Dendrochronology dated the wood structure to 1769. This property is the only untouched land left on Oak Island. No treasure was discovered on board which some believe is buried on Oak Island. CBC Television "Dan Blankenship, treasure seeker", CBC Television "The Oak Island money pit: how it works", CBC Radio conversation "Nova Scotia's Oak Island mystery", CBC Radio conversation "Engineer proposes freezing method to extract Oak Island treasure", History, Hoax, and Hype The Oak Island Legend, "Skeptoid #129: The Oak Island Money Pit", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oak_Island_mystery&oldid=1152163287, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2017, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2022, Articles with self-published sources from November 2017, Wikipedia external links cleanup from November 2018, Wikipedia spam cleanup from November 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. It was later identified as a Spanish eight Maravedis copper coin, most likely from the 17th century. He well remembered seeing the stone as a boy. 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]. The Woods Hole scientists who viewed the 1971 videos reported that nothing conclusive could be determined from the murky images. A retired geologist has taken decades of experience in the oil business to dig into the history of Nova Scotia's Oak Island. Theories about artifacts present on the island range from pirate treasure to Shakespearean manuscripts to the Holy Grail or the Ark of the Covenant, with the Grail and the Ark having been buried there by the Knights Templar. Discovered while metal detecting on Lot 8, this gemstone brooch dates back as early as the 16th century and is considered the first piece of valuable treasure found by the Laginas and their team. It then took another five years before one of the alleged original diggers gave a statement regarding the original story along with subsequent Onslow and Truro Company activities. What's more exciting is that it was frequently used for the hinges of treasure chests. 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 . This wrought iron spike dating from the late 1600s to the early 1700s would have been used to nail down decking boards of the Spanish Galleon. Two years later, Blankenship and Tobias formed Triton Alliance after purchasing most of the island. Might it have been part of a barrel that once contained a portion of the Oak Island treasure? Free shipping for many products! In 1795, 16-year-old Daniel McGuiness went on a fishing expedition to Oak Island. According to Joe Nickell, there is no treasure; the pit is a natural phenomenon, probably a sinkhole connected to limestone passages or caverns. Ever since the team learned of the presence of not just silver, but gold, in water. Could this coin be a piece of a much larger buried treasure? A 19th century excavation. Various items have surfaced over the years that were found on the island, some of which have since been carbon-dated and found to be hundreds of years old. In this rendering McGinnis first finds the depression in 1795 while on a fishing expedition. While metal detecting on Lot 32, Gary Drayton and David Fornetti discovered this lead, cloth, bag seal with possible Templar origins indicated by the mysterious markings found on its face. Hedden made six trips to Oak Island and collected books and articles about the island. The Oak Island Money Pit has been sought by many people and corporations for over 200 years. If he had, perhaps nobody else would have walked the woods on the eastern end of Oak Island for the next ten years. 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. This specific style of coin was only minted in 1797 and was made of copper instead of the usual silver. The shaft later collapsed, and the excavation was again abandoned. Next, they find a brooch with an ornate rope and leaf design. History of the Oak Island Treasure Hunt The treasure hunt began in 1795, when a 16-year-old boy, Daniel McInnes, paddled over to the deserted island and found, in the interior of the island, evidence of tree-felling . [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." His finds, including a solid-silver 1781 Spanish half-real, are documented on his website.[32]. It seems possible that the. 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. 