time capsule

American  

noun

1. a receptacle containing documents or objects typical of the current period, placed in the earth or in a cornerstone for discovery in the future.

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time capsule British  

noun

1. a container holding articles, documents, etc, representative of the current age, buried in the earth or in the foundations of a new building for discovery in the future

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Etymology

Origin of time capsule

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

They can also feel like time capsules to other dimensions; his 12-year-old daughter was scandalized by how normative bullying was after she read “Blubber,” Blume’s 1974 novel about tween mean girls and body shaming.

From Los Angeles Times

And while some of those aural elements still exist today, “Amores Perros” also serves as a time capsule of a city that has evolved and mutated incessantly.

From Los Angeles Times

The ice cream shop was like a time capsule with shiny red booths, waitresses dressed in pink dresses and aprons, and a jukebox in the corner.

From Literature

Visiting the wall today feels like stepping into a time capsule when posting on social media felt fun and low-stakes.

From Los Angeles Times

These tiny mineral fragments act like geological time capsules, preserving evidence of how sediments moved across Britain over millions of years.

From Science Daily