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Lost for 30 years, the 'Steve Jobs Time Capsule' reappears (pictures)

Buried after a 1983 design meetup in Aspen, Colo., the huge buried tube contains treasures including a Lisa mouse that Jobs used during his presentation at the event.

Daniel Terdiman
Daniel Terdiman is a senior writer at CNET News covering Twitter, Net culture, and everything in between.
Daniel Terdiman
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1 of 12 Mike Durkin

Steve Jobs' 30-year old Lisa mouse

For 30 years, the exact location of the Aspen Time Tube, otherwise known as the "Steve Jobs Time Capsule," was lost to history. Buried in an Aspen, Colo., field and containing hundreds of items, its most important treasure was the Lisa mouse Jobs used during his presentation at the 1983 International Design Conference in Aspen.

Last Thursday, the time capsule was finally found, and the process of unearthing it, and cataloging it, is being documented by the National Geographic Channel show "Diggers."

Though it took several days, the crew finally dug Jobs' mouse, which is seen here, out of the capsule.

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2 of 12 Mike Durkin

Holding Jobs' mouse

"Diggers" archaeologist Mike Durkin holds up the treasure of the time capsule, Steve Jobs' Lisa mouse.
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3 of 12 Mike Durkin

Bottom of the mouse

A look at the underside of Jobs' long-lost mouse.
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4 of 12 National Geographic Channel

Success!

"Diggers" hosts George Wyant and Tim Saylor, on the left, stand alongside the just-opened time capsule.
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5 of 12 John Celuch

Burying the capsule

The time capsule, seen in the Aspen field prior to its burial in 1983. Thanks to a significant re-landscaping of the field, the exact location of the buried treasure was unknown for 30 years.
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6 of 12 National Geographic Channel

Pulling it out

Excavators used heavy equipment to pull the 13-foot-long time capsule out of the ground. Once they'd found it. The crew had to dig two large holes before they found it.
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7 of 12 National Geographic Channel

Up in the air

The long-lost time capsule, held up in the air, and about to be cut open after 30 years buried under ground.
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8 of 12 National Geographic Channel

Beer inside

Among the photographs, name tags, a video tape, and more -- including Jobs' Lisa mouse -- was a six-pack of Balantine beer, meant as a reward for the crew that would dig it up.
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9 of 12 National Geographic Channel

Victory

After being lost for 30 years, the time capsule's discovery was well worth big smiles.
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10 of 12 National Geographic Channel

Digging

Crews dig for the time capsule in the field in Aspen, Colo.
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11 of 12 National Geographic Channel

Not yet

Though they had a very good idea where the time capsule was buried, it took digging two holes before they found it.
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12 of 12 National Geographic Channel

Heavy machinery

It took heavy machinery to excavate the time capsule, which had been buried for 30 years.

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