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. With the assistance of two men identified only as John Smith and Anthony Vaughn, he excavated the depression and discovered a layer of flagstones two feet (61cm) below. The original pit was re-excavated to a depth of 88 feet (27m), and two more shafts were dug. There are thirteen. This artifact was unearthed near the site of Daniel McGinnis' old home on Lot 21. The explosion was first mentioned in an 1863 novel titled Rambles Among the Blue-noses, while mention of a death came five years later. [7][11] The diggers then faced a dilemma when the pit flooded with 60 feet (18m) of water for unknown reasons. Brothers Marty and Rick Lagina and their team of treasure hunters have been digging around a Nova Scotian island for over eight years on the popular History Channel show "The Curse of Oak Island." The Money Pit The discovery that started it all. The legend of Oak Island starts in 1799. Having found nothing of interest, the group gave up the search in 1867. The first confirmed gold found on Oak Island, this brooch dates back as early as the 14th century. 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. In "Homecoming," the fifth episode of the sixth season of "The Curse of Oak Island," Gary Drayton, Jack Begley, and Alex Lagina return to the location where they found the gold plated brooch back in the Season 6 premiere "Rick's Big Bang Theory" to see if they can't uncover more of Oak Island's secret treasures. [62] The "platforms" of rotten logs have been attributed to trees, damaged by "blowdowns" (derechos) or wildfires, periodically falling (or washing into) the hollow. On August 19, 1911, Collier's magazine published a firsthand account by Captain H. L. Bowdoin of the stone (which was then in use at Creighton's bookbindery in Halifax). [52], Franklin D. Roosevelt, stirred by family stories originating from his sailing and trading grandfather (and Oak Island financier) Warren Delano Jr., began following the mystery in late 1909 and early 1910. Rick and Marty Lagina have led the charge for nine seasons now on their. on one corner, but apart from this there was no evidence of any inscription either cut or painted on the stone.". The woman then fled from London to Nova Scotia. 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. Further analysis of the coin also revealed that it had, in fact been lost, in the swamp for hundreds of years, and not something planted recently. Did the source of this wealth come from cabbage farming? In 1795, three teenage boys discovered a strange, man-made hole on Oak Island, a small, wooded island just off the coast of Nova Scotia, Canada. [18][19] Another shaft was dug in the spring of 1862, one which was 107 feet (33m) deep. Their team continues to dig near the site to hopefully uncover more of the stone pathway and even more of Oak Island's many secrets. 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. A depression was also spotted beneath the tree. Graeser and two others, Cyril Hiltz and Andy DeMont, then attempted to save the two men. This suggests there was activity in Smith's Cove earlier than first thought. The pit was re-excavated back down to the 86-foot (26m) level, but ended up flooding again. Some fans expressed confusion about how a drill might veer significantly off course, and doubted that anything new might found that hasn't already. Recently the island has been showcased on both the discovery channel, and the history channel. At a point where the earth was soft, "At about two feet down a layer of fieldstone was struck. The Mystery Pit of Oak Island. While searching Lot 2, Gary Drayton discovered a cartwheel penny with a depiction of King George III made in 1797. But the excavated earth was left behind and became known as the Dunfield Spoils. [10] The last major company of the unpublished era was called The Truro Company, which was allegedly formed in 1849 by investors. Since the 18th century, attempts have been made to find treasure and artifacts. [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. The tree-covered island is one of several islands in Mahone Bay, and is connected to the mainland by a causeway. A sample of this material was reportedly sent to the Smithsonian Institution during the early 20th century, where it was concluded that the material was coconut fibre. While many discoveries had been made prior, this semi-precious gemstone would be the most valuable treasure the Lagina team had found up to that point. A. T. Kempton of Cambridge, Massachusetts, but no information was provided as to how or where Kempton obtained them. The crew of "The Curse of Oak Island" have managed to find some relics and archaeological items, but have yet to come across anything of true historical significance that would upend what we know of pre-Columbus America. William Chappell became interested and excavated the pit in 1931 by sinking a 12-by-14-foot (3.7m 4.3m) [35] Exploration by the Lagina brothers has been documented in a reality television show airing on the History channel starting in 2014. The Freemasons are suspected of being descended. "Scanned copy of the original Reader's Digest article", "For Sale: Island with Mysterious Money Pit", "Appendix: Woods Hole Explores Oak Island", "A Solution To The Mystery Of The Oak Island Five Finger Drains", "Canadian Newspapers on Microfilm 2013 Catalog", Oak Island Treasure Company ([microform): capital, sixty thousand dollars, shares only five dollars each, full paid and non-assessable. Eventually, they reached a hard surface that was seemingly impenetrable. