The Crypt of Civilization was sealed 85 years ago and won’t be opened until 8113

85 years ago, a crypt containing the legacy of civilization was sealed shut, not to be reopened until the year 8113. The time capsule (housed in a room the size of a swimming pool buried deep beneath Atlanta, Georgia) preserves the knowledge and objects of the past for future generations.

The Crypt of Civilization may be the most ambitious time capsule ever

Thornwell Jacobs, then-president of Oglethorpe University, came up with the idea after observing how little authentic information had survived from ancient civilizations, particularly the Egyptians.

According to Business Insider, Jacobs launched the project in 1936, believing that a curated collection of humanity’s literature, knowledge, and everyday items would be invaluable to the people—or intelligent beings—of the future.

The crypt contains more than 800 works and artefacts, from scientific texts and encyclopedias to newspapers, film reels, and even now-infamous recordings, such as speeches by Adolf Hitler.

Also included are everyday items like stockings, electric razors, clothes, toys, and some oddities—like a female bust form. The full inventory of items inside the crypt is available HERE.

Recognizing the language gap future discoverers might face, Jacobs also included a so-called “language integrator”—a hand-cranked device that uses cartoons to teach English through images and sounds, helping anyone decipher and learn the language.

The chamber housing the crypt was designed with stainless steel containers encased in glass and filled with nitrogen to prevent the contents from aging.

Why 8113?

The Crypt of Civilization was built in place of a former indoor swimming pool to ensure long-term preservation. It was sealed in 1950 after Jacobs’ death, with an inscription asking future authorities to open it in 8113 and keep the contents intact until then.

According to IFLScience, the choice of the year 8113 was deliberate. When Jacobs conceived the project in 1936, 6,177 years had passed since the beginning of the Egyptian calendar. Adding that number to 1936 set the opening date far into the future.

This remarkable time capsule not only captures a snapshot of a bygone era in human civilization but also represents a hopeful message to the future—preserving the past for study and reflection over millennia.

A snippet of Thornwell Jacobs’ message to future generations reads:

This Crypt contains memorials of the civilization which existed in the United States and the world at large during the first half of the twentieth century. We depend upon (…) the sense of sportsmanship of posterity for the continued preservation of this vault until the year 8113, at which time we direct that it shall be opened by authorities representing the above governmental agencies and the administration of Oglethorpe University.

Read more history-related stories on Daily News Hungary!

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