The discovery of these pair of coins indicate that either the English military or pirates were on Oak Island in the 1700s. While investigating the massive stone wharf feature in the swamp, Rick Lagina found pieces of a wooden cargo barrel that dated to as early as the 15th century. The 'Money Pit' on Oak Island in 1947. They continue to scour near the island's shoreline to find even more of Oak Island's hidden treasures. Some unproven stories allege that Marie Antoinette's jewels, missing except for specimens in museum collections, may have been hidden on the island. Here are the top 25 discoveries on the island. The Oak Island team take the finely-detailed metal ring to have it examined by gemologist Charles Lewton-Brain, who is able to determine that the beautifully designed artifact is quite possibly a Spanish silver ring. One of Gary Draytonu0019s greatest Oak Island finds, the lead cross, found at Smiths Cove, has been analysed by a scientist to originate from Europe during the time of the Knights Templar. Probably the very first account of any sign of treasure on Oak Island was at the end of the 18th Century. Wide-ranging speculation exists about how the pit was formed and what it might contain. Since the 19th century, explorers have tried to locate the loot. What at first appeared to be the discovery of a small Spanish Maravedi coin, could instead be a significant lead towards a vast Knights Templar fortune buried somewhere on Oak Island. In "Circles in Wood," the sixth episode of the fourth season of "The Curse of Oak Island," Gary Drayton along with associate producers and fellow treasure hunters Jack Begley and Alex Lagina do some metal detecting on property once owned by former slave-turned-cabbage farmer Samuel Ball. Rick and Marty Lagina have spent countless hours digging over the years and have discovered some "top pocket finds." Doyle, Lynn C. "Nova Scotia's Treasure Island". When testing the water from the Garden Shaft earlier this season, they found traces of gold in the water. Probably the very first account of any sign of treasure on Oak Island was at the end of the 18th Century. Ellerd, Kerry. The nearest community is the rural community of Western Shore which faces the island, while the nearest village is Chester. "[66], Templars, Masons, or Incas seeking to squirrel their treasure away from European persecutors or Spanish conquistadors may have created the money pit, according to William S. A depression was also spotted beneath the tree. Nolan believed that treasure had been recovered in at least eleven shallow sites around Oak Island. Harris provides no source for the claim that the stone was removed in 1865 or 1866. In 1795, 16-year-old Daniel McGuiness went on a fishing expedition to Oak Island. Once the new source of metal has been x-rayed and studied, it is revealed to be composed of 0.2 percent gold, an even larger percentage of gold than the previous find. Activities regarding the Onslow and Truro Companies were also included that mention the mysterious stone and the Truro owned auger hitting wooden platforms along with the "metal in pieces". In 1965, they tried to seal what was thought to be a storm drain in Smith's Cove and dug a shaft down to 27 feet (8.2m). The Woods Hole scientists who viewed the 1971 videos reported that nothing conclusive could be determined from the murky images. This suggests there was activity in Smith's Cove earlier than first thought. Very little verified information is known about early treasure-related activities on Oak Island; thus, the following accounts are word of mouth stories going back to the late eighteenth century. As expected, it was near the garden shaft at the Money Pit. The team from The Curse of Oak Island believes they have finally found their gold. 1911. Freemason Dennis King examines the Masonic aspects of the Oak Island legend in his article, "The Oak Island Legend: The Masonic Angle". I cannot recollect which, but they appear as if they had been scraped out by a blunt instrument, rather than cut with a sharp one". After first finding a 17th century military button like the one found in Season 2, Episode 2"Return to the Money Pit,"the stakes are significantly raised when they uncover a brooch and what at first appears to be a multifaceted ruby. Were these 18th century campers on the search for buried treasure or leaving behind treasure of their own? It was first reported in a July 2, 1862, Halifax Sun and Advisor article, which mentioned a June 2, 1862, letter by J. This cap badge is yet another exciting find potentially expanding the diversity of 17th century Oak Island visitors to include the Spanish, the British, and now the French. Drayton soon digs up what appears to be a handmade decorative keyhole plate. Map What's Been Found on Oak Island Treasure hunters have been intrigued by the legend of Oak Island for more than 200 years. First, they find an 1800s British half penny coin. [73], In his 1953 book, The Oak Island Enigma: A History and Inquiry into the Origin of the Money Pit, Penn Leary wrote that the pit was used to hide manuscripts indicating that Francis Bacon was the author of William Shakespeare's works and a leader of the Rosicrucians. Pick handles, coins, and a hinge have been found. Did the source of this wealth come from cabbage farming? I wish the