# The Curse of Oak Island - Complete Content
Generated: 2026-02-25 14:36:33
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com

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## About This Site
TheCurseOfOakIsland.com is the comprehensive online resource dedicated to the Oak Island mystery - a 230-year treasure hunt on a small island in Nova Scotia, Canada. The site covers the history of discoveries, excavation attempts, theories about what may be buried there, evidence found, and the popular History Channel television series.

## Key Facts About Oak Island
- Oak Island is located in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada
- The treasure hunt began in 1795 when three boys discovered the "Money Pit"
- Over 230 years of excavation attempts have occurred
- The History Channel series "The Curse of Oak Island" premiered in 2014
- Rick and Marty Lagina lead the current excavation efforts
- Theories include Templar treasure, pirate gold, Shakespeare manuscripts, and the Ark of the Covenant
- Notable artifacts found include a lead cross, coconut fibers, and bone fragments dated to the Middle Ages

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# ARTICLES

## The Mystery
The core mystery of Oak Island: the Money Pit, its discovery, and what might be buried beneath.

### Down the Money Pit
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/mystery

On a summer day in 1795, a teenage boy named Daniel McGinnis was exploring the southeastern shore of
Oak Island, a small, heavily wooded island in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. What he discovered that day
would ignite the world's longest treasure hunt, one that continues to this day, more than 230 years
later. The Discovery McGinnis noticed something strange: a circular depression in the ground beneath
an ancient red oak tree. More curious still, an old ship's tackle block hung from a sawed-off branch
directly above the depression. To a young man living in an area thick with tales of pirate treasure,
the implications were unmistakable. Someone had buried something here and had gone to considerable
effort to do so. The next day, McGinnis returned with two friends: John Smith, aged 19, and Anthony
Vaughan, just 16. Armed with picks and shovels, they began to dig. What they found exceeded their
wildest expectations. [map:money-pit] The First Excavation Just two feet down, they struck a layer
of carefully laid flagstones, clearly placed by human hands. Beneath the stones, the earth had been
disturbed and was noticeably easier to dig than the surrounding clay. The boys had discovered a
shaft, roughly 13 feet in diameter, with walls bearing the distinct marks of pickaxes. At ten feet,
they hit a platform of oak logs, their ends firmly embedded in the clay walls. Excited, they removed
the logs and continued digging. At twenty feet, another platform. At thirty feet, yet another. Each
platform was constructed identically: solid oak logs spanning the entire shaft. The pattern was
unmistakable. Someone had dug this pit, installed platforms at precise ten foot intervals, and
filled it back in. The engineering required suggested not a simple hiding place, but something far
more elaborate: a vault designed to protect its contents for centuries. Unable to continue alone,
the boys reluctantly abandoned their excavation at thirty feet. But they never forgot what they had
found. [artifact:oak-log-platforms-multiple] The Onslow Company (1803) Eight years later, in 1803,
the discovery attracted serious attention. Simeon Lynds, a businessman from Truro, formed the Onslow
Company with Colonel Robert Archibald and assembled a crew of 25 to 30 workers. The professional
excavation of the Money Pit, as it would come to be known, had begun. The Onslow Company confirmed
everything the boys had reported. More oak platforms appeared at regular ten foot intervals. But
they also discovered something new: at 40 feet, a layer of charcoal. At 50 feet, putty. At 60 feet,
coconut fiber, a material that could not possibly have originated in Nova Scotia. The coconut fiber
discovery was stunning. The nearest natural source of coconut was thousands of miles away, in the
tropics. Whoever had constructed this pit had access to materials from far flung corners of the
world. [artifact:coconut-fibre-money-pit] The Inscribed Stone At 90 feet, the workers made their
most tantalizing discovery: a large flat stone inscribed with mysterious symbols. No one could
decipher the markings. The stone was eventually taken to Halifax, where it would be displayed in a
bookbinder's shop for decades until it mysteriously disappeared in 1919. Various translations of the
stone's symbols have been proposed over the years. The most famous claims it read: "Forty feet
below, two million pounds are buried." Whether this translation is accurate, or even whether the
stone existed at all, remains hotly debated. [artifact:inscribed-stone-90-foot-stone] The Flood At
93 feet, the workers stopped for the night, certain they were close to their prize. The next
morning, they returned to find the pit flooded with 60 feet of seawater. Despite working the pumps
continuously, they could not lower the water level by more than a few feet. They had triggered a
booby trap. Further investigation revealed an engineering marvel of staggering sophistication. A
flood tunnel, carefully constructed at a gradient, connected the Money Pit to the ocean at Smith's
Cove, 500 feet away. When the excavators reached a certain depth, they had breached this tunnel,
allowing the Atlantic Ocean to fill the shaft. At Smith's Cove, workers discovered an artificial
beach: five stone box drains covered with tons of coconut fiber and eel grass, designed to filter
seawater into the flood tunnel while preventing sand from clogging the system. The beach extended
145 feet along the shoreline and had been constructed at enormous effort. The implications were
clear: whoever had buried treasure in the Money Pit had not merely hidden it. They had built an
elaborate hydraulic trap to protect it. Centuries of engineering knowledge had gone into creating a
vault that would flood itself if disturbed.
[artifact:possible-box-drain-entrance][artifact:coconut-fibre-smith-s-cove] The Mystery Deepens Over
the following decades, additional discoveries only deepened the mystery. In 1849, drilling at 98
feet brought up three links of gold chain, the only treasure ever recovered from the Money Pit. The
same drilling revealed layers of spruce, oak, loose metal, and more oak, suggesting multiple
chambers or chests buried at different depths. In 1897, workers recovered a tiny scrap of parchment
from 155 feet down. Analysis revealed it was made of sheepskin and bore letters written in India
ink, possibly "vi," "ui," or "wi." The presence of parchment suggested documents, not just gold. In
1970, a U-shaped structure of massive logs was discovered beneath low tide at Smith's Cove. The
logs, some 30 to 65 feet long and 2 feet thick, were notched with Roman numerals. Carbon dating
placed their origin around 1720, some 75 years before the Money Pit's official discovery. And in
2017, modern excavation recovered human bones from 190 feet down. DNA analysis revealed two
individuals: one of European descent, one of Middle Eastern origin. The bones were centuries old.
[artifact:u-shaped-wooden-structure] What Lies Beneath? After 230 years and countless excavation
attempts, the fundamental question remains: what could possibly justify such extraordinary
engineering? The scale of the original construction is staggering. Estimates suggest the Money Pit
alone required excavating 15,000 cubic feet of earth, all of which had to be done by hand, in
secret, on a remote island. The flood system required tunneling hundreds of feet through solid rock,
constructing an artificial beach, and engineering a self activating trap. This was not the work of a
pirate burying a chest of coins. This was a massive, organized project requiring considerable
resources, engineering expertise, and manpower. It was designed not merely to hide something, but to
hide it forever, or at least until whoever buried it chose to reveal its location. The theories
about what lies in the Money Pit are as varied as they are extraordinary: Captain Kidd's pirate
treasure, Marie Antoinette's jewels smuggled out of France, the lost manuscripts of Sir Francis
Bacon proving he wrote Shakespeare's plays, religious artifacts brought to the New World by the
Knights Templar, even the Ark of the Covenant. What we know for certain is this: someone went to
extraordinary lengths to bury something on Oak Island. After more than two centuries of searching,
six lives lost, and millions of dollars spent, the mystery endures. The Money Pit keeps its secrets
still.
[article:pirates][article:the-knights-templar][article:baconians][article:the-jewels-of-marie-antoinette]

## The Hunt
230 years of excavation attempts, key expeditions, and the relentless search for answers.

### A Hunt with no End
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/hunt

The story of Oak Island is not just about buried treasure. It is the story of the men who spent
their fortunes, their sanity, and in some cases their lives trying to find it. For 230 years, the
Money Pit has drawn dreamers and schemers, engineers and eccentrics, paupers and presidents. None
have succeeded. None have given up. The Early Searchers (1795-1850) After Daniel McGinnis and his
friends abandoned their excavation at thirty feet in 1795, the Money Pit sat dormant for eight
years. But the boys never stopped talking about what they had found, and word eventually reached
Simeon Lynds, a businessman from Truro. In 1803, Lynds formed the Onslow Company and launched the
first professional excavation. His crew of 25 to 30 men dug to 93 feet, discovering the now famous
oak platforms, layers of coconut fiber, and the inscribed stone. They were certain treasure lay just
below. Then the pit flooded, and despite months of effort, they could not pump it dry. The Onslow
Company disbanded, its investors ruined. Nearly half a century passed before the Truro Company
arrived in 1849. Dr. David Lynds, a relative of Simeon, led the effort with businessman Jotham
McCully. Unable to excavate through the flooded shaft, they pioneered a new approach: drilling.
Using a pod auger, they bored through the mud and debris at the bottom of the pit. At 98 feet, the
drill passed through spruce, then oak, then struck something that felt like loose metal. It passed
through 22 inches of this material before hitting more oak, then more metal, then spruce again. When
the drill was pulled up, it brought three links of gold chain, the only treasure ever recovered from
the Money Pit. The Truro Company also made a crucial discovery: the flood tunnel. After digging
exploratory shafts, they found that water was not seeping into the Money Pit from underground
springs. It was being fed deliberately through a 500 foot tunnel from Smith's Cove. Someone had
engineered a trap. [artifact:possible-box-drain-entrance] The Oak Island Association (1861-1866) The
Oak Island Association arrived with 63 shareholders and renewed determination. They re-excavated the
Money Pit to 88 feet and dug multiple new shafts trying to intercept the flood tunnel. On one
attempt, they accidentally struck the original treasure chamber. Workers heard a tremendous crash.
The platforms and whatever rested on them, estimated at 10,000 board feet of lumber, dropped from
around 100 feet to somewhere below 119 feet. The treasure, if there was treasure, had fallen deeper
into the earth. The Association also suffered the first death. In 1861, a worker was scalded when a
pump engine's boiler exploded. The legend states that seven must die before the treasure is found.
The count had begun. The Oak Island Treasure Company (1893-1900) Frederick Blair was 25 years old
when he joined the Oak Island Treasure Company as its treasurer. He would remain involved with the
island for the next 58 years, until his death in 1951. Blair's company drilled extensively, and at
153 feet they made a remarkable discovery: a tiny scrap of parchment with letters written in India
ink. The presence of a document suggested that whatever lay below was not merely pirate gold.
Someone had buried something worth writing about. The company also confirmed a second flood tunnel,
this one originating from the south shore of the island. The engineers who designed the Money Pit
had built redundant protection. If searchers blocked one tunnel, the other would continue flooding
the shaft. Blair's company ran out of money in 1900, but Blair himself never gave up. He spent the
next five decades securing treasure rights, advising new expeditions, and documenting every
discovery. He died believing the treasure was real and recoverable. The Roosevelt Expedition (1909)
In 1909, a young Franklin Delano Roosevelt purchased shares in the Old Gold Salvage group and
visited Oak Island. He was 27 years old, a recent law school graduate with a taste for adventure.
The future president spent several weeks on the island, fascinated by the engineering puzzle.
Roosevelt maintained interest in Oak Island for the rest of his life. Letters from his presidential
archives show he continued corresponding about the treasure hunt even while leading the nation
through the Great Depression and World War II. He never returned to the island, but he never forgot
it either. [article:the-roosevelt-connection][site:hyde-park-roosevelt-estate] The Hedden and
Hamilton Years (1936-1950) Gilbert Hedden, a New Jersey steel manufacturer, purchased the eastern
end of Oak Island in 1936. He brought modern equipment and systematic methods. His workers
discovered the stone triangle: a perfect equilateral triangle made of beach stones, ten feet on each
side, with a medial line pointing true north directly at the Money Pit. They also found two drilled
rocks, exactly 415 feet apart on an east-west line. These markers, along with the triangle,
suggested the original depositors had left a survey system for relocating the treasure.
Unfortunately, the stone triangle was later destroyed during careless excavation. Erwin Hamilton
took over from Hedden in 1938 and spent four years exploring. His most significant contribution was
a dye test that revealed water from the flood tunnels exiting 100 yards offshore to the southeast.
The system was even more extensive than anyone had imagined. The Restall Tragedy (1959-1965) Bob
Restall was a former carnival stunt rider who moved his entire family to Oak Island in 1959. They
lived in two small shacks with no electricity or running water, working the Money Pit by hand while
tourists watched from the shore. For six years, the Restalls dug and pumped, slowly making progress.
They found a stone at Smith's Cove inscribed with the date 1704, evidence that activity on the
island predated the official discovery by nearly a century. On August 17, 1965, Bob Restall climbed
down into a shaft to check a pump. Without warning, he collapsed. His son Bobbie, just 18 years old,
climbed down to rescue him and also collapsed. Karl Graeser, a worker, followed them down. Then
Cyril Hiltz, just 16 years old. All four died from hydrogen sulfide gas that had accumulated in the
shaft. The tragedy remains the darkest chapter in Oak Island's history. Four men dead in minutes,
including a father and son. The curse now claimed six victims. Robert Dunfield and the Big Dig
(1965-1966) Robert Dunfield was a petroleum geologist from California who believed the Money Pit
could be solved with brute force. He built a causeway connecting Oak Island to the mainland, the
first time the island had been accessible by land. Then he brought in a 70 ton crane and simply dug.
Dunfield excavated a pit 140 feet deep and 100 feet across, destroying much of the original Money
Pit area in the process. He found nothing but disturbed earth and seawater. When his money ran out,
he left behind a cratered moonscape where the Money Pit had once been. His causeway, however,
remains. Oak Island is no longer an island. Dan Blankenship and Triton Alliance (1966-2005) Dan
Blankenship read an article about Oak Island in Reader's Digest in 1965 and was immediately hooked.
He showed it to his wife and announced: "There's treasure on Oak Island, and I'm going to be
instrumental in getting it." He moved his family from Florida to Nova Scotia and spent the next 50
years searching. In 1967, he partnered with David Tobias, a Montreal businessman, to form Triton
Alliance. Together they conducted the most extensive exploration to date. Their most dramatic
discovery came in 1971. A camera lowered into Borehole 10-X, a shaft 180 feet northeast of the Money
Pit, captured images at 230 feet that appeared to show a severed human hand, wooden chests, and
tools. Blankenship made several dives into the flooded chamber but could never relocate the objects.
Blankenship nearly died in 1976 when the casing of 10-X collapsed while he was 90 feet underground.
He escaped but never fully recovered his health. Still, he refused to leave. He lived on Oak Island
until his death in 2019 at age 95, the longest serving searcher in the island's history.
[map:borehole-10x] The Lagina Brothers (2006-Present) Rick Lagina first read about Oak Island in
that same Reader's Digest article when he was 11 years old. He dreamed of searching for the treasure
for nearly 40 years before he and his brother Marty purchased a stake in Oak Island Tours in 2006.
The Laginas brought something no previous searchers had: a television audience. The Curse of Oak
Island premiered on the History Channel in 2014 and became a phenomenon. Millions of viewers watched
as the brothers deployed ground penetrating radar, seismic imaging, and massive excavation
equipment. But beyond the entertainment, the Laginas have made a serious contribution to history.
Their discoveries have fundamentally shifted the conversation about early contact between Europe and
North America. A medieval cross dating to 900-1300 AD. Human bones of both European and Middle
Eastern origin, centuries old. Leather bookbinding material. Evidence of sophisticated construction
predating Columbus by hundreds of years. To investigate these findings, the Laginas have assembled a
network of European experts, historians, and researchers, bringing academic rigor to a mystery long
dismissed by mainstream archaeology. The work of Doug Crowell, Judi Rudebusch, Emiliano Sacchetti
and Corjan Mol suggests that Oak Island may hold answers not just about buried treasure, but about
who really reached the New World first, and why. They have not found the treasure. But they may have
found something more significant: proof that our understanding of history is incomplete. The Cost of
the Hunt Estimates suggest that searchers have spent between $50 million and $100 million on Oak
Island over 230 years. Six people have died. Marriages have ended. Fortunes have been lost. Careers
have been abandoned. And still they come. The Money Pit has never lacked for searchers, and likely
never will. Whatever lies buried there, the hunt itself has become a kind of treasure, passed from
one generation of dreamers to the next. The search continues.

