"Hairy Situation" is season 11's penultimate episode. With winter approaching, the Fellowship has a limited amount of time to conduct more searches and make further discoveries. The time remaining is time they know to wisely spend.
RUNDOWN While there is never a dull moment on and around Oak Island, the major takeaway for me in this episode was the European adventures. On Oak Island, Marty Lagina, Jack Begley, archaeometallurgist Emma Culligan, and lead archaeologist Laird Niven meet in the lab where they confirm that clay samples collected from different features on Lot 5 match those collected from the Money Pit. This is conclusive evidence that the activity conducted on Lot 5 is related to activity in the Money Pit. Later, Begley and historian Charles Barkhouse travel to Saint Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia where Dr. Christa Brousseau and Dr. Xiang Yang analyze the conglomerate rock Marty found beneath Cone E in last week's episode. The hair protruding from the conglomerate did not appear to be human hair, but rather from an animal. A likely animal would be an ox as oxen would have been used to set the Cone E boulder in place. Across the Atlantic in Roskilde, Denmark, Rick and Alex Lagina, Doug Crowell, Emiliano Sacchetti, Corjan Mol, and Peter Fornetti visit the Viking Ship Musuem. The team learns that it is possible that Vikings could make the transatlantic voyage. Curator Dr. Marten Ravn informs them that Norse ships were originally rowed, but at the beginning of the Viking Age (approximately AD 750), the mariners began using sails, thus making a journey to North America easier. The team then tours a replica of a Viking cargo ship which could carry up to 20 tons. In the 13th century, a cargo may have contained Templar treasure! Crowell points out that parts of the ship are similar to wooden artifacts found in the triangle-shaped swamp on Oak Island that are likely from a ship. From Denmark, the team travels to Reykjavic, Iceland. At the Arni Magnusson Institute, they meet curator Prof. Gudvardur Mar Gunnlaugsson and are informed that Templar astronomical knowledge had in fact spread as far as Iceland. More than 15 abbeys had been established between the 11th and 14th centuries where hundreds of manuscripts containing astronomy and sacred geometry were produced. The team was shown a 12th century manuscript written primarily in Latin with some passages in Norse. This manuscript names several stars including Arcturus, which was one of the stars that archaeoastronomer Prof. Adriano Gaspani stated was used in the stellar alignment and construction of Nolan's Cross on Oak Island. Crowell also notes a symbol within the text that matches one on a copper artifact found on the island and may be of Viking origin. Following their visit to the Arni Magnusson Institute, Rick and company head south to the National Museum of Iceland to find out if there is any Viking Age connection to 5th century Roman coins discovered on the island. They have come to this museum since there are Roman coins in its collection. Curator Armann Gudmundsson notes the trade between Europe and the Mediterranean and suggests that the Vikings could have come by the coins within the British Isles. Before returning to Oak Island, the team concludes their Icelandic adventure outside of Reykjavic where they join researcher Roberto Pagani at Kverkarhellir Cave. The cave is a man-made feature, created around 800 AD by a Christian monastic order from Ireland. The area was later conquered by the Vikings in 874 who settled the land until the 13th century. Pagani shows the team a carving near the mouth of the cave depicting a cross with a round top. This same image bears a striking resemblance to the lead cross artifact found on Oak Island as well as the shape of a Templar stronghold in Italy and a carving on the wall of a Templar prison in France. The teams led by Rick and Marty regroup in the War Room on Oak Island to share what they have learned and discovered. CONCLUSION I find it fascinating that the Vikings most likely had a collaboration with the Knights Templar. Sure, one artifact cannot tell an entire story, but when further investigation and world travel yield results that corroborate with a theory brought forth by the artifact, then the truth of the story becomes more apparent. The Norse-Templar connection may have been a theory among the Fellowship, but after visiting Portugal, Italy, France, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Iceland, and finding even a simple artifact or carving that links them together, that theory is becoming more probable. Only one episode remains of season 11. Even if a borehole does not yield the desired result, all data is good data and, like a game of Battleship, the Fellowship of the Dig is narrowing the grid and closing in on the ultimate hit.
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With three episodes remaining of season 11 of The Curse of Oak Island, it is a race against television time for Acorns and armchair archaeologists to see what discoveries the Fellowship makes and what secrets are brought to light. Episode 23, "Cone E Island," shed light on some of the island's questions as well as asking more.