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. The stone he saw had no symbols on it. 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. one of the first international banking systems, a hand-cut rhodolite garnet set in silver, archeologists Miriam Amirault and Dr. Aaron Taylor. The first one missed its intended target of an alleged flood tunnel, while the other intersected the original shaft via a branched-off tunnel at around 105 feet (32m) deep. Its design suggests an ancient metalwork technique called cloisonne. Inspired by a Reader's Digest article in the 1960s, Rick and Marty Lagina have relentlessly combed over Oak Island, which is located off of the Nova Scotia coast in Canada, for a mysterious bounty of loot supposedly hidden, left behind, and ultimately lost to time (via History). According to an account written in 1862, after the Onslow Company had excavated to 8090 feet (2427 metres), the pit flooded with seawater up to the 33-foot (10m) level; attempts to remove the water were unsuccessful. Upon landing, he came across an oak tree with unnatural markings. In 1931 the Chappell shaft was dug where the drill rig had been set up in 1897. [81][self-published source], Author Joy Steele suggests that the money pit is actually a tar kiln dating to the historical period when "Oak Island served as a tar-making location as part of the British naval stores industry". [24] In Nova Scotia, Canada lies one of the most highly-sought after secrets of all time: Oak Island and its mythical treasure. While investigating the stone wharf in the swamp, Rick Lagina and Doug Crowell discovered this ancient trade weight, which was traditionally used to measure and distribute precious metals. Gary Drayton and Jack Begley are joined by geophysicist Mike West, who uses a metal detection device that penetrates deeper than Drayton's usual handheld metal detector, in "Depth Perception," the third episode of the sixth season of "The Curse of Oak Island.". Or had Ball discovered treasure? Doyle, Lynn C. "Nova Scotia's Treasure Island". However, one such location is known as "the Chappell Vault," and the Laginas have approached this with the dedication and single-mindedness they are famously known for. Bowdoin, H. L. 1911. The imitation Chinese porcelain on these hand-painted pearlware pottery fragments suggest that they originate from Staffordshire, England from 1700-1800. The Curse of Oak Island is a reality television series that premiered on January 5, 2014. Some believe one of the greatest treasures of all time is hidden on this mysterious Island off the coast of Nova Scotiawith theories ranging from Knights Templar gold to Captain Kidd pirate booty. The only thing known for certain is that there was definitely a lot of activity going on in the 1700s on Oak Island. [22] Exploratory holes that were drilled turned up bits of wood, more coconut fiber, soft clay, and blue mud. 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. Restall, his son, Graeser and Hiltz all died. Luckily, Reddit user @Nates94 did some sleuthing of their own, and stated, "The Chappell vault was found 153 feet under the Chappell shaft. This amazing discovery could mean that the Knights Templar visited more of Oak Island than previously thought. Gary owns Little Mash Island, a tiny spit of land a few hundred yards . Cookies help us deliver our Services. The effect caused the next two platforms to drop as well, with any treasure now resting some 119 feet (36m) below ground along with an estimated 10,000 board feet (24m3) of lumber. Bedrock lies at a depth of 38 to 45 metres (125 to 148 feet) in the pit area. The earth was noticeably loose, not as hard-packed as the surrounding soil. The earliest known story of a treasure found by a settler named Daniel McGinnis appeared in print in 1857. Joe Nickell identifies parallels between Oak Island accounts, the "Secret Vault" allegory in York Rite Freemasonry and the Chase Vault on Barbados. 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'. 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. Part 3 is devoted to the secret. By this time, there were many shafts, bore holes, and tunnels under Oak Island made by previous treasure hunters. 