## The Island
Geography, key locations, structures, and the physical features of Oak Island.

### A small island
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/island

Oak Island is small. Just 140 acres of glacial drumlins rising from Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia,
connected to the mainland by a causeway built in 1965. From the air it looks like dozens of other
islands dotting this stretch of the Atlantic coast. But beneath its surface lies an engineering
mystery that has baffled searchers for over two centuries. Geography of a Mystery The island sits
roughly 200 meters off the shore of the mainland, in a bay that contains over 350 islands. The
Mi'kmaq people, who have inhabited Nova Scotia for thousands of years, called it Wna'kat, meaning
"island of foam." European settlers named it Oak Island for the slender red oak trees with
characteristic umbrella canopees that once covered its eastern end, trees that have long since been
cut down during various excavation attempts. The island measures roughly 1 kilometer long and 400
meters at its widest point. Its terrain is characterized by two drumlins, oval hills formed by
glacial deposits, with a swampy depression running between them. The highest point rises about 35
feet above sea level. For treasure hunters, the geography presents both opportunity and obstacle.
The island is small enough to search systematically, but its glacial soil is unstable, prone to
flooding, and riddled with natural cavities that complicate any excavation. The Money Pit Area The
eastern end of the island contains the famous Money Pit, the original shaft discovered in 1795. Or
at least it did. After 230 years of excavation, the precise location of the original pit has been
lost. Dozens of shafts have been dug, collapsed, refilled, and dug again. The area now resembles a
churned battlefield. What we know is that the original pit was located beneath a large red oak tree.
A ship's tackle block hung from a sawed off branch directly above a circular depression in the
ground. The tree is long gone, cut down in the early 1800s, and its exact location has been debated
ever since. Modern surveys using ground penetrating radar and seismic imaging have revealed a
complex network of cavities and voids beneath this area. The original builders created something far
more extensive than a simple shaft. By now it is impossible to say what is natural, what is original
work and what has been created by more than 200 years of searching under the island. [map:money-pit]
Smith's Cove On the northeastern shore lies Smith's Cove, perhaps the most important location on the
island after the Money Pit itself since it is a great natural harbour. Here, in 1850, searchers
discovered an artificial beach: a layer of coconut fiber and eel grass covering five stone box
drains, all feeding into a flood tunnel that ran 500 feet inland to the Money Pit. The engineering
was remarkable. The box drains acted as filters, allowing seawater to flow while preventing sand
from clogging the system. The coconut fiber, which could not have originated anywhere near Nova
Scotia, was specifically chosen for its resistance to rot in salt water. Beneath the artificial
beach, workers in 1970 discovered a U-shaped structure: massive logs, some 30 to 65 feet long,
notched with Roman numerals and arranged in a U formation. Carbon dating placed the logs around
1720, seventy five years before the Money Pit's official discovery. Someone was building here long
before Daniel McGinnis arrived. Smith's Cove also yielded important artifacts: wrought iron scissors
identified by the Smithsonian as Spanish American and roughly 300 years old, a heart shaped stone,
and fragments of old wharves or slipways suggesting the cove once served as a working harbor.
[map:smiths-cove] The Swamp Between the two drumlins lies a triangular swamp that most early
searchers ignored. Recent investigation suggests this was a mistake. Ground penetrating radar has
revealed anomalies beneath the swamp perhaps consistent with a ship or large wooden structure buried
in the muck. The swamp has yielded significant finds: a Spanish maravedi coin dated 1652, hand
forged nails, and wooden planking that may be ship's timbers. Some researchers now believe the swamp
is not natural at all, but was created deliberately by damming a former cove, possibly to conceal
evidence of earlier activity on the island. If a ship lies buried in the swamp, it would explain how
the original depositors transported the massive quantities of material needed to construct the Money
Pit: the oak platforms, the tons of coconut fiber, the engineering equipment. They may have sailed
directly to the site, then sunk their own vessel to hide the evidence. [map:the-swamp] The South
Shore The south shore of Oak Island has received less attention than the Money Pit area, but it
holds its own secrets. Dye tests in the 1890s revealed a possible second flood tunnel originating
from this shore, providing redundant protection for the Money Pit. Block one tunnel, and the other
continues flooding the shaft. In 1965, workers discovered an unmarked shaft on the south shore
beach: eight feet in diameter, 45 feet deep, with no wooden cribbing, predating any known
excavation. Someone had dug here before 1795, for reasons that remain unknown. The south shore also
offers the best view of the Frog Island drumlin, a small island 300 meters offshore that some
researchers believe may have served as a lookout point or secondary depot for the original
depositors. Nolan's Cross Fred Nolan, a surveyor who spent over 50 years searching Oak Island, made
a discovery in 1992 that changed how researchers view the island's geography. Using survey
equipment, he identified five large granite boulders arranged in a perfect cross formation, 867 feet
from tip to tip. The boulders were not native to Oak Island. They had been transported from
elsewhere and placed with precision. The cross sits 60 degrees off true north and, according to
Nolan, points to significant locations on the island. Whether it marks a burial site, serves as a
survey marker, or has religious significance remains debated. Nolan's Cross suggests that whoever
used Oak Island did not merely dig a single pit. They surveyed the entire island and marked it
according to a deliberate plan. In recent years, by analyzing the cross’s star alignments,
renowned Italian archaeo-astronomer Adriano Gaspani has dated Nolan’s Cross to 1200 AD.
[artifact:nolan-s-cross-6-boulders]  The Stone Triangle In 1937, Gilbert Hedden's workers
discovered a stone triangle on the island's surface: a perfect equilateral triangle made of beach
stones, ten feet on each side. A medial line pointed true north, directly toward the Money Pit. Two
drilled rocks were found 415 feet apart on an east-west line, possibly serving as additional survey
markers. Together with the triangle, they suggested the original depositors left a system for
relocating the treasure. Tragically, the stone triangle was destroyed in 1965 during Robert
Dunfield's careless excavation. It exists now only in photographs and survey notes. Whatever message
it contained is lost forever. [artifact:stone-triangle] The War Room Modern searchers operate from a
research center known as the War Room, a building on the island that serves as command center for
the ongoing excavation. Here, the team analyzes finds, reviews data from ground penetrating radar
and seismic surveys, and plans each season's work. The War Room represents how much the search has
changed since Daniel McGinnis arrived with a shovel. Today's treasure hunters deploy million dollar
equipment, consult with experts worldwide via video link, and document every discovery for
scientific analysis. Oak Island has become as much an archaeological and archival research project
as a treasure hunt. [map:war-room] An Island Transformed Oak Island today bears little resemblance
to the wilderness Daniel McGinnis explored in 1795. The red oaks are gone. The Money Pit area has
been excavated dozens of times. A causeway connects the island to the mainland. Buildings, roads,
and heavy equipment cover what was once untouched forest. But beneath the surface, the mystery
remains. Tunnels still flood with seawater. Chambers still lie unexplored. The original engineers
built their vault to last centuries, and it has. Whatever secrets Oak Island holds, the island
itself is not yet ready to give them up.