RUNDOWN Continuing their adventures across the Atlantic, Rick and Alex Lagina, Peter Fornetti, Doug Crowell, Emiliano Sacchetti, Corjan Mol, and Jacquo Silvertant arrive at the 12th century Valkenburg Castle in the Netherlands. While touring the dungeon beneath the castle, they find Templar carvings on a 14th century wall which are not unlike those discovered on and around Oak Island and other European locations associated with the Knights Templar. Among these carvings was one that may depict the sail of a Viking longboat; you may recall from previous posts that there is a possible connection between the Templars and the Vikings. Does this etching confirm their collaboration? From there, Rick and company travel to Bornholm, Denmark where they meet with author/journalist/documentary filmmaker Erling Haagensen at the 12th century Nylars Church. Suggested to have been built by the Knights Templar, it is here, that Haagensen believes that Vikings had met with the Templars to plan a transatlantic voyage to the New World, i.e. Oak Island. While looking around the church, Rick Lagina points out that several Norse runes match the carvings on Oak Island's 90-Foot stone. Besides the runes, there is also depicted what appears to be a Templar cross. The trail takes them to Madsebakke where they are shown a 3,000-year-old feature consisting of a series of petroglyphs. Local historian/researcher Jeanne Cordua explains that this is a Scandinavian Bronze Age astronomical compass. The Vikings and the Templars could have used this to study navigation. Among the symbols was that of the four-dot cross which represented the rising and setting sun. Cordua also points out a group of five potholes that represent the Hyades star cluster. It is, in fact, this same star cluster with which Prof. Adriano Gaspani had recently stated the five stone cairns on Oak Island are in alignment. The team's final Dutch destination in the episode is the Ladby Viking Museum in Kerteminde. Here, Doug Crowell shares with curator Ane Jepsen Nyborg a photo he had taken of an artifact which was found on Oak Island in the 1960s by treasure hunter Robert Dunfield (refer to my post covering S11 Ep21). Nyborg dates the artifact, a Viking arrowhead, as early as AD 800 to no later than the 1200s. On Oak Island, Marty Lagina visits Lot 10 where Cone E, the westernmost boulder of Nolan's Cross is located. The goal is to lift the boulder to find any clues underneath that could confirm whether it was placed naturally, i.e. by a glacier, or artificially. Representatives from Corkum's Towing used a tow truck to lift it up. Beneath it, Lagina collected organic samples which geoscientist Dr. Ian Spooner can analyze. He also found a peculiar rock which could be cement. He later joined Jack Begley, Laird Niven, Terry Matheson, and Emma Culligan in the lab where Niven makes note of a strand of hair found within the conglomerate rock. Culligan said they can conduct an SEM (scanning electron microscope) test on the hair. We will have to wait for next week's episode to see what this clue can reveal. CONCLUSION To me, the Norse discoveries made in Europe add further credence to the possibility of a Viking-Templar collaboration. It is also noteworthy that the four-dot cross that has been associated with the Templars was also found on the Bronze Age feature at Madsebakke; how many more symbols were appropriated by future communities and cultures? Who originally established these symbols and what did they mean to them? To once again paraphrase Rick Lagina, "It's an Old World treasure wrapped in an Old World mystery," (S11 Ep22) so where better to search for answers than in the Old World? This is not just a journey through history, it is a journey through time; the Fellowship is retracing the footsteps of those who came to bury treasure, and following in the footsteps of those who came to find it. Oak Island is only one side of the coin, with Europe being the other side. The two are more connected than anyone could have imagined, going far beyond a European fellowship arriving on the island for such-and-such a purpose. With every piece put in place, the puzzle is coming together to reveal long-lost pages of history. This week, we were treated to two hours of Oak Island adventures! Following the premier of episode 22, "Abbey Road," was a new episode of the spinoff, Drilling Down, which finds host Matty Blake learning what archaeoastronomy is and how the Fellowship is utilizing this discipline to help solve the 229-year-old Oak Island mystery.
