About This Structure
The L-shaped wooden structure is a fifty-foot-long formation of wood and small stones discovered adjacent to the U-shaped structure in Smith's Cove. It was first noted during Dan Blankenship's investigations in the 1970s but not fully examined until the Lagina team's Season 6 excavation. Archaeologist Laird Niven identified it as the second major timber formation at the cove, distinct from but physically connected to the U-shaped structure.
Niven's examination indicated the L-shaped structure was built in at least two distinct phases, meaning construction at the site was not a single event but involved a return or extension of the original work. This phased construction adds a layer of complexity to the chronology of activity at Smith's Cove: whoever built the structure came back to modify or enlarge it, suggesting sustained use of the site over a period of time rather than a single operation. Like the U-shaped structure, the L-shaped formation contains no metal fasteners, only hand-cut notches and wooden pegs, a detail Niven considered archaeologically significant and potentially useful for dating purposes.
Within the L-shaped structure, the team uncovered a series of notched beams and horizontal logs arranged as rollers, consistent with a mechanism for hauling heavy loads. Laird Niven associated the feature with the slipway first reported by Gilbert Hedden in 1936, who had discovered two large timbers held together with wooden pegs while building a wharf at Smith's Cove. Hedden concluded the formation was an ancient boat slip but lacked the resources to dig below the low-tide mark. Together with the U-shaped structure, the box drains, and the coconut fibre filter system, the L-shaped feature forms part of an integrated waterfront construction of considerable scale.
Historical Context
Blankenship; Lagina team
Where It Was Found
Found at Smith's Cove — the north shore of Oak Island where the flood tunnel system was discovered.
