The time capsule was found beneath the statue of the controversial US General Lee

Inside the lead box were two still unknown books, the 1875 Astronomical Almanac, a cloth cover of unknown contents, and a coin affixed to one of the books, CNN reported.

His statue was removed earlier this year because Lee is a controversial figure in American history. During the American Civil War (1861-1865) he fought on the side of the Confederation of Southern States, which sought to protect freedom and slavery.

A bronze statue was erected in Richmond in the late 1800s. It was announced Friday that a one-time capsule had been found on the pedestal. This is a box of items that will be preserved for future generations.

Reaching the capsule is not an easy task. The shoe-sized object was trapped in a granite stone weighing 680 kg. Researchers initially thought that the time capsule might have been placed on the pedestal in 1887 and contained 60 objects.

Protests erupted over the Lee statue after black man George Floyd was killed by a white police officer last year. It was decided to remove the statue ten days after Floyd died.