RUNDOWN Due to the flooding of the Garden Shaft, Dumas Contracting, Ltd. is no longer able to deepen the construct. It was noted in a previous episode that they could still search for an adjacent tunnel but at a more shallow depth. Based on data collected by geoscientist Dr. Ian Spooner and his colleague Dr. Fred Michel, the team is further narrowing their search for the aforementioned tunnel. The data in question is analyses of water samples taken from the area west of the Garden Shaft which yielded evidence of precious metals including silver and gold. While Marty Lagina oversees work on Oak Island, his brother Rick is leading his globetrotting team featuring his nephews Alex Lagina and Peter Fornetti, and researcher/historian Doug Crowell. Their first stop is in Morimondo, Italy where they meet up with researcher Emiliano Sacchetti, archaeoastronomer Prof. Adriano Gaspani, and translator Marzia Sebastiani. They rendezvous at Morimondo Abbey, established by Cistercian monks in the 12th century. Much to their surprise and delight, they right away found symbols matching those found on Oak Island. Rick points out an image that curiously depicts oak leaves. Their next stop is in Bianzano, Italy. Here, the team meets up at Bianzano Castle, built by the Knights Templar in the 13th century as a Templar HQ. Prof. Gaspani explains that Bianzano Castle, like Nolan's Cross on Oak Island, was contructed using the same astronomical alignments, based on the Cygnus constellation. While touring the castle, Crowell point out another symbol not unlike one found in Nova Scotia; an eight-pointed star, which Prof. Gaspani notes is called Polaris, was previously found depicted in the Bedford Barrens petroglyph in Bedford, Nova Scotia. The same symbol was also depicted by the Mi'kmaq. A text known as the Cremona Document, co-authored by 12th century Templar Ralph de Sudeley, describes the Templars' discovery of religious artifacts under the Temple of King Solomon in Jerusalem. The text also describes a device called an abetor which was used for navigating and constructing by tracking stars. Prof. Gaspani presents a replica abetor he made and demonstrates how it would have been used by the Templars to travel to Oak Island and build Nolan's Cross. From Italy, Rick and Alex Lagina, Peter Fornetti, and Doug Crowell travel to the Netherlands where they meet author/researcher Corjan Mol and cultural historian Jacquo Silvertant. They explore the 12th century Caestert stone quarry, outside the city of Maastricht, where Mol believes the Templars once hid their treasures. Throughout these underground passageways, the ceilings were decorated with Templar symbols, some of which had been seen on or around Oak Island as well as other locations around the world including Portugal, France, and Italy. Mol says these are "breadcrumbs" which the Templars left behind. Rick also notes that it can't just be random to find similar imagery in multiple places, these places must all be connected. What are the Templars telling us? AS ABOVE, SO BELOW In the new episode of Drilling Down, "Written in the Stars," host Matty Blake discusses the discipline of archaeoastronomy and how it is helping the team uncover the secrets of Oak Island's history. Prof. Gaspani defines archaeoastronomy as dating a site using stellar targets. The field relates to anthropology, archaeology, and astronomy. From it we can learn how ancient cultures used celestial bodies to build sites such as Stonehenge and the Pyramids. In 2018, astrophysicist Dr. Travis Taylor (of Ancient Aliens and The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch fame) was the first to introduce archaeoastronomy to the Fellowship when he visited Oak Island. In his presentation, he aligned stars of the constellation Taurus with various points on the island. While trekking across the island, the team found large boulders in the same locations Dr. Taylor suggested was a point of astronomical alignment with Taurus. I find it fascinating that celestial bodies can be used to put a date on when a site was constructed. The stars are always in motion, and "rewinding" them allows researchers to determine how long ago they were in direct alignment with archaeological sites. CONCLUSION The history of Oak Island is not just written in the pages of ship logs and Templar maps. It is not just written in the carvings and imagery adorning strongholds and prison cells. It is also written in the stars. By themselves, they only give us a glimpse of history, but like a puzzle, we will see the full picture once we put the pieces together. The Fellowship is closer than anyone has ever been in solving the 229-year-old mystery, utilizing technology and disciplines which the teams who came before them did not have. As Rick Lagina said, and I paraphrase, "It's an Old World treasure wrapped in an Old World mystery." Perhaps Oak Island's questions cannot be answered on the island itself, but rather in Europe. After all, Europe was the heart of the conflict: it's where the Knights Templar were persecuted and it's the home they had to flee. Again paraphrasing Lagina: the Templars were not just running for freedom, they were running to protect something. What they were protecting, as I've noted before, must have been so valuable they went through the trouble of constructing an elaborate tunnel system and features on an island thousands of miles from home. I've mentioned in a previous post that with every question answered, two more questions take its place. The same may even be said of every step made towards the treasure; whenever the team comes closer to advancing underground, something -- a curse perhaps? -- always attempts to thwart their efforts.