## The Theories
From the Treasure of the Knights Templar to Shakespeare's lost manuscripts.

### The Roosevelt Connection
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/the-roosevelt-connection

On August 24, 1939, the President of the United States sat down to write a letter to his childhood
friend Duncan G. Harris. The subject was not the deteriorating situation in Europe, nor the military
buildup that would soon engulf the world. The subject was Oak Island. "I planned to go into Mahone
Bay," Roosevelt wrote, "but the fog delay and the international situation made it impossible." He
added that he was much interested in Gilbert Hedden's expedition, and closed with a line that
belonged more to a college reunion than to the White House: "What a grand crew you had with you. I
wish I could have joined up." One week later, Germany invaded Poland. That letter was not an
anomaly. Franklin Delano Roosevelt's fascination with Oak Island lasted thirty-six years, from a
boyhood visit to the island in the 1890s to presidential correspondence with treasure hunters,
engineers, and explorers throughout the 1930s. He is the only sitting president known to have
maintained an active interest in the mystery, and his involvement connects three generations of the
Roosevelt family to the search. The connection was also geographic. The Roosevelt family had
summered on Campobello Island, New Brunswick, since the 1880s, and Franklin spent nearly every
childhood summer there. It was on Campobello that he would contract polio in August 1921, and the
estate remains a landmark to this day as the Roosevelt Campobello International Park. Oak Island lay
roughly a day's sail south along the same Atlantic coast. The mystery was never far from his
doorstep. The Delano Investment The Roosevelt family's connection to Oak Island predates Franklin's
birth. His maternal grandfather, Warren Delano Jr., was a wealthy merchant who had made his fortune
in the China trade. In 1849, Delano invested in the Truro Company, the second major treasure-hunting
syndicate to work the island. It was the Truro Company that discovered the box drains at Smith's
Cove and recovered small bits of gold chain from the Money Pit, providing the first physical
evidence that something of value lay below. The young Franklin grew up hearing these stories. Oak
Island was not an abstraction to him. It was a family inheritance. The Boy on the Island In 1976,
author D'Arcy O'Connor wrote to the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library at Hyde Park, New
York, inquiring about Roosevelt's connection to Oak Island. The reply, from the National Archives
and Records Service, contained a detail that has received remarkably little attention. The Library
confirmed documentation of not one but two Roosevelt expeditions to Oak Island: "the first about
1896 and the second about 1908." Among their holdings was a collection of twenty-four photographs of
the treasure site and digging apparatus, and in one photograph, the young Roosevelt was clearly
present. If the 1896 date is accurate, Franklin Roosevelt was approximately fourteen years old when
he first set foot on Oak Island. He was a student at Groton School, the son of a prominent New York
family, and already absorbing the treasure stories that his grandfather's generation had brought
back from Nova Scotia. The visit would have placed him on the island during the period when
Frederick Blair's Oak Island Treasure Company held the search rights, a full thirteen years before
the expedition that is usually cited as Roosevelt's first involvement. 54 Wall Street By 1909,
Roosevelt was a twenty-seven-year-old law clerk at the firm of Carter, Ledyard and Milburn, working
from an office at 54 Wall Street in Manhattan. That year he invested in the Old Gold Salvage and
Wrecking Company, a new venture led by Captain Henry L. Bowdoin that planned to use modern
engineering equipment to finally crack the Money Pit. Roosevelt's friend and fellow investor Duncan
G. Harris traveled to Oak Island that summer. On October 17, 1909, Harris wrote to Roosevelt from
the offices of Harris and Vaughan, Real Estate, at 1416 Broadway in New York. The letter is
remarkably detailed. Harris reported that he had arrived on the island on August 27th and found
conditions different from what had been represented: Captain Welling did not know the location of
the supposed tunnels, and Bowdoin decided to clear out the main pit instead. They found water at
thirty feet from the top of the cribbing and discovered that their sinking pump, throwing sixty
gallons a minute, was insufficient. By use of a bucket, they cleared the pit to a depth of 107 feet,
removing large quantities of boulders and timber. At that depth they found a heavy platform across
the bottom of the cribbing which they were unable to remove. Harris then described the boring
operations. By core drill they reached 160 feet, striking nothing of interest until 150 feet, where
they passed through about eight inches of what seemed like cement, then four feet of sand, then four
more inches of cement, then blue clay, and at 160 feet hard gravel. A chemist named Rodman, employed
by the Pennsylvania Railroad, analyzed the cement and pronounced it "undoubtedly artificial." Harris
noted that they had struck it at exactly the same depth Captain Welling had nine years earlier, on
the occasion when Welling said he found a small piece of parchment. The Bowdoin expedition
ultimately failed to reach the treasure, but Roosevelt's investment and Harris's reporting
established a pattern that would continue for decades. Even as his political career accelerated
through the New York State Senate, the Navy Department, and the governorship of New York, Roosevelt
maintained his connection to the search through a network of friends and associates. In November
1926, Bowdoin wrote to Roosevelt proposing a new investment in a diving operation using a special
suit to recover treasure from sunken ships. Roosevelt did not dismiss it. Instead he forwarded the
letter to his adviser Thomas A. Scott, asking for an opinion. Scott replied the next day. Roosevelt
then wrote back to Bowdoin. The exchange took less than a week. Seventeen years after the failed
expedition, Roosevelt was still taking Bowdoin's proposals seriously enough to seek professional
counsel. Duncan Harris (far left), Captain H.L. Bowdoin (with bow tie) and a young Franklin
Roosevelt in shorts, on Oak Island in the summer of 1909. Letters to the White House Roosevelt was
elected president in 1932, and the Oak Island correspondence followed him to Washington. The letters
in the presidential files, compiled by researcher Les MacPhie in 2014, reveal a sitting president
engaged in regular exchanges about a treasure hunt in Nova Scotia. In October 1933, a woman named
Ida L. Purves wrote directly to "Mr. President" about Oak Island. Roosevelt replied on November 11.
In September 1936, the engineering firm Sprague and Henwood contacted the White House about the
island, and Roosevelt responded. These were not perfunctory acknowledgments. The president was
reading the letters, engaging with the details, and writing back. The most extraordinary
correspondence began on September 1, 1937, when Gilbert D. Hedden wrote to Roosevelt from Chester,
Nova Scotia, on the letterhead of Gilbert D. Hedden, Inc., a Cadillac, LaSalle, and Oldsmobile
dealership in Morristown, New Jersey. Hedden, a wealthy businessman who had purchased the eastern
end of Oak Island and was conducting his own excavations, opened his letter with a sentence that
captures the peculiar gravity of the Oak Island story: "Knowing that you were once associated with
or interested in, an endeavor to solve the mystery of Oak Island, Nova Scotia, I felt that it might
be of interest to you to know of the more recent history of this strange spot." Hedden then gave the
president a full briefing. He described how his interest dated to 1927, when he read an account in
the magazine section of the New York Times. He explained that he had contacted Frederick Blair,
examined Blair's files accumulated over forty years, and begun his own excavations in 1936. The
correspondence between Hedden and Roosevelt continued through multiple exchanges, with Hedden
providing updates on his progress and theories. It was Hedden who had traveled to England to meet
the author Harold Wilkins about an alleged Captain Kidd treasure map, and it was Hedden who would
later connect the island to a broader network of historical mysteries. The Professor's Concern In
February 1939, Professor Erwin H. Hamilton, a consulting engineer at New York University, wrote to
Roosevelt at the White House about a different matter entirely. Hamilton had been working on Oak
Island and had learned that Popular Science magazine was about to publish a series of articles about
the treasure hunt, starting with the March issue. Hamilton was worried. He told the president that
the articles had been written by a staff member of the magazine, that he personally had provided no
information, and that the material must have come from Hedden or another source. His concern was
diplomatic but unmistakable: "I hope that it will develop that these articles have been based on
true facts so that they will not prove embarrassing." The letter reveals how sensitive the Oak
Island connection had become. A sitting president's youthful treasure-hunting adventure was about to
appear in a national magazine, and his associates were scrambling to ensure the coverage would not
cause political damage. That Roosevelt maintained his interest despite this risk says something
about the hold the mystery had on him. The Visit That Never Was In the summer of 1939, Duncan Harris
wrote to Roosevelt on personal stationery headed simply "Winsome," the name of his sailing vessel.
Harris knew that Roosevelt would be cruising the Nova Scotia coast that August and invited him to
visit Oak Island. "Since you will probably sail by Mahone Bay twice," Harris wrote in his familiar,
looping hand, "it might interest you to visit the scene of our 1909 treasure seeking activities,
where there have been interesting developments." Harris mentioned that he had met Gilbert Hedden,
the new owner, and that Hedden had built a lumber home near the pit and was working with modern
engineering equipment. "Since he has plenty of money it looks as though the mystery would be solved
at last." Harris added that he himself was sailing eastward with friends in a 65-foot ketch, naming
his companions: John Saltonstall, Otway Byrd, Charlie Draper (all Harvard class of 1900), and Jim
Lawrence (class of 1901). "F.V. (fog willing)," he wrote, "we may get as far as Oak Island
ourselves." Roosevelt's reply came on August 24. He confirmed that he had planned to enter Mahone
Bay but that fog and the international situation had made it impossible. He expressed delight at the
Popular Mechanics stories about the island and said he was much interested in Hedden's expedition.
"I wish I could have joined up," he wrote. The FDR Library later complicated this account somewhat.
In their 1976 reply to D'Arcy O'Connor, they noted that Roosevelt had written to industrialist Cyrus
Eaton on August 2, 1939, declining an invitation to stop at Eaton's home near Chester, Nova Scotia,
stating that he was "not going to stop anywhere except at Campobello." Whether the Mahone Bay plan
was a private intention that Roosevelt kept separate from his official itinerary, or whether he
softened his refusal to Harris with a kinder explanation, the letters do not resolve. What is clear
is that in August 1939, the last summer before the world changed, Franklin Roosevelt was still
thinking about Oak Island. What Roosevelt Believed The question of what Roosevelt thought lay
beneath the island was answered decades after his death. Researcher Paul Troutman, working in the
archives at Hyde Park, discovered an interview transcript with Duncan Harris recorded by biographer
Joseph P. Lash. In the interview, Harris confirmed that he had accompanied Roosevelt to Oak Island
and revealed what his friend believed: the treasure was the lost crown jewels of Louis XVI and Marie
Antoinette, smuggled out of France during the Revolution and hidden in Nova Scotia. This discovery
was presented to Rick Lagina and Alex Lagina in Season 4, Episode 12 ("Hyde Park and Seek"), when
the team visited the Roosevelt Library. The revelation connected the most powerful man in American
politics to one of the most romantic theories about Oak Island, and it raised an obvious question:
Roosevelt had access to intelligence resources that no previous treasure hunter could have imagined.
If anyone could have investigated the Marie Antoinette theory through diplomatic and intelligence
channels, it was a sitting president. Whether he ever did so remains unknown. No such inquiry has
surfaced in the presidential papers. [article:the-jewels-of-marie-antoinette] Thirty-Six Years
Franklin Delano Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945, at Warm Springs, Georgia. He never returned to Oak
Island after his 1909 expedition, and the planned 1939 visit was thwarted by fog and the gathering
storm of a second world war. But his archive tells the story of a man who never let go. Twenty-four
photographs. Twenty-six pages of correspondence. An investment in a salvage company. At least one
and possibly two visits to the island. Letters exchanged with treasure hunters, engineers,
professors, and private citizens across three decades. A Pentagon in a Swamp Two years after fog and
war prevented Roosevelt from entering Mahone Bay, he made a decision that his generals could not
explain. The new headquarters for the Department of War would be built as a pentagon, the largest on
earth, and it would be built not on the solid ground at the foot of the Arlington Memorial Bridge
where the Army wanted it, but in a swampy shanty town called Hell's Bottom. Roosevelt personally
drove General Brehon Somervell to the site on Columbia Pike, pointed at the marsh, and gave the
order. One hundred and fifty people were evicted. Six hundred and eighty thousand tons of sand were
dredged from the Potomac to make concrete. Forty-one thousand piles were driven into the mud to keep
the building from sinking. The generals, who called the design "the world's largest target," opposed
both the shape and the location. Roosevelt insisted on both. The parallels are difficult to ignore.
Louis XIV chose an inaccessible, unremarkable marshland for Versailles, a site his courtiers found
miserable, because its precise geographic position mattered more than the ground beneath it.
Roosevelt, who had walked on Oak Island as a boy and written about it from the White House as
president, demanded the same: a specific shape, in a specific place, over the objections of every
practical mind in the room. Ground was broken on September 11, 1941. Why a pentagon. Why a swamp.
Why there. These are questions that the presidential correspondence cannot answer, but the geometry
might. For those who wish to follow that thread further, the authors explore the sacred geometry
connecting Versailles, Washington, and Oak Island in The Jerusalem Files: The Secret Journey of the
Menorah to Oak Island (Watkins/Penguin Random House, 2024). In 1909, a young law clerk at 54 Wall
Street read a letter from his friend about cement at 150 feet and a pump that could not keep up with
the water. In 1939, the President of the United States wrote from the White House that he wished he
could have joined a sailing party bound for the same island. In 1941, he ordered the largest
pentagonal structure ever built, planted in a swamp, against every recommendation he received. The
mystery that captured Roosevelt as a boy held him for the rest of his life. Whatever he knew, or
believed, or had been told, it was enough to shape the geometry of a nation's capital.

### Captain Kidd and the Hidden Maps
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/captain-kidd-and-the-hidden-maps

The Privateer William Kidd was born around 1645 in Dundee, Scotland, and by the 1690s had
established himself as a respected sea captain in New York. He owned property in Manhattan, attended
the English Church, and moved in colonial high society. In 1695, the Earl of Bellomont, newly
appointed governor of New York, Massachusetts Bay, and New Hampshire, offered Kidd a royal
commission to hunt pirates and French vessels in the Indian Ocean. The backers behind the venture
included some of the most powerful men in England, among them the Lord Chancellor and the Secretary
of State. It was a legitimate assignment with powerful political sponsors, and Kidd sailed from New
York in September 1696 aboard the Adventure Galley, a 34-gun warship with a crew of 150. The voyage
went badly from the start. The crew grew mutinous, provisions ran low, and prizes proved elusive.
Under pressure from his men, Kidd captured the Quedagh Merchant in January 1698, a 400-ton Armenian
trading vessel sailing under French passes. Whether this constituted piracy or fell within the
bounds of his commission has been debated for more than three centuries. Kidd insisted it was a
lawful prize taken under French colours. But political winds in London had shifted against him. His
powerful backers, now embarrassed by association, disowned him. By the time Kidd sailed north along
the American coast in 1699, he was a wanted man. Gardiners Island: The Confirmed Burial Before
surrendering to Governor Bellomont in Boston, Kidd made a stop that would cement his place in
treasure-hunting lore. In June 1699, he buried a cache of valuables on Gardiners Island, a small
private island off the eastern tip of Long Island. This is not legend. Bellomont had the deposit
recovered and shipped to England, where it was catalogued and used as evidence at Kidd's trial. The
inventory included over 1,000 troy ounces of gold, more than 2,000 troy ounces of silver, gold dust,
rubies and other precious stones, silk, and 57 bags of sugar. At the time, this represented a
substantial fortune, though far less than the full value of the Quedagh Merchant's cargo. Kidd was
arrested in Boston on 6 July 1699, imprisoned for over a year, then shipped to London in chains. His
trial at the Old Bailey in May 1701 was widely seen as politically motivated. The French passes from
the Quedagh Merchant, which could have supported his defence, had conveniently disappeared. He was
found guilty of piracy and the murder of a crewman named William Moore, whom he had struck with a
wooden bucket during an argument. On 23 May 1701, Kidd was hanged at Execution Dock in Wapping. The
rope broke on the first attempt. He was hanged a second time and his body was gibbeted over the
Thames as a warning to others. To the end, Kidd insisted that he had hidden more treasure elsewhere
and offered to lead his captors to it in exchange for his life. The offer was refused. That claim,
made by a desperate man with a noose around his neck, launched centuries of searching. The Dying
Sailor and the Origin of the Legend The connection between Kidd and Oak Island begins with a story
first recorded in print in 1863 by the Liverpool Transcript, though it had been circulating orally
among Nova Scotia settlers for decades before that. According to the tradition, a dying sailor from
Kidd's crew confessed that treasure worth two million pounds had been buried on an island "east of
Boston." The tale was vague enough to apply to dozens of islands along the Atlantic coast, but
specific enough to capture the imagination of anyone who lived near one. When Daniel McGinnis found
a circular depression beneath an old oak tree on Oak Island in 1795, with what was described as a
ship's tackle block hanging from one of the branches, it was the Kidd legend he thought of first.
That assumption shaped everything that followed. The Onslow Company, the Truro Company, and every
early expedition dug with pirates in mind. The Money Pit was, from its very first excavation,
understood as a pirate vault. Whether or not Kidd had anything to do with Oak Island, his name was
the reason people started digging there, and the reason they never stopped. The Kidd-Palmer Maps In
1929, a retired English lawyer and collector of pirate relics named Hubert Palmer purchased a heavy
oak bureau bearing the inscription "Captain William Kidd, Adventure Galley 1669." When a runner
supporting the lid broke off, Palmer noticed the barely legible words "William Kidd, his chest"
carved on it. The runner was hollow, sealed with wax stamped with an anchor. Inside was a brass tube
containing a scrap of yellowed parchment depicting an unnamed island, marked with an X, the words
"China Sea," and the initials "W.K. 1669." Over the following years, Palmer tracked down three more
pieces of 17th century furniture said to have belonged to Kidd: two sea chests and a small workbox
inscribed "William and Sarah Kidd, their box," found in Jersey in the Channel Islands. Each
contained a hidden compartment, and each compartment held a hand-drawn map depicting what appeared
to be the same island, with increasing levels of detail. The third map showed hills, a lagoon,
reefs, four conspicuous dots, and a cross connected by a red zigzag line. It included a compass
bearing and cryptic wording believed to be directions for recovering the treasure. The fourth was
found beneath the beading of the workbox. After Palmer's death in 1949, the maps passed to his
housekeeper, Elizabeth Dick, who took them to the British Museum. Map expert R.A. Skelton examined
all four charts and expressed the opinion that they were genuine 17th century documents. Dick sold
the maps around 1950 to an Englishman who later moved to Canada. Their current whereabouts are
unknown. Many have noted that the island depicted in the Palmer charts bears a resemblance to both
Gardiners Island and Oak Island, though others have argued the shape corresponds more closely to
Juan Fernandez Island off the coast of Chile. The "China Sea" inscription, if taken at face value,
points to none of these locations. Sceptics regard the maps as elaborate forgeries. Supporters argue
that "China Sea" was a deliberate misdirection, a common pirate tactic to protect the real location
of a cache. Wilkins, Hedden, and the Impossible Coincidence The maps gained unexpected prominence
through a chain of events so improbable that it borders on farce. In 1935, British journalist Harold
T. Wilkins published "Captain Kidd and His Skeleton Island," a historical fiction book about pirates
and buried treasure. Palmer had refused to let Wilkins reproduce photographs of the Kidd charts, so
Wilkins drew his own map from memory, inventing the treasure-hunting directions at his publisher's
insistence. Two years later, R.V. Harris, a Halifax lawyer working for Oak Island treasure trove
licence holder Frederick Blair, discovered the map in Wilkins' book. He noticed that it bore a
striking resemblance to Oak Island. Harris identified fourteen correspondences between the fictional
map and the real geography of the island, and only one minor discrepancy. The lagoon matched the
swamp. The elevations matched the hills. The cross fell on the location of the Money Pit. Gilbert
Hedden, a wealthy New Jersey businessman who had purchased the treasure trove licence, was
electrified by the discovery. He had already found a triangle of beach stones on Oak Island laid out
in the shape of a rough sextant, pointing toward the Money Pit. The distances between landmarks on
the island corresponded with the directions on Wilkins' map when measured in old English rods.
Hedden travelled to London in December 1937 to meet the author. The meeting was strange. Wilkins
confessed that the map was entirely his own fabrication. But as Hedden described the drilled stones,
the stone triangle, the Cave-in Pit, and the peculiar alignments on Oak Island, Wilkins became
convinced he was the reincarnation of a 17th century pirate, possibly Kidd himself, and that his
subconscious mind had conjured genuine instructions from some forgotten past life. Hedden walked
away thinking Wilkins was, in his own words, "every bit as crazy as his book would make him seem."
The coincidences between Wilkins' imaginary map and the real geography of Oak Island have never been
satisfactorily explained. The William Kidd map, as drawn by Wilkins for his book. Henry Every and
the Communal Bank A more ambitious version of the pirate theory places Kidd not as a lone depositor
but as a partner in a larger operation. Henry Every, known as the "King of Pirates," pulled off what
has been called the most profitable act of piracy in history when he seized the Mughal ship
Ganj-i-Sawai in 1695, capturing a fortune estimated at several hundred thousand pounds in gold,
silver, and jewels. Every vanished completely after the raid, and neither his treasure nor his body
was ever recovered. According to a tradition that appears in the earliest accounts of the Oak Island
mystery, Kidd and Every used the island as a communal bank, hiding their combined riches in a shared
vault. The theory gained new life in 2014, when historian and metal detectorist Jim Bailey unearthed
a 17th century Yemeni coin at a pick-your-own orchard in Middletown, Rhode Island. The coin was
minted in 1693, consistent with the type of currency seized from the Ganj-i-Sawai. Further Yemeni
coins turned up at sites across Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Testimony from captured members of
Every's crew confirmed that at least one of their ships sailed from the Bahamas through Virginia and
New England before crossing to Ireland, placing Every's men in American colonial waters in 1696. The
coin finds prove that Every's crew passed through New England. They do not prove a connection to
Nova Scotia, and no physical evidence on Oak Island has been directly linked to Every. But the
geographical and chronological overlap between the two pirates remains one of the more compelling
threads in the pirate tradition. Every had the treasure. Kidd had the confirmed habit of burying it.
Oak Island sat between their known operating grounds. Evidence on the Island Several finds on Oak
Island fall within the window of pirate activity. During Season 5 of The Curse of Oak Island, metal
detection expert Gary Drayton recovered two 17th century English coins from the island's surface.
The presence of contemporaneous British coins alongside the 17th century Spanish coin previously
found in the Oak Island swamp was considered consistent with pirate operations, since pirate crews
routinely handled currency from multiple nations. An earlier discovery adds an intriguing detail.
During William Chappell's excavation in 1931, artefacts recovered at 127 feet included an axe, a
fluke anchor, and a pick identified as a Cornish miner's pick. If authentic to the original deposit
(rather than debris from prior search attempts), a Cornish miner's pick suggests the involvement of
experienced tunnellers. Some proponents of the pirate theory have noted that Every was known to have
recruited west countrymen, many of whom would have had experience working in the tin mines of
Cornwall. Carbon dating of wood and other materials from the Money Pit has returned dates ranging
from the early 1600s to the mid-1700s, a window that encompasses the careers of Kidd, Every,
Blackbeard, and dozens of other pirates operating in Atlantic waters. The Case Against The strongest
argument against Kidd as the builder of the Money Pit is one of scale. The shaft, with its precisely
layered oak platforms every ten feet, its fills of charcoal, putty, and coconut fibre, and its
apparent flood tunnel system connected to Smith's Cove, represents a major engineering project
requiring significant manpower, technical knowledge, and time. Pirates were sailors and fighters,
not civil engineers. They lived hard, spent freely, and rarely stayed in one place long enough to
undertake anything approaching this level of construction. Then there is the problem of secrecy. A
project of this size would have required dozens of workers, possibly more. Pirates were not known
for keeping secrets. They drank, they moved between crews, and they talked. Beyond the dying sailor
legend, no confession, no rumour, and no drunken boast connecting a specific pirate crew to Oak
Island has ever surfaced in the historical record. Kidd's documented treasure, recovered from
Gardiners Island, was buried in a shallow pit on an open beach. It required no engineering, no flood
tunnels, and no imported materials. It was the act of a man in a hurry, not the work of a
construction crew. Whether Kidd had a second, larger cache hidden elsewhere remains possible but
unproven. What is certain is that his name, more than any other, is the reason Oak Island became a
treasure island in the first place.

