos.
After almost a week of carefully chipping away the top layer of concrete, workers and professors from the university's Anthropology Department were finally ready to see just what was left in the capsules, the one from 1912, the first year of the time capsule project, and the one from 1913 which was also dug up last week when workers were trying to look for clues on just what it was they were looking for.
"We can't guarantee there's something inside after 100 years, but it's very exciting," said utilities worker Scott Vallejo. "If you're an archaeologist, it's a great day."
Both boxes were severely damaged during the course of the past century. Western's resident archaeology experts--Dan Boxberger, Todd Koetje and Sarah Campbell, all professors in the Department of Anthropology said that was due to a variety of factors, including the material used for the box and the method in which the boxes were re-buried in the 1980s.
While tin boxes were the most common material used for time capsules in that era, Boxberger said, they weren't the best choice because tin degrades.
In the 1980s when the walkway in front of Old Main was re-done in brick, the workers at the time removed the already fragile boxes and may have inadvertently caused more damage when they wrapped them in plastic, and re-inserted them into the ground with concrete fill, which, in the case of the 1912 capsule caused the box to partially cave in.
"There may be nothing in there except crumbly bits of tin box," Koetje said just before he cut through the remains of the tin lid of the box of the 1913 box, which was opened first because it was in worse condition. "We really don't know what to expect."
After a few moments of careful snipping by Koetje with a pair of shears, the remains of the tin lid were removed to reveal what was left of the trinkets from the class of 1913, and there wasn't much inside other than a pile of crumbly debris and a few scraps of paper just large enough to see one or two barely legible letters.
The 1912 box was in slightly better condition, Campbell said, and tucked away in the corner of the concrete-punctured box was something that struck her as even more interesting, and deserving of a closer look.
It took three men to lift the 223-pound concrete square to the nearby work table, and then one of them needed to sit on the opposite end of the table to keep it from tipping so the professors could get a closer look.
Inside was a slightly larger chunk of paper, and even a small piece of material with a cross-hatch pattern that could be seen by the naked eye. Everything, even the dust inside the time capsule was going to be taken to the lab for further examination, Campbell said.
"I'm pleased that at least we have some in tact chunks," she said.
Once the contents of the box are examined and any story that they have left to tell is learned, the remnants will be put on display for current students and the public to look at.
What's in store for the 1914 box? The professors think it will be much of the same, although there is a chance the items could be better preserved.
"We always hope," Koetje said. "[But] I'd be surprised."
But there is hope that 100 years from now, the unburied time capsules will be better preserved. These days, utility worker Mike Berry said these days a PVC capsule-like box is used to hold graduate's memories. The capsule is then placed underground with fill, but not encased in concrete.
During the past seven years, Berry said, he has seen a lot of the trinkets and items students choose to encapsulate, including tassles, comencement programs, debit cards, punch cards and lots of student IDs, thousands of student IDs.
While Koetje said PVC pipe still isn't the best material for a time capsule, it won't degrade for about 80 years. Stainless steel, Boxberger said, is the best choice for preserving items in time capsules.
- Western Professor of Anthropology Sarah Cambell examines a chunk of paper left from one of the time capsules.
One hundred years ago, students at the New Whatcom State Normal School at Bellingham deposited items into small, tin box, likely bought from the local hardware store, and buried it in the ground in hopes that one day future students would be able to look upon them as treasures of the past and keep the tradition going.
When utility workers at what is now Western Washington University went to open that time capsule box last week, they were met with quite a surprise--a 220 pound slab of concrete, but no concrete evidence of any mementos.
After almost a week of carefully chipping away the top layer of concrete, workers and professors from the university's Anthropology Department were finally ready to see just what was left in the capsules, the one from 1912, the first year of the time capsule project, and the one from 1913 which was also dug up last week when workers were trying to look for clues on just what it was they were looking for.
"We can't guarantee there's something inside after 100 years, but it's very exciting," said utilities worker Scott Vallejo. "If you're an archaeologist, it's a great day."
Both boxes were severely damaged during the course of the past century. Western's resident archaeology experts--Dan Boxberger, Todd Koetje and Sarah Campbell, all professors in the Department of Anthropology said that was due to a variety of factors, including the material used for the box and the method in which the boxes were re-buried in the 1980s.
While tin boxes were the most common material used for time capsules in that era, Boxberger said, they weren't the best choice because tin degrades.
In the 1980s when the walkway in front of Old Main was re-done in brick, the workers at the time removed the already fragile boxes and may have inadvertently caused more damage when they wrapped them in plastic, and re-inserted them into the ground with concrete fill, which, in the case of the 1912 capsule caused the box to partially cave in.
"There may be nothing in there except crumbly bits of tin box," Koetje said just before he cut through the remains of the tin lid of the box of the 1913 box, which was opened first because it was in worse condition. "We really don't know what to expect."
After a few moments of careful snipping by Koetje with a pair of shears, the remains of the tin lid were removed to reveal what was left of the trinkets from the class of 1913, and there wasn't much inside other than a pile of crumbly debris and a few scraps of paper just large enough to see one or two barely legible letters.
The 1912 box was in slightly better condition, Campbell said, and tucked away in the corner of the concrete-punctured box was something that struck her as even more interesting, and deserving of a closer look.
It took three men to lift the 223-pound concrete square to the nearby work table, and then one of them needed to sit on the opposite end of the table to keep it from tipping so the professors could get a closer look.
Inside was a slightly larger chunk of paper, and even a small piece of material with a cross-hatch pattern that could be seen by the naked eye. Everything, even the dust inside the time capsule was going to be taken to the lab for further examination, Campbell said.
"I'm pleased that at least we have some in tact chunks," she said.
Once the contents of the box are examined and any story that they have left to tell is learned, the remnants will be put on display for current students and the public to look at.
What's in store for the 1914 box? The professors think it will be much of the same, although there is a chance the items could be better preserved.
"We always hope," Koetje said. "[But] I'd be surprised."
But there is hope that 100 years from now, the unburied time capsules will be better preserved. These days, utility worker Mike Berry said these days a PVC capsule-like box is used to hold graduate's memories. The capsule is then placed underground with fill, but not encased in concrete.
During the past seven years, Berry said, he has seen a lot of the trinkets and items students choose to encapsulate, including tassles, comencement programs, debit cards, punch cards and lots of student IDs, thousands of student IDs.
While Koetje said PVC pipe still isn't the best material for a time capsule, it won't degrade for about 80 years. Stainless steel, Boxberger said, is the best choice for preserving items in time capsules.
