E-Timecapsule to make history at Stonehenge

Stonehenge near Salisbury, Wiltshire, is to be the site of a unique E-Timecapsule, which will allow people from across the world to leave their mark in history. Making use of the Internet and innovative microfilm archiving technology, the E-Timecapsule allows individuals, organisations or businesses to leave a unique message which will then be buried in a titanium time capsule at a location near the site of Stonehenge and left for 100 years.

The E-Timecapsule will present a unique snapshot of the world in the early 21 st century and allow people from all walks of life to have their voices heard in history. E-Timecapsule Ltd, the company behind the project, has been given special permission by the National Trust to bury the capsule at King Barrow Ridge.

The costs associated with the project will be shared among individuals, families, businesses or other organisations through a small entry fee or sponsorship contributions. Messages and pictures can be entered into the E-TimeCapsule via the website, which can be accessed at www.e-timecapsule.com

E-Timecapsule founder Ian Ray, said: “This is a fantastic and unique chance for everyone to play an active part in history. Future generations will read the words written and pictures stored and get a real understanding of who we were and what we did. In past times, history has always focused on the rich, infamous or powerful. This project allows us to redress that balance. “

Canadian-based archiving company Datawitness Online Ltd, provides the technology behind the E-Timecapsule.

Glynis Evans, of Datawitess, said: “Writing the information to microfilm ensures its long-term security and will mean that the information entered in the E-Timecapsule will remain available for future generations to read. The historic importance of such a data base will be invaluable to future researchers and family genealogists, alike.

Microfilm has a shelf life of 500 years, making it the ideal storage medium for secure-long term archiving. The microfilm used in the E-Timecapsule is being supplied by leading UK microfilm supplier, The Microfilm Shop.

Paul Negus, Managing Director of The Microfilm Shop, said: “We are delighted to be involved in such a unique project. Once again, it can be seen that microfilm remains the premium format for long-term secure archiving. While other storage formats like floppy discs have quickly fallen into obsolescence, we can be sure that microfilm will still be readable in a century’s time or longer.”