Rick Lagina brings geoscientist Dr. Ian Spooner to the swamp to examine a circle of boulders discovered the previous week by Rick, members of the team, and fellow landowner Tom Nolan. The stones sit atop what appears to be the paved area, carry traces of blue clay similar to material found deep in the Money Pit in 1804, and the largest boulder resembles those forming the megalithic formation known as Nolan's Cross. Spooner concludes the formation is not natural, noting the stones were deposited and filled in relatively quickly. Laird Niven adds that the stratigraphy resembles filled-in cellars. Meanwhile, Marty Lagina calls Mark Monahan of Irving Equipment Limited about the cofferdam deadline. With the permit expiring in roughly one month and Irving needing three weeks to remove the cofferdam and restore Smith's Cove, all Uplands and Smith's Cove work must end for the year.
On Lot 21, Alex Lagina and Peter Fornetti visit Laird Niven and conservator Kelly Bourassa, who are excavating test pits around the foundation of Daniel McGinnis's former home. GPR had identified a possible sub-basement beneath the foundation, supporting a theory by author James McQuiston that McGinnis had prior knowledge of the Money Pit through freemasonry. Laird uncovers a stone wall matching historical photographs of the original structure, then identifies what he believes is a trap door leading to the root cellar, a feature he has never encountered before. Near the bottom of the deep, rock-filled cellar, he recovers a bone-handled knife dating to the 1750s through end of the 1700s, the oldest artifact from the site. The home proves larger and the artifacts older than anticipated, but Lot 21's heritage protection limits further excavation until an expanded permit can be secured.
In the War Room, Rick and Craig Tester hear laser ablation results for a lead artifact that Rick and Gary Drayton found the previous week on Lot 17 near the Money Pit area. Doug Crowell connects them via video conference with Dr. Chris McFarlane, professor of geochemistry at the University of New Brunswick, who reports the artifact contains unusually high mercury and tin. Because mercury is too volatile to survive smelting, McFarlane concludes it was introduced by a separate process. The finding recalls theories by researcher Petter Amundsen linking Oak Island to Sir Francis Bacon, whose 1620 work Novum Organum described preserving documents in mercury. McFarlane traces the lead's origin to the Greek mainland, Greek archipelago, Cyprus, and Turkey, regions with strong Knights Templar presence consistent with the Southern France origin of the 700-year-old lead cross from Smith's Cove.
At the Uplands, Rick and heavy equipment operator Billy Gerhardt reopen the excavation to locate the main flood tunnel. About six feet down, Billy uncovers wooden planks forming what appears to be a shaft wall. Geologist Terry Matheson identifies hand-hewn, ax-cut beams with oak pegs matching those in the U-shaped structure dated to 1769, suggesting the same builders were responsible. The next day, with Marty and Craig present for the final opportunity before cofferdam removal, Billy brings up saddle-notched timbers from a depth where no known searcher workings existed. Rick peers in and spots wood on the left wall with what appears to be a tunnel extending laterally. Scott Barlow rigs a camera to the excavator bucket, and the footage reveals wood throughout, structure on the left wall, and a braced opening with double-walled construction. In the War Room, the alignment with Craig's calculations based on the U-shaped structure is confirmed, and the team agrees that dendrochronology dating the wood to before 1795 would provide strong evidence of the flood tunnel. With Irving arriving to pull the sheet pile, the Smith's Cove investigation comes to a close for the season.
