About This Artifact
A wrought iron spike was recovered from the Smith's Cove area by Gary Drayton during Season 6 excavations within the steel cofferdam. The spike was notable for being shorter and thicker in profile than the other spikes found across the island, with proportions consistent with heavy fastening hardware used in ship or wharf construction rather than the longer, thinner spikes associated with lighter timber framing. Gary dated it to the 1700s based on its unique bevelled design.
Wrought iron of this period was produced by hammering iron heated in a forge, a process that left a characteristic grain structure distinguishable from later cast or rolled iron. The bevelled profile indicates the spike was shaped for a specific structural purpose, driven into heavy timber to secure joints or fasten planking under load. Carmen Legge, who examined other spikes from the same Smith's Cove excavation, dated the broader collection to between 1650 and 1800 and identified them as crib spikes used in heavy marine construction.
The spike was found in the same area as a gold-plated coin, also recovered by Gary Drayton. The pairing of construction hardware with a personal item in the same location suggests a concentration of activity or deposition in that part of the cove. Similar spikes have been recovered from multiple locations across the island, including the slipway at Smith's Cove, the swamp's stone road, and Lot 32 near the south shore, where Gary identified a decking spike consistent with 1700s ship construction that antiques expert Dr. Lori Verderame had compared to barrote-type spikes from seventeenth-century Spanish galleons.
Historical Context
Gary Drayton
Where It Was Found
Found at Smith's Cove — the north shore of Oak Island where the flood tunnel system was discovered.