### Peter Easton, the Pirate Admiral
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/peter-easton-the-pirate-admiral

Peter Easton was born around 1570 in England, likely into a family of some social standing. By 1602
he held a letter of marque from Queen Elizabeth I, authorising him to protect the English fishing
fleet off Newfoundland, then the busiest and richest fishery in the world, drawing hundreds of ships
from England, France, Portugal, and the Basque country each season. Under his commission, Easton
could press local fishermen into service and attack enemy vessels at will, particularly the Spanish.
Marty Lagina has called Easton "a breed apart, an outlier" from the other pirates whose names have
been connected to Oak Island, and the most likely pirate to have deposited treasure there. From
Privateer to Pirate When James I came to the throne in 1603 and sued for peace with Spain, all
privateering commissions were cancelled. Easton ignored the order and kept raiding. By 1610 he
commanded a fleet of around 40 vessels stationed at the mouth of the River Avon, blockading the
Bristol Channel and forcing merchants to pay protection fees to pass. The Lord Admiral, the Earl of
Nottingham, dispatched a young captain named Henry Mainwaring to capture him. Mainwaring failed, and
would himself turn to piracy not long after. The Newfoundland Kingdom Tipped off about the naval
pursuit, Easton took his ten best ships and sailed for Newfoundland, arriving at Harbour Grace on
Conception Bay in 1612. He built a fort, established his headquarters, and set about turning the
colony into his personal base. He plundered 30 English vessels in the harbour of St. John's and
raided French and Portuguese ships at Ferryland. His crews demanded tributes from fishing vessels on
the Grand Banks. The total damage inflicted on the fishing fleets was estimated at over 20,000
pounds. The scale of Easton's operation set him apart from every pirate who followed. He recruited
aggressively, taking as many as 1,500 fishermen from the Newfoundland coast, some voluntarily,
others by force. He fortified Harbour Grace, Kelly's Island on the far shore of Conception Bay, and
Oderin Island in Placentia Bay. He dined with Sir Richard Whitbourne, the vice admiral at St.
John's, aboard his 350-ton flagship Happy Adventure, holding him for eleven weeks while attempting
to recruit him. The Dictionary of Canadian Biography records that Easton "controlled such seapower
that no sovereign or state could afford to ignore him and he was never overtaken or captured by any
fleet commissioned to hunt him down." In 1612, while Easton was away on a Caribbean voyage, French
Basque pirates captured his fort at Harbour Grace. When his fleet returned and entered Conception
Bay, the Basques sailed out to intercept him. Easton defeated the Basque force, destroying their
flagship and recapturing the fort. Forty-seven of his men died in the battle and are believed to be
buried near Bear Cove at the mouth of Harbour Grace, where a mass grave consistent with the early
17th century was uncovered during construction work near the site of Easton's fort. Spanish Silver
Easton's ambitions extended well beyond Newfoundland. While awaiting a royal pardon that never
arrived, he led 14 ships and 500 men to the Azores, where he intercepted the Spanish silver fleet
returning from West Indies mines. He captured the convoy and sailed the prize ships to Tunisia,
where the Bey of Tunis welcomed him for the better part of a year. He also raided in the Caribbean,
reportedly attacking El Morro Castle in Puerto Rico, though some historians regard this episode as
embellished. Contemporary sources estimated his accumulated wealth at two million pounds in gold.
The Marquis of Savoy A royal pardon had been issued by James I in February 1612, but through
bureaucratic delays and Easton's constant movement, it never reached him. A second pardon was
granted and again failed to arrive. By March 1613, Easton sailed to Villefranche in the Duchy of
Savoy, a free port that served as a haven for pirates on the Mediterranean coast. The cash-strapped
Duke of Savoy, hearing of Easton's wealth, welcomed him warmly. Easton bought a palace, set up a
warehouse for his plunder, married a wealthy noblewoman, and was granted the title Marquis of Savoy.
He is one of the very few pirates in history who retired rich, unpunished, and in comfort. Unlike
Kidd, who was hanged, or Blackbeard, who was killed in battle, Easton spent his final years as a
nobleman on the French Riviera. He remained in the Duke's service until around 1620, when he
disappears from the historical record. His treasure, or whatever remained of it, was never seized,
never recovered at trial, and never accounted for. [article:blackbeard-the-devil-s-bargain] The Oak
Island Connection Easton's candidacy for Oak Island rests on capability. The Money Pit's
construction required dozens if not hundreds of workers, and Easton commanded fleets of 40 ships
while recruiting over a thousand men from Newfoundland alone. He was a former naval officer who held
a royal commission, an expert tactician and navigator who built and maintained fortifications at
multiple locations. His crews included men pressed from fishing fleets and merchant vessels:
sailors, carpenters, and tradesmen with practical construction skills.  Easton operated from
Newfoundland between roughly 1611 and 1614, placing him in Canadian Atlantic waters for an extended
period. Nova Scotia lies directly between Newfoundland and the Caribbean routes he frequented. No
document places Easton in Mahone Bay specifically, but his known operating range encompassed the
waters around it. Carbon dating of materials from the Money Pit has returned dates as early as the
1600s, and if the oldest construction on the island predates the Golden Age, Easton fits the window.
His estimated two million pounds in gold is a contemporary figure that may not account for
everything he accumulated over a decade of raiding. Unlike Kidd, whose Gardiners Island deposit was
recovered and catalogued, or Blackbeard, whose ships were searched after his death, no inventory of
Easton's total wealth was ever taken. [article:captain-kidd-and-the-hidden-maps] The Oderin Island
Parallel Oderin Island, a small horseshoe-shaped island in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, was one of
Easton's known bases, fortified and visible to surveyors as late as 1713. On the north side of the
island sits a pond measuring roughly 35 metres by 20 metres. According to local tradition passed
down through generations of residents before the island was resettled in 1966, the bottom of the
pond is lined with oak planks at a depth of 18 feet. No oak trees grow in Newfoundland. The pond
sits below sea level, making it all but impossible to drain, and is said to connect to the ocean
through an underwater channel. Marty Lagina and Matty Blake investigated Oderin for two episodes of
Beyond Oak Island in 2022 and 2023, bringing in diver Tony Sampson to search for sunken treasure
connected to Easton. The parallels to Oak Island are obvious: oak at depth where it does not belong,
water infiltration from the sea, and construction that defies easy explanation. Archaeologists have
raised questions about the connection, however. No historical document places Easton on Oderin,
which was in French-controlled territory at the time, and the oak-bottom pond has never been
excavated or scientifically examined. The story rests on oral tradition rather than archival
evidence. What Remains No artefact recovered from Oak Island has been directly attributed to Peter
Easton. No ship's log, crew manifest, or archival document places him in Mahone Bay. The connection
is circumstantial, built on capability rather than evidence. Easton had the ships, the men, the
engineering background, and the time in the right waters. He built fortifications on at least three
islands. He accumulated a fortune so large that a European duke offered him a title and a palace.
And unlike every other pirate whose name has been linked to Oak Island, he was never caught, never
searched, and never made to account for what he had taken.