RUNDOWN This week's episode, "Straight as an Arrow," begins with further investigations of the northern region of the swamp. Last week, the team uncovered a boulder within the vicinity of where researcher John Edwards theorized to be a Sefirot of the Kabbala Tree of Life (see my previous post for more details). Along with the boulder, Billy Gerhardt uncovered a rock-lined depression, a feature that was certainly man-made. Geoscientist Dr. Ian Spooner confirmed that the aforementioned boulder was intentionally put there and that the swamp was artificially manipulated. Later in the episode, lead archaeologist Laird Niven also concluded that the swamp is not a naturally made feature. The stones and boulder were put in place at a time when the landscape was not a swamp. The uncovering of more tree stumps is indicative of this since such trees cannot grow in a swampy environment. Surveyor Steve Guptill notes that the elevation of this feature matches that of previously uncovered stone paths which date to the 13th century. Rick Lagina and historian Doug Crowell drive up to Halifax to meet with Eric Wroclawski whose father, Paul Wroclawski, was an Oak Island researcher. Wroclawski presented Lagina and Crowell with an artifact found on Oak Island in the 1960s by treasure hunter Robert Dunfield. Crowell notes that the artifact could be part of a crossbow, suggesting it is medieval. More research will be made on the artifact to identify what it is, where it originated, and how old it is. Last week, there was good news and bad news regarding further excavation of the Garden Shaft and a possible adjacent tunnel. This week, there are still good news and bad news. The bad news is that water continues to flood into the Shaft and poses a danger to its structural integrity. While such an obstacle is new to the Fellowship of the Dig, it is certainly nothing new overall as it was a hurdle no team before could clear. Hopefully, the Fellowship will be able to. The good news is that Dumas Contracting, Ltd. can pump the water low enough to probe for an offset chamber at a depth of 50 feet. Rounding up the episode was a War Room meeting with researchers Corjan Mol, Emiliano Sacchetti, and Judi Rudebusch whose investigations point to new evidence connecting the Old World with Oak Island. Rick and Marty Lagina plan a trip to Italy and the Netherlands to follow up on the researchers' leads and finally answer the who, what, where, when, how, and why of Oak Island. CONCLUSION It is unfortunate that the Garden Shaft has become flooded. The salinity of the water no doubt indicates it is coming in from the ocean which leads to the possibility of the conduit being a flood tunnel, a design of the original Money Pit to protect the treasures buried at the bottom. A nearby void was discovered at a depth of 50 feet, leading Marty Lagina to believe that the treasure is actually located in a hidden offset chamber. This makes a lot of sense to me. Just the fact of someone digging over 100 feet deep and constructing a system of flood tunnels -- all at a time before mechanical equipment, mind you -- tells me that whatever they had hidden away was of great value to them and they did not want anyone else to find it. Why else would they go through such an endeavor? If the treasure was that valuable, would it not make further sense to secure it in an offset area where potential thieves would not think to look and instead continue to follow a labyrinth of shafts and tunnels? Comment and share your thoughts. Thank you for reading! In last week's episode, "Hi Ho Silver," researcher John Edwards shared his theory that Nolan's Cross is part of a larger feature and could be the key to finding the Ark of the Covenant. In this week's episode, "Wet and Wild," Edwards rejoins the team to provide more information. With this new lead, the Fellowship proceeds to investigate. RUNDOWN The episode begins with blacksmith expert Carmen Legge analyzing two metal artifacts which were recovered from the swamp. Legge identified the first as a backing bolt which would have been used on ox hitches. He further identified the backing bolt as French in origin and dating as early as the 1600s and no later than 1760. Such an artifact is indicative of hauling cargo. The southeast corner of the triangle-shaped swamp, where it was found, is the location of a stone road and a causeway where ships would have docked to load and unload cargo which may have included treasure. The second artifact was identified as a wharf pin predating the 1700s. Based on its metallic composition, archaeometallurgist Emma Culligan traced its origin to Sweden, further connecting the Vikings to Oak Island. As mentioned above, researcher John Edwards revisited the War Room to present his recently gathered information on Nolan's Cross and the possible location of the Ark of the Covenant. As other researchers have pointed out, Nolan's Cross was designed using sacred geometry, with all measurements equalling, and divisible by, numbers of significance to the Knights Templar and the Freemasons who would later follow. He shared information on the structure of the Kabbala Tree of Life, of which the Nolan's Cross feature may be a part. The Tree of Life is made up of numerous points called Sefirot (see my diagram below). Edwards directed the Fellowship to specific Sefirot that could reveal the location of the Ark of the Covenant. Billy Gerhardt, Jack Begley, and Gary Drayton set out to the northern area of the swamp where a marker indicating the Sefirot of Tiferet should be located. We'll have to wait until next week's episode to find out what they had uncovered. Back in the War Room, new information regarding a copper artifact recovered by Begley and Drayton in 2022 on Lot 8 was presented. Researcher Doug Crowell shared his findings of an Icelandic astronomical manuscript depicting symbols matching those on the copper artifact, indicating more Viking connections! He also shared information on a French astrolabe dating between 1291 and 1310 which also featured the symbols. Since astrolabes were used in navigation and construction, it is possible that such tools were used by the Vikings and Templars in sailing to Oak Island and in constructing Nolan's Cross/Tree of Life. The information will be sent to archaeoastronomer Prof. Adriano Gaspani for evaluation.
