Archivists are going through 610 cardboard boxes, filing cabinets and a shipping container that contain items that were collected by legendary pop artist, Andy Warhol.

Admittedly, there is a lot of junk to be sifted through. Warhol appears to have been a hoarder. There are cab receipts, long beyond stale wedding cake, and old soup cans – and not the ones on his paintings. There are however, a lot of interesting treasures too.  Finds so far include a drawer full of gems, a mummified human foot belonging to an ancient Egyptian, a naked picture of Jackie O. and $17,000 cash.

Recently uncovered are books by Allen Ginsberg including Mind Breaths. There is also a note to Warhol from Ginsberg. (Signed copies of Mind Breaths start at $950 on AbeBooks but you can find copies for $100 and under.)

In this photo taken on Aug. 13, 2009, books and a note by Allen Ginsberg found in one of Andy Warhol's time capsules wait to be catalogued at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) (AP)

What other treasures are there are yet to be revealed. Uncovering them is a daunting task – when Warhol died, his four-story Manhattan townhouse was full of “stuff” . And then there are the boxes in storage. The collection of these started back in 1973 when an associate of Warhol suggested that he carry around a box and just throw things into it. As each box (or “time capsule”) was filled, it was taped shut, dated and shipped off to a storage facility in New Jersey.

Starting in September, the archivists who have alreday opened and catalogued 177 boxes in 18 months, will start blogging about the “Object of the Week”.  It’ll certainly be interesting to see what was squirreled away.