### Francis Bacon's Secret Island
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/francis-bacon-s-secret-island

In the catalogue of Oak Island suspects, most are men of action: pirates, soldiers, monks with
swords. Sir Francis Bacon is something different entirely. He was a man of ideas, and arguably the
most dangerous kind: ideas so powerful they reshaped the world, and so carefully guarded that some
of them may still be hidden. Bacon was born on 22 January 1561 at York House on the Strand in
London, the youngest son of Sir Nicholas Bacon, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, and Lady Anne Cooke,
a woman of formidable learning who had translated religious works from Latin and Italian. From
childhood, Francis moved in the orbit of the Elizabethan court. Queen Elizabeth reportedly called
him "the young Lord Keeper" after being struck by the precociousness of his mind. He entered Trinity
College, Cambridge, at the age of twelve, alongside his elder brother Anthony, studying under Dr.
John Whitgift, the future Archbishop of Canterbury. At sixteen, Bacon was sent to France in the
retinue of the English Ambassador, Sir Amias Paulet. He spent nearly three years on the continent,
absorbing the intellectual currents of the age and, by his own account, devising a system of writing
in cipher during his time abroad. The sudden death of his father in 1579 recalled him to England at
nineteen, virtually destitute, inheriting only a fifth share of Sir Nicholas's personal estate. From
that point on, Bacon was under immediate pressure to earn a living, and he turned to the law. The
Rise and Fall of a Lord Chancellor His ascent was slow, his ambitions vast, and his patience
extraordinary. Bacon studied at Gray's Inn, was called to the bar, and entered Parliament in 1584.
He spent the next three decades navigating the treacherous currents of Elizabethan and Jacobean
politics, serving under both Elizabeth I and James I, accumulating offices and influence with the
relentlessness of a man who believed he had been placed on earth for a specific purpose. Under James
I, his career accelerated. He was appointed Solicitor General in 1607, Attorney General in 1613, and
Lord Keeper of the Great Seal in 1617. In 1618, he reached the summit: Lord Chancellor of England,
the highest legal officer in the kingdom, elevated to the peerage as Baron Verulam. In 1621, he was
created Viscount St Alban. Within weeks, he fell. Accused of accepting bribes from litigants, Bacon
was charged by Parliament, confessed, and was stripped of office, fined forty thousand pounds, and
briefly imprisoned in the Tower of London. He spent his remaining years in retirement, writing
furiously, producing some of his most important philosophical and scientific works before dying on 9
April 1626. The official account states he caught a chill while experimenting with the preservation
of meat by stuffing a chicken with snow, an experiment in refrigeration that killed the
experimenter. He was sixty-five. The Father of the Scientific Method Bacon's political career,
remarkable as it was, was not what made him immortal. That distinction belongs to his philosophy. In
Novum Organum, published in 1620, he laid out a systematic method for investigating nature through
observation, experimentation, and inductive reasoning. He rejected the ancient reliance on received
authority and argued that knowledge should be built from the ground up, through careful experiment.
The Royal Society, founded in 1660, traced its intellectual lineage directly to Bacon's vision. He
is widely credited as the father of the scientific method, and his influence on the Enlightenment
was profound. But Bacon's intellectual ambitions extended far beyond what he published openly. He
was deeply interested in ancient mysteries and allegories, in hidden knowledge and concealed
meaning. In the preface to The Wisdom of the Ancients, he wrote that "under some of the ancient
fictions lay couched certain mysteries, even from their first invention." He was fascinated by codes
and ciphers, and his contributions to the field were not merely theoretical. They were practical,
ingenious, and centuries ahead of their time. The Master of Ciphers Bacon's most celebrated
invention in this field was the biliteral cipher, described in De Augmentis Scientiarum, the
expanded Latin edition of his Advancement of Learning. The system works by encoding a hidden message
within ordinary printed text using two slightly different typefaces, designated "a" and "b." The
differences between the typefaces are so subtle that a casual reader would never notice them. But to
someone who knew the system, every group of five letters spelled out a single letter of the
concealed message. It was, in essence, the world's first binary code, anticipating by three
centuries the principles that would underpin modern computing. The biliteral cipher was not a toy.
It was a tool of extraordinary sophistication, designed by a man who understood that the most
effective way to hide a secret was not to lock it away but to place it in plain sight, embedded
within something so widely distributed that no one would think to look for it. Elizabeth Wells
Gallup, a schoolteacher from Michigan, spent decades in the late nineteenth and early twentieth
centuries analyzing early printed editions of works attributed to both Bacon and Shakespeare. She
claimed to have found biliteral messages running through them, messages that, if genuine, would
confirm Bacon's authorship of the Shakespeare plays and reveal details of his true parentage and
hidden purpose. Her work was controversial, and mainstream scholars dismissed it. But she was not
the last to search, and the questions she raised have never been conclusively answered. The New
Atlantis In 1627, a year after Bacon's death, his unfinished utopian novel The New Atlantis was
published posthumously, bound together with Sylva Sylvarum, his great natural history. The novel
described an ideal society called Bensalem, governed by a secretive order of scholars known as
Salomon's House, dedicated to the study of nature and the accumulation of knowledge for the benefit
of mankind. The society operated in secrecy, sending agents abroad to gather information while
keeping its own island hidden from the rest of the world. The title page of The New Atlantis
depicted Father Time bringing a female figure out of the darkness of a cave, accompanied by an
inscription that has haunted Baconian researchers ever since: "In time the secret truth shall be
revealed." For Baconians, this was not allegory. The New Atlantis described an island in the
Atlantic, hidden from the known world, governed by a secretive intellectual brotherhood with access
to extraordinary knowledge. They saw in it a blueprint, or perhaps a confession. Bacon's protege
Thomas Bushell took the connection further still. In 1659, Bushell published a new edition of The
New Atlantis alongside his own mining tracts, explicitly linking Bacon's fictional vision to
real-world engineering projects. It was Bushell who would prove to have the practical skills that
Bacon's grander ambitions required. Thomas Bushell: The Engineer Thomas Bushell was born around 1593
in Cleeve Prior, Worcestershire. At the age of fifteen, he entered the service of Sir Francis Bacon,
eventually becoming his seal-bearer and secretary. When Bacon was elevated to Lord Chancellor,
Bushell accompanied him to court. According to Bushell's own account, Bacon personally instructed
him in mineralogy and the practical science of mining, imparting to him, as Bushell later wrote,
"many secrets in discovering and extracting minerals." After Bacon's disgrace and death, Bushell
retreated from public life. He adopted an ascetic vegetarian diet, lived disguised as a fisherman on
the Isle of Wight, and then spent three years in solitary exile in a stone hut on the Calf of Man, a
tiny islet off the southern tip of the Isle of Man. He described his retreat as a period of penance
brought on by the collapse of his mining ambitions following his master's fall. When Bushell
re-emerged, he applied what Bacon had taught him. In 1637, he secured a grant to work the Royal
silver and lead mines of Cardiganshire in Wales, which had been reported as inundated and abandoned.
Using what he described as Bacon's own methods, including techniques for driving horizontal adits
through hillsides and conveying air into deep workings using pipes and bellows, Bushell recovered
several flooded mines and opened new branches from old ones. He employed Cornish miners, the most
skilled underground workers in England, and established a Royal Mint at Aberystwyth Castle, where he
struck silver coins bearing the Prince of Wales feathers. He raised a regiment from among his miners
to fight for Charles I, clothed the king's army, and supplied forty thousand pounds from his own
mineral proceeds to the Royalist cause. The relevance to Oak Island is not subtle. Bushell was a man
trained personally by Francis Bacon in mineralogy and underground engineering. He demonstrably
recovered flooded mines. He commanded a workforce of experienced Cornish miners. He operated on
remote islands, including Lundy, which he defended as the last Royalist stronghold to surrender in
the English Civil War. And he did all of this within the lifetime of men who could, theoretically,
have carried out the construction of the Money Pit and its flood tunnel system. Bushell's own
published tracts describe Bacon's method for "searching for metals by making adits through the
lowest level of hills or mountains," a description that could serve as a summary of the engineering
beneath Oak Island. Bushell died in 1674 and was buried in the cloisters of Westminster Abbey. The
Seawater Passage Bacon's Sylva Sylvarum, the natural history published alongside The New Atlantis in
1627, contains a passage that has arrested the attention of every serious Oak Island researcher who
has encountered it. In it, Bacon describes a method of obtaining fresh water by digging a pit on a
seashore: "Dig a pit upon the sea-shore, somewhat above the high-water mark, and sink it as deep as
the low-water mark; and as the tide cometh in, it will fill with water, fresh and potable." For
anyone familiar with the Oak Island story, the passage is extraordinary. It describes, in practical
terms, the very mechanism that has tormented treasure hunters for over two centuries: a pit near the
shore that fills with water according to the tide. The passage appears in a work published the year
after Bacon's death, but Sylva Sylvarum was compiled from notes and experiments Bacon had been
conducting for decades. Investigative journalist Randall Sullivan, who spent four weeks in Nova
Scotia's archives researching the Oak Island mystery, cited this passage during a War Room
presentation in Season 6 as one of the strongest pieces of circumstantial evidence connecting Bacon
to the island. Mercury and the Preservation of Documents The same Sylva Sylvarum contains another
passage of direct relevance: a detailed description of how objects can be preserved by immersion in
mercury. Bacon discussed the properties of quicksilver as a preservative, noting its ability to
exclude air and prevent the decay of organic materials, including paper and parchment. Mercury has a
long and documented history on Oak Island. Gilbert Hedden, who excavated the Money Pit area in the
1930s, recovered ancient flasks with traces of mercury on the island's north side. In 1936, he found
pottery at a dump site on Lot 12 that also bore traces of mercury. Decades later, geoscientist Dr.
Ian Spooner found elevated levels of lead and mercury at the base of core samples taken from the Eye
of the Swamp, an anomalous finding he attributed to significant historic human activity. And in
Season 7, laser ablation testing of a lead artifact found near the Money Pit by Rick Lagina and Gary
Drayton revealed unusually high mercury and tin content. Because mercury is too volatile to survive
the smelting process, geochemist Dr. Chris McFarlane of the University of New Brunswick concluded it
must have been introduced by a separate, deliberate process. The theory that Bacon arranged for the
preservation of important documents in sealed mercury containers, then buried them beneath Oak
Island, was first proposed in book form by Penn Leary in 1953, in The Oak Island Enigma. Leary's was
the first published work to connect Bacon specifically to the Money Pit, and his argument rested on
the convergence of Bacon's published preservation methods with the physical evidence from the
island. More than seventy years later, the mercury keeps turning up. The Newfoundland Connection In
1610, King James I granted Bacon land in Newfoundland as part of the colonization of the New World.
The grant gave Bacon a direct, documented, legal connection to British North America, and
specifically to the Atlantic provinces, at exactly the period when Bacon was at the height of his
power and influence. It was the same year his mother died. It was the year Galileo's telescopic
discoveries became known in England. And it was the decade in which, according to carbon dating of
timbers recovered from the Money Pit area, significant construction activity was taking place on Oak
Island. A wood sample recovered from borehole FG-12 at 106 feet in the Money Pit area was carbon
dated to as early as 1626, the year of Bacon's death. The sample was found just 25 feet from the H-8
shaft that had previously yielded pottery, parchment, leather bookbinding material, and 17th-century
human bones. Craig Tester, reviewing the season's findings in the War Room, observed two distinct
periods of intense activity on Oak Island: the 1100s through 1400s, consistent with Templar
theories, and the 1600s, consistent with Rosicrucian and Francis Bacon theories. The Rosicrucian
Thread Bacon's role in the Rosicrucian movement remains one of the most debated questions in
intellectual history. In 1614, the year after Bacon was appointed Attorney General, the Fama
Fraternitatis appeared in print, the founding document of Rosicrucianism. It described a secret
brotherhood founded by a traveller named Christian Rosenkreutz, who had been buried in 1484 in a
hidden heptagonal tomb inscribed with the words: "I shall open after 120 years." The Fama's authors
claimed to have found this tomb in 1604, the same year Bacon was appointed King's Counsel. Whether
Bacon wrote or inspired the Rosicrucian manifestos has been argued for centuries. What is not in
dispute is that he moved in the same intellectual circles, shared the same philosophical commitments
to hidden knowledge and the reformation of learning, and that his New Atlantis, with its secretive
scholarly brotherhood on a remote island, reads like a dramatization of the Rosicrucian programme.
His friend Ben Jonson wrote of Bacon on his sixtieth birthday in terms that suggest something more
than ordinary admiration. His intimate friend Sir Toby Matthew wrote: "It is not his greatness that
I admire, but his virtue." The Rosicrucian connection to Oak Island is explored in its own article
on this site. But it begins with Bacon. The Shugborough Link One final thread connects Bacon to the
wider web of Oak Island mysteries. Shugborough Hall in Staffordshire, ancestral home of the Anson
family, contains in its grounds a monument known as the Shepherd's Monument, a carved relief
depicting a reversed copy of Nicolas Poussin's painting Et in Arcadia Ego. Below the carving runs an
inscription that has defied decipherment for over 250 years: O.U.O.S.V.A.V.V., flanked by the
letters D and M. [article:nicolas-poussin-keeper-of-secrets] The Anson family's founder, William
Anson, was a successful lawyer and a contemporary of Francis Bacon during the period of Bacon's
political ascendancy. Bacon's legal background links him directly to the Anson circle, and through
the Ansons to the Shepherd's Monument, to Poussin, and to the entire chain of mysteries connecting
Rennes-le-Château, the Arcadian Treasure, and the Oak Island Money Pit. Admiral George Anson,
a later descendant, returned fabulously wealthy from his round-the-world voyage in the 1740s and
served on the Board of Admiralty during the capture of Havana in 1762, another event with its own
Oak Island theory. [article:the-sack-of-havana] Whether Bacon knew of Oak Island, helped design its
underground works, or arranged for something to be buried there may never be proven by a document
bearing his signature. But the circumstantial architecture is formidable. He had the intellect to
design such a system. He had a protege with the mining skills to build it. He had access to land in
the New World. He had a method for preserving documents underground. He described the very
engineering principles that define the Money Pit. And he spent his entire life constructing
elaborate systems for hiding the truth in plain sight. The evidence beneath Oak Island includes
parchment, leather bookbinding, and traces of mercury, exactly the materials his theory predicts.
The carbon dates from the Money Pit fall within his lifetime. And the man who knew him best, Thomas
Bushell, spent the rest of his life recovering flooded mines with Cornish miners and publishing his
master's methods for the world to read. Francis Bacon claimed to have "taken all knowledge to be his
province." If the Money Pit was his final experiment, it remains, four centuries later, his most
successful act of concealment.

### William Shakespeare, the Lost Works
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/william-shakespeare-the-lost-works