show would give this kind of history.". The Freemasons are suspected of being descended. The Truth About The Chappell Vault On The Curse Of Oak Island. But what exactly are these interesting finds, and what historical secrets could they reveal? The symbols associated with the "Forty feet below" translation first appeared in 1949's True Tales of Buried Treasure by explorer and historian Edward Rowe Snow. oak island money pit solved 2022 the real story - The real story behind chemical test of the water composition solved a 200-year-old mystery. "[41] Mitchell was the superintendent of works for the Oak Island Association, which was formed on April 3, 1861, and ceased operation by March 29, 1865. In July 2010, Blankenship and the other stakeholders in Oak Island Tours announced on their website that the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage had granted them a treasure-trove license which allowed them to resume activities until December 31, 2010. This calls back to the Season 6 finale "Lost and Founding," where the team learned of the Appeal to Heaven flag. 1897 - 2nd Fatality is recorded. According to History, Oak Island itself is 140 acres, and possesses several locations deemed worthy of investigation by the Laginas and their "Fellowship," gleaned from previous efforts to find. On this week's episode of The Curse of Oak Island, the team discovered more gold buried in the Money Pit area. [84], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}4431N 6417W / 44.51N 64.29W / 44.51; -64.29. As the boys began to dig, they found a. The most interesting result is that about 0.07 percent of the metal registers as AU, more commonly known as gold. After having it examined by antiques appraiser Dr. Lori Vanderame, it seems most likely that this circular object was actually a gold-plated button from a 17th or 18th century British military uniform. 1. [63], Another pit, similar to the early description of the "money pit", was discovered in the area in 1949 when workmen were digging a well on the shore of Mahone Bay. While digging near the southern border of the triangle-shaped swamp during Season 8, the Fellowship discovered this piece of wooden ships railing that dated from 660 to 770 A.D., making it the oldest artifact ever found on Oak Island to that point. Samuel Ball owned 36 acres of Oak Island and was said to be one of its wealthiest residents. This artifact could be evidence of the Duc D'Anville Expedition of 1746, an armada of 97 ships and 13,000 men that was launched by France in an attempt to seize Nova Scotia from the British and was led by a member of the ancient royal La Rochefoucauld family. Cited and discussed in Harris 1958, 110120; O'Connor 1988, 6366. After finding a 17th century spike and a metal hook, they dig up their biggest find: A long bolt with an arrow-shaped tip. Considered one of the biggest finds, this lead cross was discovered at Smith's Cove. episodes. It is known that the company operated sometime roughly in the early 1800s. The island was the subject of an episode of In Search of which was first broadcast on January 18, 1979. In 1970, a U-Shaped structure was discovered by treasure hunter Dan Blankenship after creating a cofferdam around Smith's Cove. However, no treasure was ever found and. According to the prospectus, the stone was taken out of the chimney and moved to Halifax; there, James Liechti[47] was said to have deciphered the stone as reading: "Ten feet below are two million pounds buried".[48]. Triton workers excavated a 235 feet (72m) shaft, known as Borehole 10-X and supported by a steel caisson to bedrock, in 1971. He further connects it to Templar graffiti from a similar timeframe. In 1939, he informed King George VI about developments on the island. Recently the island has been showcased on both the discovery channel, and the history channel. Important New Evidence Found at 170 Feet | At the H-8 dig site, the team finds evidence of the elusive Chapel vault while attempting to reposition a . [24] Bowdoin later examined the "stone cipher" in Halifax and found it a basalt rock with no symbols. In an 1863 newspaper article, the stone was said to have been built into the "chimney of an old house near the pit". In the following Season 6 episode, "Gold Rush," the brooch is taken to gemologist Charles Lewton-Brain who says that the gem is actually leaded glass, though a threaded technique used on the brooch dates the jewelry to the 14th century or earlier. Later treasure hunters claimed that coconut fibres were discovered beneath the surface of a beach, Smith's Cove, in 1851. On October 5, 1789, revolutionaries incited an angry mob of Parisian working women to march on the Palace of Versailles. Roosevelt continued to follow it until his death in 1945. Since the 19th century, many attempts have been made by explorers from different parts of the globe to locate cryptic artifacts and treasures. They soon find a lead ingot used for making musket balls, as well as several King George II coins also from the 1700s. One final attempt was made in 1864 to intersect the money pit, resulting in alleged flood tunnels again being breached. [4] According to later accounts, oak platforms were discovered every 10 feet (3.0m); however, the earliest accounts simply mention "marks" of some type at these intervals. This