Europe’s Oldest Time Capsule Discovered Inside A Statue Of Jesus In Spain?

AncientPages.com - A mysterious 300-year-old time capsule has been discovered during restoration works at the church of Santa Agueda in Sotillo de la Ribera, Burgos, northern Spain.

The document was hidden inside a hollow wooden statue of Jesus Christ. Written with careful handwriting, it consists of two handwritten sheets with text on both sides. According to the team behind the discovery, it dates back to 1777 and if it's authentic it could be the one of Europe's oldest time capsules.

The document was signed by Joaquín Minguez, a priest from the cathedral Burgo de Osma.

According to historian Efrén Arroyo, a member of the Brotherhood of Holy Week in Sotillo de la Ribera. It's a surprising and unique discovery because it's unusual to find handwritten documents inside hollow statues.

Arroyo thinks the purpose of the document was to describe what life was like during this time. He also suggests that the author of the time capsule deliberately placed it inside the Jesus statue because he wanted it to be discovered hundreds of years later.

If genuine, this could be one of the oldest time capsules ever discovered in Europe. Image credit: EFE

In his document, the priest Joaquín Mínguez explains that the statue of Jesus Christ was carved in wood by Manuel Bal, who also created five other statues of the main altar of the church of Sotillo de la Ribera.

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The time capsule also contains information about various Popes, the Inquisition, political and economical events, various games and sportsmen as well as common diseases people suffered at the time.

The original document has been sent to the Archbishop of Burgos, but a copy of the handwritten paper has been kept inside the carving of Christ to fulfill the wish of priest Minguez and save the document for future generations.

Image credit: Da Vinci Restauro

Whether the document is authentic or not is too early to say. The discovery has not yet been confirmed by archaeologists or historians. Test and examinations must be carried out before it can be confirmed the time capsule is genuine.

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