Seismic Matters

Craig Tester, Rick Lagina, and Marty Lagina discuss strategy as the workers' strike continues, expected to last the full 21 days. Marty suggests finishing Smith's Cove excavation, then deciding whether to end the season. Rick advocates continuing as long as weather permits, and Marty agrees, even proposing they revisit the swamp. At Smith's Cove, Billy Gerhardt excavates beneath the former crane pad, uncovering more underground wooden structures from previous searcher operations, as well as an underground wall from Season 6 Episode 19. Gerhardt unearths another subterranean shaft, prompting Gary Drayton to joke "if structures were treasure, we'd be rich." The team prepares for a seismic survey of the Oak Island swamp, contracting Eagle Canada to map the underground terrain beneath the boggy interior. In the War Room, theorist Chris Donah presents his theory that Oak Island's depositors used boulders and markers to create an astronomical map on the island, echoing similar theories by Travis Taylor regarding star maps and Petter Amundsen regarding Nolan's Cross. On Lot 32, Gary Drayton and Jack Begley metal detect and discover additional artifacts including a wrought iron fitting. At Smith's Cove, the excavation beneath the crane pad reveals the most complete picture yet of the layered construction history of the cove - from original works through multiple generations of searcher activity. The team reviews how each discovery connects to historical accounts, from the Truro Company's box drain descriptions in the 1850s through Dan Blankenship's U-shaped structure discovery in the 1970s. Eagle Canada's crew sets up equipment for the swamp seismic survey.