About This Artifact
A wrought iron hook discovered by Gary Drayton in the spoils excavated from an old well on Lot 11, on the north side of the swamp. Billy Gerhardt used his excavator to dig up the well after Oak Island landowner Tom Nolan recalled that in the 1970s, he and his father Fred Nolan had found an old well in this area with pottery in the bottom. The Nolans had refilled the well at the time.
Blacksmith expert Carmen Legge examined the hook and determined it was designed for winching heavy cargo - not a simple water bucket hook. He insisted the hook was clearly intended for lifting something much heavier than water. Carmen dated the artifact to between 1650 and 1690, placing it firmly in the pre-discovery period, roughly a century before the Money Pit was found in 1795.
Rick Lagina noted that the Lot 11 well was of identical design and construction to the well previously investigated on Lot 26, where geoscientist Ian Spooner had found elevated silver concentrations and wood dating to approximately 800 years old (~1220 AD). The similarity in construction between these two wells, located on opposite sides of the island, suggests they may have been built by the same group or during the same period of activity.
The 17th-century dating of the hook is significant in the context of other colonial-era finds on Oak Island, including the William Phips-era iron found on Lot 5 and various artifacts dating to the 1600s recovered across the island. The hook's function as a heavy cargo winch component raises questions about what was being moved on or off the island during this period.
Historical Context
S10E17 "A Well of Secrets" (discovery and analysis). Carmen Legge (blacksmith expert) dating and identification. Tom Nolan recollection of original well discovery with Fred Nolan in the 1970s.
Where It Was Found
Found at Lot 11, north side of swamp - excavated from old well spoils — the triangle-shaped swamp on Oak Island's southeastern quadrant.