Lastly, there was good news and bad news regarding the excavation of the Garden Shaft. The good news is that representatives from Dumas Contracting, Ltd. have begun horizontal probe drilling at the bottom of the Shaft to find an adjacent tunnel. The bad news is that in doing so, a leak was sprung and rapidly began to flood the Shaft. The Garden Shaft was evacuated and no one was harmed. Tasting a sample of the floodwater, Rick Lagina noted its salinity, suggesting that they could have encountered one of the flood tunnels, a booby trap previous search teams had encountered. CONCLUSION I am curious to see what will be revealed about the Kabbala Tree of Life connection and what the Fellowship will uncover at certain points across the island that mark the Sefirot. In regards to the Garden Shaft, I am wondering if the flood tunnel could be sealed in the same way as another section of the Shaft was to prevent leaks. Could it be the tunnel they were searching for that itself was flooded? I'll be tuning in next week to find out and post my Rundown with all my thoughts! Share your theories in the comments and thank you for reading! The search for the Oak Island treasure gets more exciting with every episode, and this week's installment, "Hi Ho Silver," is no exception. There have been numerous theories regarding what the treasure is; everything from holy relics to pirate booty to the original manuscripts of William Shakespeare have been posited. Now, the Lagina brothers and their team may just have received confirmation on what the treasure is. Enter the Fellowship of the lost Ark!
RUNDOWN The major takeaways of this episode for me come from the research of John Edwards and a silver artifact uncovered in the stone foundation on Lot 5. It is no secret that the Knights Templar are said to have recovered such relics as the Ark of the Covenant, the Holy Grail, and King Solomon's Menorah during the Crusades to Jerusalem. Neither is it a secret that there is a strong Templar connection to Oak Island. While it has been speculated that the Templars' treasure is buried on the island, that theory may just soon be declared as fact. In a War Room meeting, researcher John Edwards shares information he had gathered from deciphering texts of the Freemasons, and by extension, the Knights Templar. Edwards concludes with confidence that the decoded text indicated that the Ark of the Covenant is hidden somewhere on the island. Regarding its location, he said that Nolan's Cross is the key to solving that mystery. He also notes that the cross feature is likely part of a bigger construct: the Tree of Life, a theory I had put forth in my first "Oak Island Rundown" post (February 15, 2024). The Fellowship granted Edwards permission to inspect Nolan's Cross, which will be covered in next week's episode. While excavating the stone foundation on Lot 5, archaeologist Jamie Kouba, MA, RPA discovered a gold-plated button and a silver artifact. After further analysis in the lab, the button was suggested to be of English origin. The silver, Rick Lagina theorized, may very well be among the silver valuables Sir William Phips salvaged from the wreck of the Spanish ship Concepcion. In a previous episode, Scott Clarke, a 32nd degree Freemason, posited that Sir Phips had indeed secured his silver treasure on Oak Island. You may recall that the Lot 5 foundation dates back to the time of Sir Phips, so Lagina's theory is plausible. Adding credence to the theory, Jack Begley notes that treasure may have been housed in what was once a building on Lot 5 before being buried in the Money Pit; it was revealed in another past episode that the stones used to construct the Lot 5 feature are of the same composition as those found in the Money Pit, and putting two and two together, one can infer that the rocks quarried from the would-be Money Pit were used in the Lot 5 foundation. CONCLUSION More loose ends are being tied as the Fellowship of the Dig put names to faces and dates to events. If the highlights for next week's episode are any indication, they will face another challenge in recovering the treasure. As they have proved, nothing, not even a curse, will stop them from accomplishing not just their quest, but the quest of those who came before them. As mentioned above, learning that the treasure could be the Ark of the Covenant was among the highlights of this episode since that is what I've always thought was buried on the island. Not to mention, Giorgio Tsoukalos of Ancient Aliens fame told me a few years back that the Ark is what he believes is on the island! We have a whole week before we find out what has happened since John Edward presented his findings in the War Room. Until then, as Matty Blake says, "Keep the faith, Acorns!" One would assume that with each discovery made, another question is answered. As any Acorn (fan of The Curse of Oak Island) would know, that is not the case regarding the titular island. Every discovery made on the island asks more questions than it answers. This week's episode, "May the Norse Be With You," has asked one of the biggest questions the Fellowship has ever faced.