stone wharf, which was determined to be at least 300 years old, was unearthed in Season 8 and provides further evidence that the Oak Island swamp is a man-made feature. Gary Drayton discovered a wrought iron hinge that is similar to the decorative hinges discovered on Fred Nolan's property. French Carey. Dont Miss Out on The Curse of Oak Island news, behind the scenes content, and more. Bowdoin described the rock as "of a basalt type hard and fine-grained". Testing showed that the material in the lead is from Southern France and dates back to the 1300s or 1400s. I expect next season to see nothing less than the complete excavation of the whole damn island itself, with the debris pile reforming the NEW Oak Island mere feet away. The Blair letter mentioned above states that MacDonald took down the partition in order to examine the stone, not to remove it. In 1931 the Chappell shaft was dug where the drill rig had been set up in 1897. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. Fell is not considered to be credible by most mainstream academics. In his book, Snow said that he received the set of symbols from Rev. [4] According to the most widely held discovery story, Daniel McGinnis found a depression in the ground around 1799 while he was looking for a location for a farm. That is quickly followed up by a more incredible find: A piece of ammunition called grapeshot. If true, this would be the oldest treasure found on Oak Island by over a millennium. This happened by the Garden Shaft, which wasn't as much of a surprise as one might think. In "A Boatload of Clues," the 11th episode of the ninth season of "The Curse of Oak Island," metal detection expert Gary Drayton is joined by treasure hunter Michael John. ", Drayton dates the solid lead cross to somewhere between the 1200s and the 1600s. In "The 90-Foot Stone," the fifth episode of the second season of "The Curse of Oak Island," the small coin that Gary Drayton and his team had discovered three episodes earlier in "Return to the Money Pit" was inspected. Divers were unable to locate and identify the object and it still remains a mystery. This interactive map lets you explore the what and where of their intriguing discoveries. According to History, Oak Island itself is 140 acres, and possesses several locations deemed worthy of investigation by the Laginas and their "Fellowship," gleaned from previous efforts to find the Oak Island treasure. The team immediately goes back to work, hoping that the treasure of Oak Island might soon be revealed. Atlantic Advocate. Further excavation uncovers more evidence that the stone structure in the swamp could be a roadway, and analysis of the serpent mound has it dating back to the Templars. The structure has a notch in it every four feet and features a different Roman number. According to online research archive Oak Island Compendium, legend has it that the treasure will be found when seven men have died looking for it. [24] [citation needed] Young died on October 28, 2020, and the land passed to his estate. Although the pumps were unable to keep water out of the flooded side shaft, boring samples were taken. Leather bookbinding was found 160 feet underground along with bits of parchment. "While in Creighton's possession some lad had cut his initials 'J.M.' Robert Restall, his 18-year-old son, and work partner Karle Graeser, came to Oak Island in 1959 after signing a contract with one of the property owners. The shaft was later re-dug to 181 feet (55m), reaching bedrock, but work was halted due to lack of funds and the collapse of the partnership. Archaeological and geological counterevidence concerning Oak Island and the Money Pit point to something well short of an Indiana Jones movie. With these consistent findings of 17th century artifacts, the pieces add up to fill in the mysterious puzzle of Oak Island. Its design suggests an ancient metalwork technique called cloisonne. After the team takes the chunk of metal to an archeology lab to be studied by Dr. Ian Spooner and Laird Niven, the metal is revealed to be composed of many elements. [7][11] The diggers then faced a dilemma when the pit flooded with 60 feet (18m) of water for unknown reasons. "The Curse of Oak Island" is a popular reality television show inspired by two brothers' lifelong pursuit of long-lost treasure. Might it have been part of a barrel that once contained a portion of the Oak Island treasure? They discover a piece of metal that might just be what they've been searching for since before the show even began in 2014. Both of these shafts were filled with water when an alleged flood tunnel was again breached. ", Later, in Season 5, Episode 12 "A Key to the Mystery," Templar expert Jerry Glover examines the cross and estimates that it might be from the 13th century. One young boy called Daniel McGinnis found a circular depression. Some fans expressed confusion about how a drill might veer significantly off course, and doubted that anything new might found that hasn't already. The Lagina Brothers and Gary Drayton continue their search for buried treasure by exploring the Dunfield Spoils in "The Curse of Oak Island" Season 5, Episode 3 "Obstruction.". Collier's Magazine, August 18. He died just eight years after salvaging the Concepcion, and the treasure was theoretically never