Lo all,

Doing a bit of minor outside work and it presents the perfect
opportunity to bury a time capsule. Something I've always wanted to do
since seeing Blue Peter's abortive efforts as a kid in the 70s.

I've a pretty good idea what I want to put in it [see below], but I'm
much less sure about how to preserve the integrity of whatever box I
put it in, and how long the contents will last even if the box stays
leakproof.

It will be going into ground that is generally damp, but never flooded
(yet), and I would be most disappointed if it was discovered within
100 years, and ideally I would like it to last a 1000, if not more,
which I realise is probably unrealistic.

Initial thoughts were of some strong galvanised steel waterproof box,
with maybe 100 bin liners individually wrapped and tied around it.
Then I realised that is going for quantity over quality and if I want
it to really last then the box itself is going to have to be the main
barrier.

A few thoughts I'd had about some of the contents would be to seal
them all in plastic, and place them all in the oven for an hour or so
on just over 100° C. to kill any microbial activity. I'd also put
silica gel in the box to absorb moisture, and iron filings to absorb
the oxygen in a bid to further inhibit any growth.

Any suggestions at all greatly appreciated, how to build it or what to
buy, how deep to bury (I do want it discovered eventually), what to
put in, and how to preserve both the integrity of the box, and its
contents. All the contents will be duplicated in a 'house box' so that
we never have the temptation to dig up the real one to check what's
inside


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{*} contents would include the predictable items such as a selection
of that day's newspapers, written letters from each of the family,
brief history of the house and family, photographs videos CDs of music
and commentary from us all. A video of a trip round the town and some
of the local shops. Maps, both national and local. Most of this would
also be duplicated onto a computer hard disk drive which I understand
preserve their data pretty well, and hopefully they will still somehow
be able to read. Currency, a few of the latest hi-tec gadgets [cheap
ones obviously] so they can have a laugh. The kids will also have
their own little 'secret box' which goes inside with things that only
they know about, which has excited them greatly