Location
Lot 12 dumpsite
Discovered
1936 (Gilbert Hedden)
Dating
1936 recovery (age unknown)
Category
Artifact
Era
Colonial
About This Artifact
Pottery shards with traces of mercury found by treasure hunter Gilbert Hedden at the Lot 12 dumpsite in 1936. The mercury traces connect to the theory that Sir Francis Bacon preserved documents in mercury before burying them on Oak Island, as detailed in his 1620 work Novum Organum. The dumpsite was marked on Fred Nolan's survey maps and confirmed by the Lagina team when they excavated the exact location and recovered additional pottery.
Historical Context
Gilbert Hedden (1936), Doug Crowell; The Curse of Oak Island Season 5 Episode 12
Where It Was Found
Found at Lot 12 dumpsite — Oak Island, Nova Scotia, Canada.