recovered. It was announced in April 2006 that brothers Rick and Marty Lagina of Michigan had purchased 50 percent of Oak Island Tours from David Tobias for an undisclosed sum. In "The Eight-Pointed Star," the third episode of the second season of "The Curse of Oak Island," treasure hunter Gary Drayton made another double discovery while metal detecting along the shoreline of Oak Island. As the team uncovered more and more of this stone feature in Season 8, they realized it was leading them away from the swampinto the uplands and straight towards the Money Pit. Solving the mystery of Oak Island. This could be a clue that supports a theory that Sir Francis Bacon once visited the island to bury William Shakespeare's original manuscripts. "A History of The Oak Island Enterprise". All of these attempts were failures in the end, due to the tide which eventually broke through barriers that were put in place. After running dye tests in the bore hole, the institution concluded that the flooding was caused by a natural interaction between the island's freshwater lens and tidal pressures in the underlying geology (refuting the man-made tunnel theory). [1] The tenth season premiered on November 15, 2022. All the signs pointed to this being a legitimate historical discovery, the first of many throughout the show. . Once the brooch has been cleaned, Marty Lagina takes a moment to count the branches of the leaf. Drayton and his team found a 17th century button from a military officer's outfit, though which military it might belong to is unknown. It was claimed that one of the samples brought a tiny piece of sheepskin parchment to the surface. Mr. McDonald, who was a carpenter by trade, also told of taking down a partition in Smith's house, in order that he with others might examine the characters cut on the stone used in the fireplace in the house. The parchment had two letters, "vi" or "wi", written in India ink. "Mystery Island Baffles Treasure Hunters". [36], Although one expedition claimed to have found a flood tunnel lined with flat stones at 90 feet (27m),[6] geologist Robert Dunfield wrote that he carefully examined the walls of the re-excavated pit and was unable to locate any evidence of a tunnel. The Michigan group, working with Blankenship, said that it would resume operations on Oak Island in the hope of discovering buried treasure and solving the island's mystery. However, these kinds of sentiments do little to slow down the Oak Island Fellowship, and they will do whatever they can in order to determine whether or not Oak Island acts as a host to errant treasure. Two years later, Blankenship and Tobias formed Triton Alliance after purchasing most of the island. [12] When efforts failed to shut off the flood system, one final shaft was dug 118 feet (36m) deep with the branched-off tunnel going under the original shaft. In 1983, Triton Alliance sued Frederick Nolan over the ownership of seven lots on the island and its causeway access. Reginald Vanderbilt Harris (18811986) wrote in his 1958 book, The Oak Island Mystery,[46] "About 18651866 the stone was removed and taken to Halifax. In 1965, Robert Dunfield attempted to find the legendary Oak Island treasure and dug a 100 foot wide by 140 foot deep hole in order to find it. Drayton believes it to be a 17th century crossbow bolt. While searching Lot 2, Gary Drayton discovered a cartwheel penny with a depiction of King George III made in 1797. In 1931 the Chappell shaft was dug where the drill rig had been set up in 1897. The Chappell family was convinced there was something underground. The characters in the novel find that the stone had been removed from the chimney when they arrived on the island;[43] until then, no one had been able to decode the mysterious symbols reportedly on the stone, which an inn landlord describes as 'rather faint, and irregular' he also says that 'men who don't believe in Kidd's treasure say that it isn't an inscription at all it's only some accidental scratches'. Lewton-Brain is even able to date the silver ring to originating prior to 1730, based on various repairing techniques used to make the ring both smaller and larger at different points in time. In Season 8, water sampling tests conducted in numerous boreholes in the Money Pit provided scientific proof that a dump-truck-load of silver lies buried deep below the spot that started the mystery more than two centuries ago. By this time, the area now known as the "money pit" was cleared out to 113 feet (34m) and divers were sent down to investigate. Using their metal detector, Drayton, Begley, and Lagina soon find a small piece of metal that Drayton believes might be a part of a military cap badge. It is taken to geochemist Tobias Skowronek, who informs them that it was most likely a cloisonn decoration an ancient method of decorating jewelry using small metal strips. At 127 feet (39m), a number of artifacts, including an axe, a fluke anchor and a pick, were found. [citation needed] Although the Oak Island Tourism Society had hoped that the government of Canada would purchase the island, a group of American drillers did so instead. Francis Drake . Franklin D. Roosevelt, a former US President, whose company Old Gold Salvage group searched in 1909. This property is the only untouched land left on Oak