The idea that Shakespeare's works contain a hidden treasure map sounds, on first hearing, like the
premise of a thriller novel. But three independent researchers, working from different source
materials and using different methods, have each arrived at the same destination: Oak Island, Nova
Scotia. Their work spans decades, crosses continents, and draws on steganography, gematria,
Kabbalistic geometry, and close reading of 17th-century typography. The fact that drilling beneath
the island has since produced parchment, leather bookbinding, and traces of mercury does not prove
them right. But it makes them very difficult to ignore. The Authorship Question The theory that
Francis Bacon wrote the works attributed to William Shakespeare was first proposed publicly by
American scholar Delia Bacon (no relation) in 1857, in her book The Philosophy of the Plays of
Shakspere Unfolded. Delia Bacon argued that the plays contained a hidden political philosophy too
sophisticated to have come from the son of an illiterate glove-maker in Stratford-upon-Avon. She
believed they were the work of a group of Elizabethan intellectuals led by Bacon and Sir Walter
Raleigh, writing under cover of Shakespeare's name to avoid political persecution. The theory gained
extraordinary traction. By 1886, the Francis Bacon Society had been founded in England. By the early
twentieth century, the authorship debate had drawn supporters including Mark Twain and Sigmund
Freud, and spawned a cottage industry of cipher-hunters who claimed to find Bacon's name concealed
in the text of the plays. The academic establishment has never accepted the theory. The mainstream
position remains that William Shakespeare of Stratford wrote his own plays. But for the researchers
who followed, the authorship question was never primarily about literary credit. It was about what
the ciphers pointed to. And for a growing number of them, the ciphers point to Oak Island.
[article:francis-bacon-s-secret-island] Petter Amundsen and the First Folio Map The modern
connection between Shakespeare's works and Oak Island begins with a Norwegian church organist named
Petter Amundsen. A Freemason and practitioner of steganography (the art of concealing messages
within other content), Amundsen has spent over two decades decrypting what he believes are hidden
ciphers in early editions of Shakespeare's works and those of Francis Bacon. Amundsen's central
claim is extraordinary: that Shakespeare's First Folio, published in 1623, functions as a treasure
map. Through a series of decryptions involving seemingly random capitalisation, deliberate
misspellings, out-of-sequence page numbering, and geometric patterns derived from the text, Amundsen
identified what he calls the "Tree of Life" on Oak Island, a Kabbalistic symbol whose ten points, or
sephiroth, correspond to physical locations on the island. The decryption begins with the Folio's
preliminary pages. Ben Jonson's dedicatory poem, "To the Reader," contains irregularities that
Amundsen reads as coded instructions. These lead to specific pages within the Folio where further
markers appear: the word "TWO" capitalised where grammar does not require it, the unusual spelling
"BOWTHS," and numerical patterns that yield coordinates when processed through gematria, the ancient
practice of assigning numerical values to letters. From these markers, Amundsen extracted references
to the constellations Bootes and Cygnus (the Swan, also known in Masonic tradition as "the Lighted
Cross"). Working with the star Albireo at the base of Cygnus and the star Deneb at its apex,
Amundsen projected celestial coordinates onto the terrestrial globe. The projection placed Deneb's
position in the North Atlantic, and when corrected for the precession of the equinoxes using the
date of the Folio's publication, the longitude aligned with the coast of Nova Scotia. The latitude,
Amundsen argues, was encoded separately. Using a Pythagorean 3-4-5 triangle derived from the
geometry of the Folio's page layout and a reference to Euclid's Proposition I:47 (itself encoded in
the Rosicrucian manifesto Fama Fraternitatis), he calculated a latitude that falls on Oak Island.
Amundsen then turned to Nolan's Cross, the formation of massive boulders discovered by surveyor Fred
Nolan in the 1960s and 1970s. Five granite stones, each weighing between ten and fifteen tons and
set on edge, form what Nolan believed was a simple cross. Amundsen recognised it as something else:
five of the ten sephiroth on the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, specifically points 1, 2, 3, 6, and 9.
The remaining five points, he proposed, had yet to be identified or searched. Working from Mark
Finnan's published measurements of the cross, Amundsen calculated the proportions. The ratio of
height to width in the full Tree of Life pattern is 5:8, with a total height of 1,152 feet and a
width of 720 feet. The basic unit of measurement is 144 feet, a number that equals six days measured
in hours. Amundsen connected this to Bacon's New Atlantis, where the island society's governing
institution is called Salomon's House, or "The College of Six Days' Work." Amundsen visited Oak
Island in 2003 and excavated two sites related to his theory. Rolling Stone magazine featured his
work in January 2004. A four-episode Norwegian television series followed in 2009, and in 2014 he
presented his findings to Rick and Marty Lagina in the first season of The Curse of Oak Island. He
has since published multiple books, including Oak Island and the Treasure Map in Shakespeare and The
Seven Steps to Mercy, written with Norwegian author Erlend Loe, whose Expedition Shakespeare
documented the research in detail. For Amundsen, what lies buried beneath Oak Island is nothing less
than the original Shakespeare manuscripts, preserved in quicksilver, and possibly the lost menorah
from the Temple of Jerusalem. He named the focal point of his Tree of Life geometry "Mercy Point."
Jake Roberts and the Holy Trinity Decryption While Amundsen worked from the printed pages of the
First Folio, another researcher approached the mystery from a different starting point entirely: a
plaque on a wall in Stratford-upon-Avon. Jake Roberts is a veteran high school English teacher from
Potsdam, New York, who has spent more than 30 years researching symbolism and secret societies.
During the COVID-19 lockdown, friends researching for The Curse of Oak Island suggested he examine
the plaque adorning Shakespeare's Funerary Monument in Holy Trinity Church. What Roberts found
changed the direction of his work. Using transposition cipher techniques, Roberts decrypted what he
believes are multiple messages hidden within the monument's inscription by Francis Bacon himself.
The messages, according to Roberts, confirm that Bacon wrote the works attributed to Shakespeare,
identify Bacon's true parentage (claiming him as the son of Mary, Queen of Scots), and contain
directions to Oak Island, Nova Scotia. Roberts arrived at the same island as Amundsen, using a
completely different source text and a different decryption method. Where Amundsen worked with
steganography and celestial projection, Roberts worked with letter transposition and substitution.
The convergence of their results is, at minimum, striking. John Edwards and the Tree of Life on the
Ground If Amundsen identified the Tree of Life in the pages of Shakespeare and Roberts found
directions in the walls of a church, researcher John Edwards took the theory into the field. Edwards
has spent over 30 years studying Templar-era symbols, Masonic codes, and the iconography of early
Freemasonry in Nova Scotia. He appeared in the War Room during Season 11 of The Curse of Oak Island
with a striking proposal. He had been studying two rare books from the 18th and 19th centuries
connected to Daniel Dyson and John Easson, two of the first Freemasons in Nova Scotia. Within those
books, Edwards found what he believed to be hand-drawn references to Oak Island, including what
appeared to be a map of the island with its lots marked out, and a sketch he interpreted as the Ark
of the Covenant. [article:early-freemasons] Edwards then turned his attention to Nolan's Cross.
Working with surveyor Steve Guptill, he took precise measurements of the cross and found that the
key distances (144 feet, 720 feet, 864 feet) were all divisible by 72. Edwards proposed that this
number was the key to identifying who built the cross: the Latin Rule of the Knights Templar,
written by Bernard de Clairvaux and Hugues de Payens, contained exactly 72 clauses. He suggested
three specific locations along the main axis of Nolan's Cross where treasure might be buried,
corresponding to points on the Tree of Life that had not yet been searched: Da'ath, Tiferet, and
Yesod. At the Tiferet location, the team subsequently found a large boulder sitting atop a formation
that Dr. Ian Spooner confirmed was manmade. Beneath it, they recovered cut wood, chopped timbers,
and a rock-lined depression with deliberate one-over-two and two-over-one stone construction. Stakes
similar to those Fred Nolan had found and dated to the 1500s were also present. Edwards returned in
a later season with researcher Scott Clarke, presenting further decoded material from the same
books. The decoded names included John Easson, a Freemason at the lodge in Annapolis Royal, the
oldest in Canada, established in 1605 and home to the first Masonic fraternal organisation in 1738.
The lodge met at the Sinclair Inn, which features painted murals depicting a Crusader or Templar
tent of the type used when holy artefacts were being transported. Edwards and Clark concluded that
the books documented a multigenerational endeavour linking Biblical treasures, the Knights Templar,
and Oak Island. [article:the-knights-templar] Daniel Ronnstam and the 90-Foot Stone Swedish
researcher and amateur cryptographer Daniel Ronnstam brought yet another piece to the puzzle. His
subject was the inscribed stone slab found at 90 feet in the Money Pit during the original
excavation in 1804, a stone whose symbols had famously been translated as "Forty feet below two
million pounds are buried." Building on earlier work by Dr. Ross Wilhelm, a former US military
cryptographer who in 1971 used a 16th-century cryptography manual to identify a second hidden
message in the stone's symbols, Ronnstam claimed to have corrected an error Wilhelm had made by
applying the English rather than Spanish alphabet. His translation read: "At eighty guide corn long
narrow sea inlet drain," followed by a lost letter he identified as F, for Francis Bacon. Ronnstam
argued the inscription was a dual cipher: one layer containing the known message about buried
treasure, and a second set of instructions for defeating the flood tunnels by pouring corn into
shafts at strategic points, where it would swell and block the flow of seawater. The theory depends
on the accuracy of the symbols attributed to the stone, which has been missing for nearly a century.
No photographs or rubbings were ever made, and all existing versions are copies from books or
drawings done from memory. The stone was displayed in the window of the Creighton and Marshall
bookbindery on Upper Water Street in Halifax in 1865, used to raise capital for treasure operations.
Captain Henry Bowdoin, accompanied by future US President Franklin Roosevelt, saw it there in 1909,
by which time its inscription had been worn away from use as a cutting board for leather book
jackets. The stone vanished around 1919. Ronnstam presented his theory in Season 1 of The Curse of
Oak Island, in the same episode that Petter Amundsen first presented his First Folio cipher. Two
researchers, two different source texts, two different methods, the same island. The Physical
Evidence If the cipher researchers provided the theory, the drilling has begun to provide something
resembling corroboration. The earliest physical evidence came in 1897, when treasure hunters William
Chappell and Frederick Blair drilled into what became known as the Chappell Vault at 153 feet. From
within a seven-foot wooden structure encased in a cement-like substance, they recovered a small ball
of fibrous material. When unrolled, it proved to be a fragment of parchment bearing the letters "V
I" or something very similar. Dr. Andrew Porter swore an affidavit to that effect on 6 September
1897. [artifact:parchment-scrap-h8] More than a century later, the drilling confirmed there was
something to find. In Season 5, material recovered from borehole H-8 in the Money Pit area was
examined at Saint Mary's University by Dr. Christa Brosseau and Dr. Xiang Yang. Under the scanning
electron microscope, a paper-like fragment revealed collagen fibres and traces of nitrogen,
identifying it as animal-skin parchment rather than plant-based paper. Parchment was historically
reserved for documents of high importance, and its presence 150 feet underground suggested
deliberate placement. A leather fragment from the same borehole proved even more significant. One
side was dimpled animal skin; the other showed bundled textile fibres spun together and bonded to
the leather, a construction consistent with bookbinding. Medieval bookbinding expert Joe Landry at
the Dawson Printshop in Halifax identified the material as genuine parchment and vegetable-tanned
calf leather consistent with books capable of surviving for 2,000 years. A purple-stained wood
fragment from the same spoils drew the strongest reaction. Landry compared the colour to Tyrian
purple, an ancient dye so costly it was restricted to church documents and royal decrees. He
suggested the staining could result from ecclesiastical leather bleeding into a book board, and
noted that the thickness was consistent with a book cover. [artifact:leather-book-binding-fragments]
In Season 6, Dr. Brosseau confirmed that another H-8 sample was cellulose-based cotton rag paper, an
older form of paper used in book production from as early as the 12th century. The discovery echoed
the 1897 parchment fragment and strengthened the case that bound documents had been deliberately
placed at depth. Under the digital microscope at the Oak Island Research Centre, Doug Crowell
identified red and yellow pigment on paper fragments from H-8 spoils. He noted the colouring
resembled the illuminated drop caps used in medieval manuscripts, where large decorative letters
marked the opening of chapters in religious texts. The Convergence The Baconian theory of Oak Island
has always been cryptographic rather than archaeological. Ciphers are slippery things. The same text
that yields a startling message to one decoder may yield nothing to another. Critics have long
argued that with sufficient ingenuity, hidden messages can be found in almost any text of sufficient
length. But the convergence of evidence is difficult to dismiss entirely. Amundsen, Roberts,
Edwards, and Ronnstam each started from different source material, used different methods, and
arrived at the same island. The 1623 date of the First Folio sits within the carbon dating window
for Oak Island's underground structures, including a wood sample from borehole FG-12 dated to as
early as 1626. Nolan's Cross, measured on the ground, produces the exact proportions of the
Kabbalistic Tree of Life, with a 5:8 ratio and a base unit of 144 feet that links directly to
Bacon's New Atlantis. And beneath one of its sephiroth points, the team found a manmade stone
feature with timbers dating to the 1500s. [artifact:nolan-s-cross-6-boulders] Most importantly, the
physical evidence from the Money Pit now includes parchment, leather bookbinding with Tyrian purple
staining, cotton rag paper with pigment traces, and a cement-encased vault at 153 feet. These are
not the contents of a pirate's chest. They are the components of a library.
[artifact:purple-stained-wood-fragment] Whether those pages were written in the hand of Francis
Bacon, or William Shakespeare, or someone else entirely, remains the question that Oak Island has
not yet answered. But the pages are there. The drilling has confirmed it. And the cipher
researchers, working independently from the surface of the text, keep pointing to the same
coordinates beneath the ground.

### Jean Richer, the Astronomer Sent to Acadia
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/jean-richer-the-astronomer-sent-to-acadia