RUNDOWN The possibility of a Viking-Templar connection was first posited in last week's episode and addressed in my Season 11 Episode 17 post. Investigating this collaboration has brought researcher Dr. Doug Symons to the War Room to share his findings. He points out that the Vikings were active in L'Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland, which is northeast of Oak Island, in 1000 AD. Interestingly, Vikings were present in the Holy Land in 1110 AD and interacted with the Knight Templar. This was during the time of the First Crusade, and as legend goes, the Templars recovered holy relics including the Ark of the Covenant, the Holy Grail, and King Solomon's Menorah. Research suggests that the Templars came to Oak Island to secure their treasure, but perhaps they were not alone; perhaps they were accompanied by the Vikings. With the Vikings' knowledge of North America and their seafaring and navigational skills, I say it is not only possible, but true. Note my observation from my previous "Oak Island Rundown" post in which I suggest that the Vikings could have constructed some of the stone features on the island, particularly the stone triangle which archaeoastronomer Prof. Adriano Gaspani said could only have been built by someone knowledgeable in both astronomy and geometry, i.e. a navigator. While every discovery is exciting, the Viking-Templar connection is one of my favorites! Blacksmith expert Carmen Legge met with members of the Fellowship to analyze two iron artifacts discovered by metal detection expert Gary Drayton at the bottom of the Garden Shaft. He concluded that they date between the late-1400s to the mid-1700s. This timeframe further suggests the Shaft's construction of pre-1795, the year Daniel McGinnis and companions first discovered the Money Pit. Speaking of the Garden Shaft, representatives from Dumas Contracting, Ltd. had recovered the wooden planks found at the bottom of the Shaft, approximately 100 feet deep. The planks were surmised to be the top of the tunnel the team had detected, but as it would appear, such a tunnel may have collapsed or filled in. Regardless, the team will continue to investigate. Excavating in the southeast corner of the triangle-shape swamp, Billy Gerhardt uncovered a wooden structure. He theorized this could be the same wooden feature discovered 30+ years earlier by the late Oak Island treasure hunter and landowner Fred Nolan. It was Nolan who posited that this area was dammed to create the swamp in an attempt to hide something. The who, what, and when remain to be seen, but at the rate the Fellowship is going, those questions may soon be answered. Geoscientist Dr. Ian Spooner suggested that the feature could also have been used for the loading and unloading of ships. CONCLUSION The timeline of the history of the activity on Oak Island is broad, encompassing a range of 500 years if not more. The timeline of the history of uncovering the island's secrets dates back 229 years to 1795. Before, we could only speculate to the best of our knowledge who was on the island, what their business entailed, why they came to the island, etc. Now, though there are still many questions to be answered, the pieces are beginning to come together, questions are being answered, and the missing pages of history are being restored. With faith and determination, no storm, no expense, and no curse can stand in the way of Rick and Marty Lagina and their whole Fellowship and the adventurers who came before them. The last few minutes of last week's episode of The Curse of Oak Island saw the Fellowship preparing for the onset of Hurricane Lee and what setbacks it could bring to their quest for the long-lost treasure. I was expecting the worse in this week's episode, "Piling On." My biggest concerns were the stone feature on Lot 5 being battered by the storm and the possible flooding of the Garden Shaft. The condition of the former was not addressed and the latter was, thankfully, not affected. The triangle-shaped swamp was flooded, leading Rick Lagina, his nephew Alex, and Jack Begley to start the pumps to begin the process of draining the water.