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. They discover a piece of metal that might just be what they've been searching for since before the show even began in 2014. In Season 4, Episode 8 "The Mystery of Samuel Ball" metal detection expert Gary Drayton and Oak Island historian Charles Barkhouse continue to dig around on Samuel Ball's property and unearth a multitude of interesting finds. [75] Author and researcher Mark Finnan[76] elaborated on Leary's Oak Island theory, which was also used in the Norwegian book Organisten (The Seven Steps to Mercy) by Erlend Loe and Petter Amundsen and the TV series Sweet Swan of Avon. The drains were covered by coconut fibers and eelgrass to filter sand and debris that could clog the drains. Lagina and Drayton soon discover an item of far greater value. In 1939, he informed King George VI about developments on the island. Discovery of these fibers suggests that box drains exist. During the 1990s, further exploration stalled because of legal battles between the Triton partners and a lack of financing. At one point, one of the platforms placed in the original shaft at 98 feet (30m) collapsed and dropped to a lower level. Drayton's new find is a piece of lead with an intricate design along the edge. Michigan native Kevin Dykstra is obsessed with a deathbed confession made by a lighthouse keeper in the 1890s about a national treasure dating back to the Civil War. Gary Drayton and Rick Lagina go metal detecting along the shoreline and find what appears to be a religious artifact in Season 5, Episode 10 "The Signs of a Cross. The maid fled to London with the jewels, and perhaps artwork, documents and other treasures, secreted on her person and/or in her luggage. According to Cooke, when he made inquiries in 1864, he discovered that the chimney had been enclosed in wood and surrounded by a staircase; the stone was no longer visible. 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 original shaft was inspected by mining engineers who declared it unsafe, and the company abandoned their efforts when their money ran out. Found along the stone pathway in the swamp, Oak Island artifact conservator Sandy Campbell believes this gold-colored knob to be far from modern and possibly from a jewel chest. Map What's Been Found on Oak Island Treasure hunters have been intrigued by the legend of Oak Island for more than 200 years. But there are plenty of people living who have seen the stone. history of and rationale for the Baconian-Rosicrucian involvement in this Oak Island mystery. This interactive map lets you explore the what and where of their intriguing discoveries. Although Bowdoin was told that they had worn off, he was skeptical because of the stone's hardness. Back in the 17th century, coins like the maravedi used to be cut to provide change, leading to the phrase "Pieces of eight" popularized by the Robert Louis Stevenson pirate novel classic "Treasure Island." He further connects it to Templar graffiti from a similar timeframe. 1897 - The parchment is sent to Harvard University and confirmed as . [7] Another twist on the story has all four people involved as teenagers. While investigating near the foundation of Samual Balls former home on Lot 25, Alex Lagina spotted what the team believes is a British naval officer's button from around 1804 to 1825. Could this keyhole be a part of a chest similar to Captain Anderson's sea chest? [34] The act, which became effective on January 1, 2011, allows treasure hunting to continue on the island under the terms of a licence issued by the Minister of Natural Resources. Further analysis on the brooch by Dr. Christa Brosseau and her colleague Dr. Xiang Yang using an electron microscope proves that part of the brooch is made of gold. Armed with a metal detector, the Oak Island team explored these leftover spoils and soon found a pair of English coins with King Charles II's face on one side and the years "1673" and "1694" inscribed on the other. Maybe these findings are just a small piece of the treasure Ball found on Oak Island. 'Oak Island Secrets'. The Truro Company shifted its resources to excavating a nearby cove known as "Smith's Cove" where they found a flood tunnel system. Although the pumps were unable to keep water out of the flooded side shaft, boring samples were taken. Gilbert Hedden, an operator of a steel fabricating company, saw the 1928 article and was fascinated by the engineering problems involved in recovering the reported treasure. Reginald Vanderbilt Harris (18811986) wrote in his 1958 book, The Oak Island Mystery,[46] "About 18651866 the stone was removed and taken to Halifax. On appeal, Triton lost again in 1989 and Nolan's damages were reduced. In the 15th episode of the fifth season, "Steel Trapped," Gary Drayton and the Lagina Brothers take their metal detecting skills to the property of former treasure hunter Fred Nolan, now maintained by his son Tom Nolan. Recent scientific evidence confirms what's really there. The flag was flown on ships owned by George Washington. They continue to scour near the island's shoreline to find even more of Oak Island's hidden treasures. "Mystery Island Baffles Treasure Hunters". What further treasures awaited them on Oak Island? The parchment had two letters, "vi" or "wi", written in India ink. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. Stories of buried treasure on Oak Island, Nova Scotia, Canada, William Chappell and Gilbert Hedden (19281939), Restall family and Robert Dunfield (19591966). Oak Island is in Nova Scotia, and the mystery in question is a legend that there's big treasure buried there. 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. These pottery pieces and even more artifacts have been specifically found along the stone pathway the team is attempting to explore. In an 1863 newspaper article, the stone was said to have been built into the "chimney of an old house near the pit". Do these fragments mean they are on the path to more buried treasure? Perhaps after further investigation and continued excavation, all of these secrets and more will one day be revealed on "The Curse of Oak Island. As the boys began to dig, they found a. [5] Another article, a year later, claimed that the stone was held by the Smith family. . [a] They continued the excavation down to about 90 feet (27m), with layers of logs (or "marks") found about every ten feet (3.0m), and also discovered layers of charcoal, putty and coconut fibre along with a large stone inscribed with symbols. [6] The accounts also mentioned "tool marks" or pick scrapes on the walls of the pit. 1897 - Oak Island Treasure Co. drills bring up items of interest including a piece of parchment with letters "vi". Drayton and his team found a 17th century button from a military officer's outfit, though which military it might belong to is unknown. 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. Treasure hunter Gary Clayton met with Rick and Marty in Season 4: Episode 13 ("One of Seven"). The island was the subject of an episode of In Search of which was first broadcast on January 18, 1979. However, no treasure was ever found and. [6], At the invitation of Boston-area businessman David Mugar, a two-week survey was conducted by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in 1995 (the only known scientific study conducted on the site). 336K views, 3.4K likes, 228 loves, 225 comments, 196 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from The Curse of Oak Island: At the H-8 dig site, the team finds evidence of the elusive Chapel vault while. While initially thinking it to be a coin, they quickly realize it has the word "plated" engraved on it. The Spanish considered Sir Francis Drake a pirate, entertaining an idea that he was buried on Oak Island in a vault with gold treasure. That is quickly followed up by a more incredible find: A piece of ammunition called grapeshot. While the Lagina brothers and metal detection expert Gary Draytonhave mostly found mud, wood, and various metal tools, they along with an assortment of science and archaeological experts have made a surprising amount of valuable discoveries hidden throughout the 140 acres of the supposedly cursed Oak Island. Was the coin brought to Oak Island by pirates, the Spanish, Egyptians, the British military, or the Knights Templar? The Curse of Oak Island. The Chappell Vault is named so for the dig conducted by William Chappell in the 1930s, who managed to find several items of interest (via History.com). First, they find an 1800s British half penny coin. Once the brooch has been cleaned, Marty Lagina takes a moment to count the branches of the leaf. Cited and discussed in Harris 1958, 110120; O'Connor 1988, 6366. [3] It wasn't until decades later that publishers began to pay attention to such activity and investigated the stories involved. Harry W. Marshall (born 1879), the son of an owner of the bookbindery, wrote in 1935 that: One researcher claimed that the cipher translated as "Forty feet below, two million pounds lie buried". 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. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Adjustable Standing Desk, Mobile Standing Desk, Laptop Cart on Vintage Oak at the best online prices at eBay! The 'Money Pit' on Oak Island in 1947. The results were not long in coming to the diggers found, for the first time in recorded history two discoveries - Aztec gold in the silver pit and a Spanish ship in the center of the swamp.

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