Fouquet's Ship The Saint-Sebastian was built between 1658 and 1660 for one of the most powerful men
in France: Nicolas Fouquet, Superintendent of Finances to Louis XIV. Fouquet's fall from grace in
1661 is one of the great episodes in French court history. Accused of embezzlement and ambition that
rivalled the king's own, he was arrested, tried, and imprisoned for the rest of his life. Among his
many confiscated assets was the Saint-Sebastian, which passed into royal hands in 1663. The Fouquet
name carries particular weight in the Oak Island story. It was Fouquet's brother, the bishop Louis
Foucquet, who in 1656 wrote to him about a meeting with the painter Nicolas Poussin in Rome. In that
letter, he described a secret so significant that kings would go to great lengths to possess it, one
that Poussin had uncovered and that, according to Louis, perhaps no one else on earth would ever
recover. That letter, its implications for Poussin's painting The Shepherds of Arcadia, and Louis
XIV's subsequent obsession with acquiring the canvas are examined in detail in our article on the
Versailles Alignment. The confiscated ship that once belonged to the man at the centre of that
mystery is the same vessel that, seven years later, would carry a team of French scientists and
soldiers to the coast of Nova Scotia. The Voyage to Acadia In the spring of 1670, Colbert de Terron,
naval intendant at Rochefort and cousin to the Secretary of the Navy Jean-Baptiste Colbert, proposed
using Le Saint-Sébastien to transport the newly appointed Governor of Acadia, Grandfontaine,
across the Atlantic. The ship departed La Rochelle on the 1st of May 1670 under Captain Chadeau de
la Clocheterie. On board were Grandfontaine, fifty soldiers from his regiment, the Baron de
Saint-Castin, Pierre de Joybert, the Seigneur de Chambly, and Sébastien Le Bassier de
Villieu. Several of these passengers had originally embarked on the ship Saint-Charles, a vessel
bound for Quebec carrying over 300 soldiers and Jean Talon, the Intendant of New France. But the
Saint-Charles had been forced to detour to Lisbon after encountering severe weather, and sank off
the Portuguese coast in the final days of December 1669. The survivors were rerouted to Acadia
aboard Le Saint-Sebastian. Two additional passengers would prove central to the mission's scientific
purpose: Jean Richer, a junior astronomer attached to the French Royal Academy of Sciences
(l'Académie des Sciences), and his assistant Monsieur Meurisse. A third figure, listed as
Monsieur Deshayes, is probably Jean Deshayes, the royal cartographer, though this has never been
confirmed. The Longitude Mission Richer had been selected by the Académie to conduct
astronomical observations aimed at improving the calculation of longitude at sea, one of the most
urgent scientific problems of the age. He carried two large pendulum clocks designed by Christiaan
Huygens, the Dutch mathematician who was a senior member of the Académie. The clocks were
among the first of their kind to be tested on an ocean voyage. The assignment had originally placed
Richer on a ship bound for the East Indies, but the clocks arrived too late and Richer missed the
departure. De Terron proposed sending him to Acadia instead. A 1960 study by the American
Philosophical Society suggests that the late arrival of the clocks may have been a convenient
pretext. De Terron, eager to resolve the longitude question, saw the Atlantic crossing as more
favourable to his goals and wanted Richer paired with Deshayes, his own protégé. In a
letter to his cousin, de Terron wrote that it would be advantageous for the two men to travel
together, as they could serve as controllers for each other's work. Colbert, who did nothing without
royal authority, approved the reassignment and instructed them to produce maritime maps of the
voyage. The order to redirect a member of the Académie des Sciences to a different continent,
aboard a different ship, on a different mission, at short notice, carried the weight of the Crown.
Five Weeks in Acadia The Saint Sebastian spent approximately five weeks along the coast of Acadia
and New England before returning to France. The few dates that survive come not from any report of
the 1670 voyage itself, but from Richer's later published account of his expedition to Cayenne in
1672, where he referenced earlier Acadian observations for comparison. From these notes we know that
on the 16th of July 1670, Richer recorded tidal observations at Pescatoué, a port on the
coast of New England at a latitude of 43 degrees and 7 minutes. By the 6th of August he was at Fort
Pentagoûet in Acadia, where he noted the latitude as 44 degrees, 12 minutes, and 20 seconds,
and continued making observations through at least the 4th of August. After Pentagoûet, the
record goes silent. Le Saint-Sébastien returned to France around the 18th of August, give or
take two days. If the ship followed the standard return route, it would have sailed along the
eastern Acadian coast, passing through the waters of Mahone Bay. The Missing Records The most
striking feature of this voyage is what does not exist: a written account. Jean Richer produced no
known report of his five weeks in Acadia. Neither did Deshayes. This absence is difficult to
explain. Colbert explicitly demanded precise maritime maps from every French voyage, and both Richer
and Deshayes complied with this requirement on their other expeditions. Richer's published memoirs
of his later mission to Cayenne are detailed and methodical. The silence surrounding the Acadian
trip stands in contrast to every other voyage either man undertook. The clocks present a partial
explanation. Both pendulums broke early in the crossing due to a severe storm, rendering them
useless for the longitude calculations that were the expedition's stated purpose. Huygens, writing
in February 1671, was openly critical, attributing the failure to the carelessness of the observers
rather than any fault in the instruments. He speculated that the rough seas had overwhelmed Richer,
who was unaccustomed to such conditions, and noted that a small amount of lead ballast would have
been sufficient to keep the clocks running. Whether the broken clocks explain the absence of all
records, or whether other factors were at work, remains an open question.  What is certain is
that the state of the clocks didn't stop Richer from making observations. His precision was
exceptional by any standard of the age. His latitude reading at Pentagoûet, recorded in
degrees, minutes, and seconds, was the most accurate astronomical measurement yet made in the
Western Hemisphere, and his later work at Cayenne produced data that Newton himself cited in the
Principia as the first proof that gravity varies across the surface of the Earth. Talon and the
Colonial Enterprise While Richer was on the Acadian coast, Intendant Jean Talon was running an
industrial reconnaissance from Quebec: miners, blacksmiths, tar makers, forge masters, and
shipwrights, all deployed under royal authority. He reported iron and copper mines of excellent
quality, sent adventurers to discover unknown regions for the Crown, and had oak trees planted along
the St. Lawrence for future shipbuilding. New France in 1670 was a surveying operation, happening
within reach of Mahone Bay. None of this connects directly to Oak Island. But it establishes that
French colonial Acadia in 1670 was not a passive outpost. It was the site of active industrial
reconnaissance, mineral extraction, and shipbuilding, organized by officials who reported directly
to the Crown and who operated with a mandate to survey, exploit, and develop. The Académie
and the Science of Navigation No records of the Académie des Sciences survive for 1670, but
the minutes from 1669, the year before the voyage, offer a window into the institution's priorities.
Huygens, the designer of the clocks aboard the Saint-Sebastian, was conducting experiments using
cylinders to measure the force of water under pressure. The Académie was testing water
currents using an oak-wood parallelepiped attached to pulleys. Members were studying navigational
tools and reviewing a book titled The Art of Navigating with Numbers by M. Denis. The picture
that emerges is of an institution singularly focused on maritime science, hydrography, and the
practical challenges of ocean navigation, precisely the disciplines that would serve a
reconnaissance mission along an unfamiliar Atlantic coast. What Can and Cannot Be Established The
facts of the Saint-Sebastian voyage are documented in French naval and colonial archives: the ship,
its passengers, the scientific mandate, the departure date, and two confirmed positions along the
Acadian coast. What is not documented is everything that happened between Fort Pentagoûet in
early August and the ship's return to France roughly two weeks later. If the Saint-Sebastian
followed the standard route, it passed through the waters adjacent to Mahone Bay. Whether anyone on
board made observations there, or had reason to, cannot be established from the surviving record.
What can be said is this: a ship once belonging to the man at the centre of the Poussin-Fouquet
mystery carried a team of France's best scientific observers to Acadia on a mission approved at the
highest level of the French state, and those observers produced no account of what they found.
Richer would have been an excellent choice for a reconnaissance mission, a trained astronomer
capable of calculating precise coordinates for any location he visited. The five-week window on the
Acadian coast gave him ample time. But nothing in the archives confirms that such a mission took
place, and this article does not claim otherwise. The absence of evidence is not evidence of
absence, but neither is it proof of anything at all. It is simply a gap, one that sits uncomfortably
alongside every other gap in the early record of European activity near Oak Island. The story of
Jean Richer was published earlier in The Jerusalem Files, the secret journey of the Menorah to Oak
Island.

### The Knights Templar
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/the-knights-templar

The Knights Templar Of all the theories surrounding Oak Island, none has gained more traction than
the Templar connection. The medieval cross discovered on the island in 2017, dated to somewhere
between 900 and 1300 AD, matches crosses carved by imprisoned Templars at Domme, France in 1307.
This single artifact suggests a link between Oak Island and the most powerful military order of the
medieval world. The Knights Templar, or the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of
Solomon, were a military religious order founded in Jerusalem around 1119 AD. A small group of
knights led by Hugh de Payns, a nobleman from Champagne, pledged to protect Christian pilgrims on
the dangerous roads between the port of Jaffa and Jerusalem. King Baldwin II granted them quarters
in the al-Aqsa Mosque on Temple Mount, the former site of Solomon's Temple, and it was from this
location that they took their name. For the first decade they numbered fewer than twenty. Then, in
1129, Bernard of Clairvaux, the most influential churchman in Europe and an uncle to one of the
original nine knights, secured papal recognition for the order at the Council of Troyes. Bernard
wrote their Rule, championed their cause, and solved the theological problem that had troubled
Christendom: could a devout monk also be a warrior? His answer, laid out in In Praise of the
New Knighthood, was unequivocal. Holy killing was not a sin but a duty. The effect was immediate.
Donations of land, property, and wealth flooded in from across Europe. The King of Aragon bequeathed
a third of his entire kingdom to the order. By 1139, Pope Innocent II had issued the bull Omne
Datum Optimum, exempting the Templars from all taxes, freeing them from local authority, and placing
them under the direct protection of the Holy See alone. Within thirty years of their founding they
had become bankers, shipbuilders, landlords, and the administrators of thousands of properties
organized into nine provinces stretching from Portugal to the Levant. They maintained a fleet of
ships capable of crossing the Mediterranean, and historical records confirm they transported
priceless artifacts across vast distances by sea, including, in 1254, holy relics shipped from the
Crusader port of Acre to southern France aboard the vessel Montjoie. No organization in the medieval
world, apart from the Catholic Church itself, operated on this scale. Their downfall came swiftly.
On Friday, October 13, 1307, King Philip IV of France ordered the mass arrest of every Templar in
the country. But the order's leadership had advance warning. In June 1308, Templar Preceptor Jean de
Châlons testified before the Papal Inquisition at Poitiers that Brother Gérard de
Villiers, Master of France, had fled with fifty horses and put to sea with eighteen galleys. Another
brother, Hugues de Châlons, escaped with what the testimony describes as "the whole treasure"
of the order's Visitor General, Hugues de Pairaud." The treasure left Paris. The fleet sailed.
Neither was seen again. This is not folklore. It is recorded testimony, given under oath before
papal inquisitors, preserved in official church archives. There is a written record of the treasure
of the Knights Templar leaving Paris, what is missing is a record of where it went. The question of
whether that journey could have extended beyond Europe, across the Atlantic to Nova Scotia, is
explored in depth in the book The Jerusalem Files, which traces a documented path from ancient
Jerusalem through medieval Europe to the New World. Is there a scientific basis for a Templar
hypothesis? For over two centuries, the question surrounding Oak Island has been one of belief: do
you think something is buried there? That question is now outdated. The evidence no longer requires
belief. It requires explanation. Nine artifacts and structures on Oak Island return medieval dates
through independent scientific analysis. Two of those dates come from radiocarbon testing, the gold
standard of archaeological chronology, conducted by independent laboratories. The remaining seven
come from archaeoastronomy, metallurgical analysis, lead isotope testing, and typological
comparison. None were produced by the same researcher. None rely on the same analytical method. And
all of them point to the same two-hundred-year window: approximately 1100 to 1300 AD. This is not a
theory. It is a dataset. The Carbon-Dated Core The foundation of any historical argument is its
hardest evidence. On Oak Island, that means radiocarbon dating, carbon-14 analysis performed by
accredited laboratories under controlled conditions. Two artifacts have been subjected to this
process by independent facilities, and both return medieval dates.   Coconut Fibre: The Money
Pit Coconut fibre samples recovered from the Money Pit were analysed by both Beta Analytic and the
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Three separate samples returned calibrated 2-sigma ranges that
collectively span 1036 to 1374 AD. These are independent confirmations from two different
laboratories using different samples. The overlap between them places the Money Pit coconut fibre
squarely in the 11th to 14th centuries. Coconut fibre is not native to Nova Scotia. It is a tropical
material, and its presence on Oak Island requires an explanation that involves long-distance
maritime transport, centuries before any known European settlement in the region. The provenance is
clear: tropical, maritime, imported. The dates are unambiguous.   Stone Well: Lot 26 In Season
10, geoscientist Dr. Ian Spooner investigated a stone well on Lot 26, on the south side of Oak
Island. The well had first drawn attention years earlier when Rick Lagina noticed it remained
unfrozen during winter, an anomaly on an island where everything freezes. Dr. Spooner extracted a
wood sample from the base of the well and dated it to approximately 1220 AD. The water sample
returned elevated silver content, making the Lot 26 well one of the few locations outside the Money
Pit area where silver has been detected. Dr. Spooner noted that the well's construction was crude
and rough, consistent with significant age and distinct from the more refined stonework of 18th- and
19th-century Nova Scotian building traditions. The Supporting Evidence Beyond the carbon-dated core,
seven additional artifacts and structures return medieval dates through other analytical methods.
None of these alone would constitute proof. Together, they form a pattern that is increasingly
difficult to dismiss.   Nolan's Cross Five large boulders arranged in the shape of a Christian
cross, spanning 720 feet across the island's interior. The formation was first identified by Fred
Nolan after decades of surveying. Nolan's Cross is not a subtle feature. It is monumental.
Archaeoastronomer and astrophysicist Professor Adriano Gaspani analysed the alignment and dated the
placement of the boulders to approximately 1217 AD, with a working range of 1125 to 1275. The cross
is oriented to astronomical positions consistent with medieval navigational and religious practices.
A monumental stone cross is not a casual construction. It required planning, labour, surveying
knowledge, and critically, a reason. Whoever placed these boulders intended them to endure.  
Stone Cairns Professor Gaspani determined that a series of stone cairns distributed across the
island represent the Hyades star cluster and share the same dating window as Nolan's Cross:
approximately 1150 to 1275 AD. These appear to be deliberate constructions, stones gathered,
stacked, and placed at specific locations. Cairns serve as markers. In the medieval world, they were
used to indicate boundaries, paths, significant locations, and points of reference. Their
distribution across Oak Island suggests a systematic approach to marking the landscape, the kind of
thing you do when you intend to return.   Paved Area: The Swamp In the triangular swamp, the
team uncovered a stone-paved surface that was initially dismissed as Fred Nolan's coring platform.
Radiocarbon dating of wood recovered from beneath the paved surface returned a date of approximately
1200 AD, with a range of 1150 to 1250. A paved surface at water level, dating to the medieval
period, in what was once an open cove. The functional interpretation is straightforward: this is a
wharf or landing area, a place where boats were loaded or unloaded. The construction required
significant effort. Stone had to be selected, transported, and laid in a deliberate pattern.  
Crossbow Bolt A metal bolt recovered from the island has been typologically dated to the medieval
period, approximately 1200 to 1299 AD. Crossbow bolts of this type were standard military hardware
in 13th-century Europe. They were not manufactured in North America. They were not carried by the
Mi'kmaq. A crossbow bolt on Oak Island means someone from medieval Europe stood on this island
carrying a weapon.   Hand-Wrought Iron Spike: Lot 5 An iron spike recovered from Lot 5 was
subjected to metallurgical analysis by archaeometallurgist Emma Culligan, who dated it to 1100 to
1330 AD based on its forging characteristics. The iron is hand-wrought, produced by methods
consistent with medieval European blacksmithing traditions. Lot 5 has since produced additional iron
objects whose chemical composition has been compared to iron from the 17th-century home of privateer
William Phips in New England. But the spike predates Phips by three to four centuries. Whatever was
happening on Lot 5 was happening in the medieval period.   Lead Cross: Smith's Cove In 2017,
metal detectorist Gary Drayton discovered a small lead cross near Smith's Cove. Testing by
Tobias Skowronek of the German Mining Museum dated it to between 900 and 1300 AD. Lead isotope
analysis matched the metal to medieval mines in the Cévennes and Montagne Noire regions of
southern France, thousands of miles from Nova Scotia. The cross features a square hole at the top
and bears the characteristics of a devotional object worn around the neck. Its design, material
origin, and age all point to a medieval European presence on Oak Island centuries before any
documented voyage to the region.   Lead Decorative Piece: Lot 21 A long, narrow piece of lead
with a slight curve, discovered in a clearing opposite the McGinnis family foundation on Lot 21. The
surface bears a raised floral pattern identified by Skowronek as evidence of cloisonné, a
medieval metalwork technique in which artists soldered strips of metal onto a surface and filled the
compartments with coloured glass or gemstones. Skowronek's chemical analysis revealed that the lead
isotope data from this artifact is identical to that of the Smith's Cove lead cross. Both objects
originated from the same ore deposit in France and date to before the 15th century. The two pieces
were found on opposite sides of the island - this fragment on Lot 21 in the west and the cross at
Smith's Cove in the east, yet share the same pre-1400s provenance. The Pattern Consider what this
evidence represents when viewed together. Nine independent analyses. Five different analytical
methods. Six different analysts at separate institutions across three countries. And every result
lands in the same period: the High Middle Ages, roughly 1100 to 1300 AD. The coconut fibre tells us
someone with access to tropical trade networks visited the island between the 11th and 14th
centuries. The stone well tells us they needed fresh water, and stayed long enough to build for it.
The paved area tells us they had boats, and built infrastructure to receive them. The crossbow bolt
tells us they were armed. The iron spike tells us they worked metal on the island. The lead cross
and the decorative piece tell us they came from southern France. And Nolan's Cross and the cairns
tell us they marked the landscape with precision and intent. This is not the signature of a passing
ship. It is the signature of a planned operation, carried out by people with resources, engineering
capability, military hardware, and connections to the medieval Mediterranean world. The Knights
Templar were active from 1119 to 1312 AD. The Knights Hospitaller inherited their assets and
continued operations for centuries after. The date window on Oak Island overlaps almost exactly with
the period of maximum Templar power and wealth. The evidence does not prove that the Templars built
the Money Pit. But it does prove that someone was on Oak Island during the Templar era, someone with
the means, the motive, and the maritime reach to cross the Atlantic and build structures intended to
last. The question is no longer whether medieval Europeans reached Oak Island. The question is what
they left behind.