RUNDOWN In the War Room, the Lagina brothers and members of the team engage in a video chat to speak with archaeoastronomer Prof. Adriano Gaspani who in 2022 dated Nolan's Cross to 1200 AD. When asked about the age of a feature consisting of five pyramidal stone piles, Prof. Gaspani, noting its alignment with the sun and the moon, deduced that it was constructed in 1250 AD. He was then asked to provide information regarding a stone triangle. The triangle's geometry and astronomical alignments with the summer and winter solstices suggest that someone such as a navigator could have built it. Prof. Gaspani further suggests the Knights Templar. The information provided by Prof. Gaspani led Gary Drayton and Jack Begley to metal detect the area for artifacts. While searching Lot 15, they uncover a lead artifact which archaeometallurgist Emma Culligan pointed out as similar in composition to another lead artifact which was found two years earlier on nearby Lot 13 and of Scandinavian origin, hinting at the Vikings. Since the Vikings and the Templars were contemporaries of the 13th century and, as research suggests, operated in the same waters, could there be a Norse-Templar connection? Did they know each other? As always, more questions than answers arise. I must point out that the Vikings were skilled navigators, so perhaps they had a hand in constructing the aforementioned stone triangle which Prof. Gaspani indicated must have been built by someone skilled in astronomy and geometry, i.e. a navigator. While working at a depth of around 100 feet in the Garden Shaft, representatives of Dumas Contracting, Ltd. uncover wooden planks which could be the top of a tunnel and/or another level of planking which early descriptions of the Money Pit note as occurring every 10 feet. One of the planks was brought to the surface where, upon closer inspection, it was revealed to have been cut by hand (adze-cut) as opposed to power saw, a clear indication that this was pre-eighteenth century and thus the work of the original treasure depositors rather than the later searchers. CONCLUSION It's exciting to see the progress the team is making and I am eager to see what other secrets are revealed. It's no doubt that the discoveries made on Oak Island will rewrite North American, and even world, history. Neither is it a question that whatever is buried on the island was of such great significance that the depositors went to extreme lengths to keep it hidden. Oak Island's discoveries are a hydra: answer one question and two more will take its place. The island's revealed history tells us that the English, French, and Portuguese were present on the island. Could there have been a Viking presence on the island, too? It wouldn't surprise me in the least and I think it's highly likely. Who do you think was conducting secret operations on Oak Island? What do you think could be buried in the Money Pit? Do you think there is a curse? Sound off in the comments and thank you for reading! The secrets of Oak Island are close to being revealed, but if the island has any say in the matter, those secrets will remain hidden. The Lagina brothers and the Fellowship of the Dig have vowed to never give up the quest for the treasure which had begun in 1795 when Daniel McGinnis and company first discovered the Money Pit. Time, money, and even a curse (see below) cannot, and will not, keep them down.
RUNDOWN In the conclusion of my previous post (Oak Island Rundown S11 Ep15), I noted that the Knights Templar were the earliest party to operate on Oak Island. The results of carbon testing on tree stump samples collected from the swamp further prove this theory. Geoscientist Dr. Ian Spooner had concluded that the trees dated back as early as 1296 to as late as 1396. Since these trees cannot grow within this environment, the Fellowship can further conclude with confidence that the swamp was not an original feature of the island, but was man-made. The paved area in the swamp had previously been scientifically dated to 1200, another point for both the Knights Templar and the manipulation of the swamp. If dates are not enough to suggest the Knights Templar, then artifacts recovered from deep within the Money Pit area should help fill in those blanks. Geoscientist Dr. Aaron Satkosky analyzed wood samples recovered from 180 feet underground and deduced via isotopic testing that they originated from such possible locations as southeastern France, northern Italy, and Norway. The former two, researcher Doug Crowell noted, relate to the Templars as each served as a Templar stronghold. A 14th century lead cross discovered on Oak Island a few years ago was scientifically tested and revealed to have come from a mine in France. The Knights Templar also passed through Italy en route to France from Jerusalem. THE CURSE While time and money have been an obstacle for previous searcher teams, the main threat is a curse which states that seven men must die before the treasure can be found. To date, six men have given their lives. While time and money have not been a deterrent for the Fellowship, there still remains the curse. Marty Lagina noted that while he doesn't believe in a curse, he cannot help but notice the pattern of mysterious happenings that occur whenever they follow a lead to uncovering the treasure. In the conclusion of this week's episode, "Dark and Stormy," Lagina's older brother, Rick, announced that they will have to temporarily pause their search operations due to the approaching category 5 Hurricane Lee. Could this be merely a coincidence or could there be a higher power at play? CONCLUSION In a previously aired special episode of The Curse of Oak Island, William Shatner joined the Lagina brothers and members of the Fellowship in the War Room. When the curse was mentioned, Shatner stated its reality should all the requirements of that curse be met. As stated above, six of seven lives have been lost and extreme whether has attempted to plague the Fellowship. If it is anything like the ten plagues of Egypt, these warning sings will only increase in severity until the final life is taken. Could there be a curse protecting the treasure? This treasure, in my opinion, must be so valuable and of such great importance that someone had taken up the time and labor to dig an elaborate tunnel system, and even going so far as the placing of a curse, to ensure it remains protected. I can see such efforts being made if the treasure were to be religious relics such as the Ark of the Covenant or the Holy Grail, the latter of which I personally don't think exists, but that's for another post. Only time will tell, and I hope it won't be another 229 years before the secrets are finally revealed. The triangle-shaped swamp has been among the more curious locations on Oak Island. Every excavation of the site has yielded more questions than answers. If, however, the discoveries made in this this week's episode of History's The Curse of Oak Island are any indication, some of those questions may finally be answered. This week, we were treated to two hours of Oak Island adventures! First to air was the fifteenth episode of season eleven titled "On Target" followed by an episode of the spin-off, Drilling Down, titled "Decoding the Swamp." Continuing my episode rundown, I will provide a summary of key finds and share my own thoughts and theories.
