About This Structure
A sand-covered cobblestone road discovered in the western region of the Oak Island swamp during Season 13. The feature was first exposed by heavy equipment operator Billy Gerhardt while expanding permitted excavation areas, and has since been traced across a significant section of the swamp.
The road consists of a layered construction: sand on the surface, organic material beneath, and rocks at the base. Billy Gerhardt noted that this layered profile matches the Portuguese-style stone road previously uncovered in the southeast corner of the swamp. The feature is lined on both sides by eight-sided wooden survey stakes of the same type found elsewhere in the swamp, where archaeoastronomer Professor Adriano Gaspani dated similar stakes to the early 13th century based on stellar alignments.
During excavation, metal detection expert Gary Drayton recovered an ox shoe buried roughly a foot below the surface and an ox shoe nail from within the road material. Gary noted that ox shoes indicate travel and the hauling of heavy loads, consistent with the transport of materials toward the Money Pit. Cut wood fragments were also found embedded in the construction. Dr. Ian Spooner collected an embedded stick for carbon-14 dating and requested a crosscut trench to examine the road's construction profile.
As the team traced the road to the edge of their permitted dig area, the feature appeared to head toward Center Road, the path following property boundaries drawn by Surveyor General Charles Morris in 1762. Craig Tester raised the possibility that the sand road predates the Morris survey and that Center Road may have been built on top of an older route. Peter Fornetti observed that a road linking Lot 5 to the Money Pit would explain the established connection between the two sites. Rick Lagina noted it was too early to project the full alignment but called for a wider exposure of the sand layer. The team plans to dig a cross-section along Center Road to determine whether the cobblestone feature continues beneath it.
Historical Context
Peter Fornetti; Gary Drayton, metal detection expert; Billy Gerhardt, heavy equipment operator; Rick Lagina; Craig Tester; Dr. Ian Spooner, geologist; Alex Lagina; Katya Drayton; History Channel S13E20, S13E21, S13E22
Where It Was Found
Found at The Swamp (western region) — the triangle-shaped swamp on Oak Island's southeastern quadrant.
