In the triangle-shaped swamp, excavation of the stone pathway continues under the supervision of archaeologists Dr. Aaron Taylor and Laird Niven, with heavy equipment operator Billy Gerhardt carefully removing material along each side. Beneath the massive stones, Billy uncovers a wood cribbing structure consisting of perpendicular beams stacked in layers, engineered to support the weight of the roadway across the boggy terrain. Metal detection expert Gary Drayton recovers a late 1600s to early 1700s copper coin from spoils near the pathway, along with an ox shoe nail that connects to earlier ox shoe discoveries, suggesting heavy cargo was transported between the swamp and the Lot 15 tar kiln area.
At the Money Pit, sonic drilling operations advance across multiple boreholes including F.25-9.75, E-12, and D-11. Craig Tester arrives on Oak Island for the first time this season after completing a 14-day COVID quarantine, presenting a new drilling grid near borehole OC-1 where 1706-dated wood from a tunnel was found the previous year. Geologist Terry Matheson and surveyor Steve Guptill analyze cores from D-11, finding evidence of a possible tunnel at 100-105 feet depth with dark material and wood slivers at 144-152 feet suggesting proximity to original structures.
Meanwhile, at the wash table near 10-X, Jack Begley, Michael John, and John Winters sort through OC-1 spoils. Michael John discovers a rosehead spike with a square shank that Laird dates potentially to the early 1700s, consistent with the 1706 wood previously found at that location. On Lot 15, Gary metal detects the serpent-shaped mound alongside Dr. Aaron Taylor, Liz Michels, and Miriam Amirault, recovering a hand-forged spike possibly from the 1700s that he describes as a deck nail. Charcoal from the mound had previously been carbon-dated to 1320-1440, placing it within the Knights Templar period.
In the War Room, Dr. Christa Brosseau presents metallurgical analysis of two spikes: one from the OC-1 spoils and another from the Lot 15 serpent mound. Her findings are striking: both contain identical phosphorus content at 0.5 percent, both are pre-1840 wrought iron with a pre-1790 style, and the elevated phosphorus suggests British origin. The results indicate the spikes were likely made by the same blacksmith at the same time, establishing a significant connection between the Money Pit area and the serpent mound on Lot 15. Doug Crowell theorizes the mound may be spoils from the original Money Pit excavation, while Marty Lagina suggests they could be looking at material removed by whoever made the original deposit.