BACKGROUND Since Oak Island adventurer Fred Nolan first posited that the swamp holds the answers to the long-elusive mysteries of the island in 1969, it has been speculated that the swamp is a man-made feature; Oak Island was once two separate islands, the waters between them were dammed and filled in to form a single landmass with the swamp in the middle. You may recall from my previous Oak Island Rundown blog (Feb. 15, 2024) that there is reason to believe that Sir William Phips was involved with the mysterious goings on associated with Oak Island. Clues revealed this week further fuel the fire of the Phips connection. RUNDOWN A piece of a leather shoe, which was found in the swamp two weeks ago (episode 13), was taken to be analyzed by leather expert Joe Landry who dated the artifact to the late 1600s/ early 1700s. These dates fall in line with the Phips theory. In Drilling Down, host Matty Blake tours the swamp and stops by the northernmost point known as the "Eye of the Swamp," which is a ring of stones. The age of the Eye of the Swamp has been dated between 1680 and 1700, the same time period during which Phips would have been active around the island! Seen from above, the whole of the swamp, with this circular stone feature, is not unlike the All-seeing Eye, a symbol common in Freemason iconography. Sir Phips had partnered with Freemason Capt. Andrew Belcher is the former's salvage of the Concepcion, whose treasures have been thought to have been hidden in Oak Island's Money Pit. Could this be coincidence? While that may be a possibility, there are too many factors to call this a definitive coincidence. So, it is likely that Sir Phips and Capt. Belcher were behind the swamp's creation. More stones have been uncovered during the swamp's excavation. These stones, it was noted, did not originate from the beach, but rather from underground. This could connect to the Money Pit; the rock excavated during the creation of the Money Pit were used to pave the area that would later be made into a swamp. Some of the stones in the swamp had been dated as early as 1200 AD, nearly 500 years before Sir Phips' time. So, does this discredit Sir Phips and his company as the builders of the swamp? Not in the slightest! As I mentioned in my previous Oak Island Rundown blog, the wide range of dates indicates that the activity conducted on Oak Island was made by numerous parties. To paraphrase Rick Lagina, it was a multi-generational endeavor, and the discoveries made reveal the chapters and paragraphs of this history. What remains to be answered is whether these parties were of the same or separate organizations. One thing is certain: the earliest dates suggest the Portuguese and the Knights Templar, while artifacts from Lot 5 and the swamp date to the late 1600s and suggest Sir William Phips. Lastly, let's discuss Nolan's Cross and its connection to the Money Pit. Author and Freemason Christopher Morford explained that the cross was made by the Knights Templar as a marker pointing to the location of the Money Pit. Cone C was visible from the beach and could be seen by approaching Templar ships. A straight line connects Cone C, drilled stone 1, Cone A, drilled stone 2, and the Garden Shaft (see my not-to-scale diagram below). After their meeting with Morford, Rick Lagina, Tom Nolan, and surveyor Steve Guptill followed the path from Cone C to the Garden Shaft. Guptill noted that drilled stone 2 (X2 on my diagram) marked the half way point between Cone C and the Garden Shaft. As with the swamp, this cannot be mere coincidence. CONCLUSION By connecting the dots, we find that the Knights Templar arrived on Oak Island in the 13th century and paved certain areas of the would-be swamp with stones collected from the excavation of the Money Pit where they hid such treasures as the Holy Grail and King Solomon's Menorah retrieved from Jerusalem. Fast-forward to the late 1600s and we find Sir William Phips and company burying treasure salvaged from the Concepcion and damming the waters between two islands, creating a single island with the triangle-shaped swamp in the middle. There is still much to learn and the Fellowship shows no sign of slowing down. Neither storm nor curse will not hinder their steps in uncovering the secrets that have been sought-after for 229 years. |
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