A second time capsule was unexpectedly found hidden beneath Richmond's Robert E. Lee statue

• A time capsule was found Monday underneath a removed statue of Robert E. Lee in Richmond, Virginia.
• The time capsule may be the one reportedly buried in 1887 with a rare photo of Abraham Lincoln's dead body and Confederate memorabilia.

A second time capsule was found on Monday hidden beneath the now-removed statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee in Richmond, Virginia.

"They found it! This is likely the time capsule everyone was looking for," Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam wrote on Twitter.

He added: "Conservators studying it—stay tuned for next steps! (Won't be opened today)."

Last week, a different time capsule was opened after it was found underneath the pedestal of the statue, which was removed back in September, NBC News previously reported. But that lead-lined time capsule — which reportedly contained books, a cloth envelope, and a coin — didn't match historical descriptions of the copper box supposedly buried under the statue in 1887.

When the confederate general's statue was removed in September, work crews spent more than 12 hours searching for the 1887 time capsule. Workers eventually found a lead box embedded in a granite block in the pedestal.

On Monday, workers found the second time capsule in a corner of the pedestal, according to Richmond Free Press photographer Regina Boone.

News reports at the time state the time capsule was purportedly buried with various Confederate memorabilia and a rare photo showing a deceased Abraham Lincoln, according to NBC News.

The 40-foot-statue was erected in 1890 in the former capital of the Confederacy and was the first of five statues honoring the Confederacy along Monument Avenue in the city.

In the decades to follow, the statue became a cornerstone of a wealthy, predominantly white neighborhood, according to NPR.

The statue became a lightning rod during racial-justice protests last summer about what to do with monuments honoring Confederate generals and figures.

Gov. Northam had ordered the statue to be taken down in June 2020, but that effort was paused following a series of lawsuits.

The statue has since been placed in storage. Gov. Northam has said the remaining portion of the statue pedestal will be removed by the end of the week.