git - Checking out old files WITH original create/modified timestamps

Question

Is there a way to know or get the original create/modified timestamps?

Answer 1

YES, metastore or git-cache-meta can store such (meta-)information! Git by itself, without third-party tools, can't. Metastore or git-cache-meta can store any file metadata for a file.

That is by design, as metastore or git-cache-meta are intended for that very purpose, as well as supporting backup utilities and synchronization tools.