Lost and Founding

Rick and Marty Lagina and Dave Blankenship visit Dan Blankenship to share the results of dendrochronological analysis of wood from the U-shaped structure at Smith's Cove: the timber was cut in 1769, predating the 1795 discovery of the Money Pit by 26 years. Dan expresses surprise, noting he never determined whether the Smith's Cove structures were built before or after 1795. At Smith's Cove, Laird Niven discovers what Rick dubs the "Mystery Wall" - a wooden wall of horizontal boards encased in clay, with vertical support beams indicating it was designed to resist tidal forces. Behind it, the team finds a second wall of vertical boards. At the swamp, Eagle Canada completes their seismic survey by detonating the final charges. In the War Room, the team meets with researcher Bruce Lindahl, author Cort Lindahl, and treasure hunter Justin Cannady. Cort Lindahl theorizes that the Duc d'Anville's son, Louis-Alexandre de La Rochefoucauld, revealed Oak Island's secrets to Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, who hoped to use the treasure to finance the American Revolution. As evidence, Lindahl cites the "Evans Stone" - a boulder on Oak Island's northeastern shore bearing carved symbols. The team examines the stone and documents its markings. The season concludes with the team reviewing their cumulative discoveries: the 1769 dendrochronology date for the U-shaped structure, the confirmed dye test connection between the Money Pit and Smith's Cove, rag paper from H8, the slipway, the L-shaped wall, the concrete wall, the lead cross's German analysis, early 18th-century pottery, and the French coin. The 1769 date for the U-shaped structure provides the first scientific confirmation that significant construction at Smith's Cove predates the Money Pit's discovery.