Island. Faribault, E. Rudolph. Several former landowners, including Mel Chappell, became shareholders in Triton. In "Dan's Breakthrough," Season 5, Episode 8 of "The Curse of Oak Island," the Lagina Brothers and Gary Drayton return to Lot 16 near where they had previously found the two English coins in the earlier Season 5 episode "Obstruction," and continue their search for hidden treasures. A reminder of the Spanish maravedi coin found in the Season 1 finale "The Find," the Lagina Brothers and their team wonder if they will soon find even more Spanish treasure hidden somewhere on Oak Island. In this rendering McGinnis first finds the depression in 1795 while on a fishing expedition. [3] [62] The "platforms" of rotten logs have been attributed to trees, damaged by "blowdowns" (derechos) or wildfires, periodically falling (or washing into) the hollow. Luckily, Reddit user @Nates94 did some sleuthing of their own, and stated, "The Chappell vault was found 153 feet under the Chappell shaft. In "Return to the Money Pit," the second episode of the second season of "The Curse of Oak Island," treasure hunter Gary Drayton discovered not two distinct treasures while metal detecting. [59][60][61][62] A number of sinkholes and caves, to which the "booby traps" are attributed, exist on the mainland near the island. One can only wonder what would have happened if young Daniel McGinnis had chosen to go exploring somewhere else on that fateful day in the summer of 1795. Could this keyhole be a part of a chest similar to Captain Anderson's sea chest? [27] Further excavations were made in 1935 and 1936, none of which was successful.[28]. In January 1967, Daniel C. Blankenship, David Tobias, Robert Dunfield, and Fred Nolan formed a syndicate for exploration on Oak Island. His son then went down the shaft, and also lost consciousness. He is excited to discover the show's first appearance of buried gold. However, no treasure was ever found and eventually the large hole caved in on itself. Creighton used the stone for a beating stone and weight. Later in Season 9, Episode 4, "Spoils Alert," another metallic discovery is made just 13.5 feet northeast of the gold found only two episodes ago. In Season 9, Episode 2, "The Gold Metal," the Oak Island team searches through spoils dug up from boring holes in the Money Pit area. The flag was flown on ships owned by George Washington. The Oak Island mystery is a series of stories of buried treasure and unexplained objects found on or near Oak Island in Nova Scotia. Or will the team of archaeologists leave the site empty-handed? However, Skowronek provides an even bigger revelation when he tells the team that the lead isotopes are identical to the ones found in the lead cross. What's more exciting is that it was frequently used for the hinges of treasure chests. At a point where the earth was soft, "At about two feet down a layer of fieldstone was struck. Its resemblance to a human-made pit has been suggested as partly due to the texture of natural, accumulated debris in sinkholes: "This filling would be softer than the surrounding ground, and give the impression that it had been dug up before". In Season 7, Episode 4, "The Lucky Thirteen," Gary Drayton and Charles Barkhouse return to Lot 21 where many prior discoveries have been made to see if they can't find more. These drains were first discovered in 1850 by the Truro Company and may have fed into one tunnel meant to fill the Money Pit with water as a booby trap. This section follows Nickell, section "Man-made or Natural?". The tree-covered island is one of several islands in Mahone Bay, and is connected to the mainland by a causeway. According to Charles B. Driscoll's 1929 book, The Oak Island Treasure (based on secondhand accounts), The stone was shown to everyone who visited the Island in those days. Though smaller, these incredible finds could still lead to a much larger treasure hidden somewhere on Oak Island. [33] After December 2010, the departments repealed the treasure-trove license and replaced it with an Oak Island Treasure Act. The shaft later collapsed, and the excavation was again abandoned. Gary Drayton found these two King Charles II Brtiannia coins from the 17th century. 'Oak Island Secrets'. Dendrochronology dated the wood structure to 1769. The Truro Company shifted its resources to excavating a nearby cove known as "Smith's Cove" where they found a flood tunnel system. [4] This would be followed by a more complete account by a justice of the peace in Chester, Nova Scotia, in 1861, which was also published in The Transcript. on one corner, but apart from this there was no evidence of any inscription either cut or painted on the stone.". Crooker. [7][39] Offering a secondhand description of its discovery during the early 1800s excavation, McCully wrote: "Some [layers] were charcoal, some putty, and one at 80 feet was a stone cut square, two feet long and about a foot thick, with several characters cut on it." In "Dead Man's Chest," the second episode of the fifth season of "The Curse of Oak Island," Gary Drayton and his metal detection team once again uncover clues to 17th century involvement on the island possibly from the military, pirates, or both.
Megan Mckenna Parents Split, Alt Fragrances Racist Tweets, Marco De Benedetti Net Worth, Ochoa Brothers Sister, Articles O