Wood choice for a 'buryable' treasure chest?

[jimi43]

That's a perfect chest for the job isn't it...lovely WIP pics too TM!

Bravo! I will have to do more reading of the archives of this wonderful forum...amazing stuff here!

I have been thinking long and hard about the archival issues here...clearly we have all of the vessel issues sorted...any number of these will suffice adequately for 18 years which is actually...not even a blink in time really.

It's the supposed archival quality of our disposable media that is an issue here.

My wife just came down from digging in the loft of our old cottage carrying a plastic bag full of 45s We have never seen these records before as they came from before we lived here. 1950s to 1970s by the contents! That's at least 40 years ago!

I played "Albatross" by Fleetwood Mac 1966 on my REGA....now that is archival quality!

So...thinking along these lines...I would say you would have to be careful with digital media...print would be fine...say a special offers flyer in print "junk mail" now...but should be fun in 18 years time!

A newspaper from this year...obviously...and maybe a whole magazine depicting fashion and technology...perhaps "New Scientist" which will have "modern" technology that in 18 years time may very well be ancient history...

Very interesting subject this...very interesting!

Jim

 

[wobblycogs]

Decided to have a look up about long term data storage. Would seem your best bet is probably DVD (specifically Verbatim Gold Archival DVD-R) according to this page: http://www.linuxtech.net/tips+tricks/best_safe_long-term_data_storage.html.

It references an article describing long term tests that were carried out by c't magazine. It's arguable how well accelerated ageing tests mimic real life ageing but the minimum figure given for that brand of media was 18 years with an average of at least 32. If you go this route I would suggest burning several identical copies to maximize the chance one will survive.

Getting a little more esoteric... you might also be able to find some sort of off-line raid 5 type software e.g. spread the data across multiple disks with only 2 out of 3 being needed to recover all the data. The problem with this approach is needing special software to read the array.

Interesting though I wonder what type of data you will store on the disks. Short of plain text files any other file format could have become so obsolete that nothing can open the file.

 

[Benchwayze]

I think BelgianPhil has the best idea, especially if you find some old wood, and distress it a little.
If it was buried in Brum, at the rate they demolish and rebuild our City, it could well be buried under a new office block, or Railway Station in a few months!

John

 

[Racers]

Hi,

I remember the Blue Peter time capsule opened live on TV it was all knackered.
I don't think you should bury it the loft seems a good idea, or maybe inside a wall i the house, as long as you don't move.

Pete

 

[Geofrey]

You could lock everything in the box, put the box in the attic, two months before her 18th you bury the box ...

Best idea ever. I think that box is actually going to look more pirate-like that way than an 18 years old buried one. Since it will be old and stuff, but not damaged or destroyed which I am sure your time capsule be if you bury it no matter how you protect it or work on the wood., 18 years is really a very long time.