### The Knights Hospitaller
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/the-knights-hospitaller

The Knights Hospitaller The Knights Hospitaller, formally the Order of Knights of the Hospital of
Saint John of Jerusalem, are often overshadowed by their Templar rivals in the Oak Island story.
They should not be. The Hospitallers were equally powerful, considerably longer lived, and when the
Templars were destroyed in 1312, it was the Hospitallers who inherited their assets, their
properties, and possibly their secrets. The order began not as a military force but as a hospital.
Around 1099, in the aftermath of the First Crusade, a group of monks operating a pilgrim hospital in
Jerusalem dedicated to Saint John the Baptist was formally recognised by Pope Paschal II in 1113 as
an independent religious order. Under Raymond du Puy, who succeeded the order's founder Brother
Gerard around 1120, the Hospitallers transformed into a military organisation. Knights were
recruited, fortifications built, and within decades the order operated as a standing army in the
Holy Land, rivalling the Templars in wealth, manpower, and influence. For nearly two centuries the
Hospitallers held major fortifications across the Crusader states, including Krak des Chevaliers and
Margat Castle. When Saladin recaptured Jerusalem in 1187, the order retreated to Acre. When Acre
fell in 1291, the Grand Master Jean de Villiers led the surviving knights to Cyprus. It was the
beginning of a pattern that would repeat across centuries: the order lost its base, regrouped, and
rebuilt somewhere new. Rhodes and the Templar Inheritance In 1310, under Grand Master Foulques de
Villaret, the Hospitallers captured the island of Rhodes after a four-year campaign. Two years
later, Pope Clement V dissolved the Knights Templar with the papal bull Vox in excelso and, through
a second bull, Ad providam, transferred all Templar properties to the Hospitallers. Houses,
churches, lands, revenues, and possessions across Europe and the Levant were formally handed to the
Order of Saint John. The Catholic Encyclopedia describes the result as a "fusion" of the two orders,
one that significantly increased the Hospitallers' wealth and military character. What was not
transferred, at least not on paper, was whatever the Templars may have been guarding. The papal
bulls dealt with land and revenue. They said nothing about relics, archives, or the contents of
Templar vaults. If the Templars had possessed sacred objects or knowledge of hidden deposits, the
Hospitallers were the most likely inheritors, both by legal decree and by the simple fact that many
former Templars joined the Hospitaller ranks after 1312. Guardians of Sacred Relics The Hospitallers
were no strangers to moving priceless objects across vast distances by sea. Their record as relic
guardians is extensively documented. On Rhodes, the order maintained some of the most important
relics in Christendom, including a fragment of the True Cross, the icon of Our Lady of Philermos (a
Byzantine image of the Virgin Mary dated to the 11th or 12th century), and the right hand of Saint
John the Baptist, which was presented to the order by Sultan Bayezid II in 1484. When the
Hospitallers lost Rhodes to Sultan Suleiman in 1522, Grand Master Philippe de Villiers de L'Isle
Adam negotiated an honourable withdrawal. The surviving knights were permitted to take their
archives, their personal arms, and their most sacred relics. On January 1, 1523, they sailed from
Rhodes carrying the hand of the Baptist, the fragment of the True Cross, and the icon of Philermos.
For the next seven years, the homeless order wandered the Mediterranean, from Crete to Nice to
Viterbo, carrying these relics with them at every stage. In 1530, Emperor Charles V granted the
order the islands of Malta and Gozo, and the Hospitallers finally had a permanent home. From that
point forward they became known as the Knights of Malta, and their story enters a new chapter, one
with direct connections to Nova Scotia and to Oak Island. Why the Hospitallers Matter for Oak Island
The Hospitallers had every capability attributed to the Templars and several the Templars lacked.
They operated a powerful fleet. They transported sacred objects by sea as a matter of institutional
routine. They absorbed former Templar knights, properties, and wealth. They survived for centuries
after the Templars' destruction, maintaining continuity of knowledge and resources that the Templars
lost in 1307. The order's connection to Nova Scotia runs through specific family lines that bridged
both orders. The same families that held senior positions among the Templars reappear, generation
after generation, in the Hospitaller hierarchy. 
[article:the-knights-of-malta][article:de-villiers-the-treasure-bloodline]

### The Knights of Malta
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/the-knights-of-malta

Knights of Malta When the Knights Hospitaller lost Rhodes to Sultan Suleiman in 1522, it was Grand
Master Philippe de Villiers de L'Isle Adam who commanded the defence. After six months of siege,
outnumbered by an Ottoman force of roughly 100,000, Philippe negotiated an honourable withdrawal. On
January 1, 1523, the surviving knights sailed from Rhodes carrying their archives, their personal
arms, and Christendom's most sacred relics: the right hand of Saint John the Baptist, a fragment of
the True Cross, and the icon of Our Lady of Philermos. For seven years the homeless order wandered
the Mediterranean, from Crete to Messina to Viterbo, carrying their relics at every stage. In 1530,
Emperor Charles V granted the knights the islands of Malta and Gozo. Philippe de Villiers de L'Isle
Adam established his headquarters in the ancient fortified city of Mdina, choosing the medieval
Palazzo Falson as his residence. From this moment the Hospitallers became the Knights of Malta, and
the order entered a new phase as a sovereign naval power in the central Mediterranean. A Sovereign
Naval Power On Malta the order built a formidable fleet and fought the Barbary corsairs and Ottoman
navy across the Mediterranean. The island became a fortress state: the knights constructed
hospitals, churches, and some of the most advanced military fortifications in Europe. In 1565, under
Grand Master Jean de la Valette, the order withstood the Great Siege of Malta against an Ottoman
force of over 30,000. The victory established the Knights of Malta as a major military power and led
to the construction of the fortified capital city of Valletta. The order maintained its sovereign
status, with ambassadors accredited to the courts of Europe and the right to coin its own currency.
At its peak, the Knights of Malta held over five thousand feudal holdings across Europe, the
remnants of both their original Hospitaller estates and the vast Templar properties transferred to
them in 1312. They operated commanderies in France, Italy, Spain, England, Germany, and across the
Mediterranean world. Knights of Malta in the New World The Knights of Malta were not merely a
Mediterranean power. In the early 17th century, members of the order played a central role in the
colonization of New France, and for a brief period they came close to placing the entire territory
under the sovereignty of the Grand Master. The first connection came through Aymar de Chastes, a
professed Knight of Malta and Commander in the order, who served as Governor of Dieppe. It was de
Chastes who engaged Samuel de Champlain to sail westward. As the last surviving partner in the
Company of Chauvin, de Chastes held effective control of the trading rights to New France and became
one of the founders of the Tadoussac settlement, the first permanent French trading post in Canada.
He died in 1603, but the link between the order and the colony had been established. The connection
deepened through Cardinal Richelieu's Company of the Hundred Associates, formed in 1627 to govern
New France. Richelieu's nephew, Isaac de Razilly, was a professed Knight of Malta and Commander of
Isles Bouchard. According to the historian Thomas Guerin, it was Razilly who recruited other knights
into the company, including Charles Huault de Montmagny (who became Governor of New France) and Noel
Brulart de Sillery (a wealthy Commander and former Ambassador to Rome). By 1636, three Knights of
Malta simultaneously governed all of France's territories in the Americas: Montmagny ruled from
Quebec, Razilly governed Acadia from La Heve on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, and Henri de
Poincy served as Governor of the French Antilles. These men were all related to each other by family
ties, bound by the same vows, and loyal to the same Grand Master. The Jesuit Relations of 1636
record that "the Knights of Malta had just announced that they were to colonize Canada." The order's
plan was ambitious: to purchase the struggling colony from the bankrupt Hundred Associates and place
it entirely under the sovereignty of Malta, creating a new empire stretching from Acadia to the
Caribbean. Poincy actually succeeded in purchasing the island of Saint-Christophe from the French
Crown on behalf of the Grand Master. In Quebec, Montmagny built a chamber for the order within the
Chateau Saint-Louis; a stone bearing the Maltese cross and the date 1647 was found in the ruins of
the chateau after the British conquest. Twenty Miles from Oak Island Of all the Knights of Malta in
the New World, Isaac de Razilly is the most significant for the Oak Island story. In 1632 he
established the capital of Acadia at La Heve on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, approximately
twenty miles from Oak Island. Razilly was not merely passing through. He held roughly a third of all
the land that is now Nova Scotia as his personal seigneurie, including the ports of La Heve and Port
Royal. In February 1636 he wrote directly to Grand Master Antonio de Paulo, proposing the
establishment of a Priory of the Order of Malta on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, either at La
Heve or at Chibouctou (modern-day Halifax). Razilly was a professed Knight of Malta, a direct
descendant of the Villiers bloodline that had carried secrets and treasure across centuries, from
the fall of the Templars in 1307 through six generations to Philippe de Villiers de L'Isle Adam on
Malta. His mother was Catherine de Villiers. The same family that fled Paris with the Templar
treasury sent a Knight of Malta to the shores nearest Oak Island 325 years later. Razilly died in
November 1636, before the Grand Master could act on his proposal. The order was spending 200,000
ecus on the fortifications of Malta and declined to invest in a distant colony. His brother Claude
inherited the seigneurie of La Heve and Port Royal, and the dream of a Maltese priory in Nova Scotia
died with Isaac. But the question remains: did Razilly know something about Oak Island that drew him
specifically to this stretch of coastline? The Oak Island Team at the Palazzo Falson In Season 12,
Episode 23, the Oak Island team travelled to Malta to investigate the connection between the Knights
of Malta and Oak Island. At the Palazzo Falson in Mdina, the same residence where Philippe de
Villiers de L'Isle Adam lived after arriving on Malta in 1530, researcher Corjan Mol presented his
findings on the Villiers bloodline, tracing the documented genealogical chain from Gérard de
Villiers in 1307 through to Isaac de Razilly in 1632. The presentation connected the Templar escape,
the Hospitaller inheritance, the founding of Malta, and the arrival of a Knight of Malta on the
shores nearest Oak Island into a single documented narrative.
[site:palazzo-falson][site:gozo-old-prison][site:valletta-underground]

### De Villiers: The Treasure Bloodline
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/de-villiers-the-treasure-bloodline

Most Oak Island theories begin and end with a single event. The Villiers Bloodline theory spans ten
generations. It traces a documented genealogical chain from the man who carried the Knights Templar
treasury out of Paris in 1307 to a Knight of Malta who established his capital twenty miles from Oak
Island in 1632. Every link in that chain held a position of extraordinary trust within the military
orders, and at every crisis where treasure or sacred relics needed saving, a member of this family
was the one who carried them out. Origins The Villiers name enters the historical record around 1013
with Godefroy de Villiers, rooted in Norman soil barely a century after Rollo's Norse settlers
accepted land from the French crown. At nearly the same moment, in 1014, a lord named Adam received
a fortress on the River Oise, becoming the first Seigneur de L'Isle Adam. These two families,
Villiers and L'Isle Adam, occupied the same frontier north of Paris and would later merge by
marriage, producing the dynasty at the centre of this theory. The family's Norman roots are worth
noting: the Norse world from which the Normans descended was one in which Atlantic seafaring was a
living capability, as the settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, dated to 1021, attests.
Whether that maritime heritage persisted through generations of Francophone feudal life is a
different question, but the cultural context is relevant. [site:l-anse-aux-meadows] By the
mid-twelfth century, the family was placing sons in both the Knights Templar and the Knights
Hospitaller simultaneously. By 1193, Guillaume de Villiers held the title of Grand-Commandeur deca
Mer, the supreme Hospitaller command over all European operations, the officer who controlled the
flow of men and money to the Holy Land. On the Templar side, members of the family held commanderies
across France. Both orders. Both command structures. For generations. A Pattern of Rescue Guillaume
de Villiers was already a senior Hospitaller when Jerusalem fell to Saladin in 1187 and the True
Cross was lost at the Horns of Hattin. A century later, Jean de Villiers served as Grand Master of
the Hospitallers when Acre, the last Crusader city, fell to the Mamluks in 1291. Jean was severely
wounded defending the walls. His knights carried him to the harbour and put him on a ship. He
reached Cyprus carrying the order's most sacred relics: the Right Hand of John the Baptist,
fragments of the True Cross, and the icon of Our Lady of Philermos. The same family had been in
command when Jerusalem was lost and when Acre was evacuated. A century apart, the pattern was
identical: a De Villiers ensuring the most precious objects survived. The pattern appears even
earlier, in a different context. In March 1244, the Cathar fortress of Montsegur in the Pyrenees
fell after a ten-month siege. On the night over two hundred Cathars burned at the stake, the
garrison commander Pierre Roger de Mirepoix hid two men inside the walls. One was Hugh de Villiers.
The Inquisition record of Arnaud Roger de Mirepoix states the reason explicitly: "so that the Church
of the heretics would not lose its treasure, which was hidden in the woods." Hugh and his companion
Amiel Aicard were lowered by rope down the precipice beneath the castle. Witnesses traced their
route through Caussou, Prades, and the Castle of Usson. The Inquisition never found them, and never
found the treasure. [site:chateau-de-montsegur] Paris, 1307 Sixty-three years later, the same
pattern repeated on a far larger scale. On October 13, 1307, King Philip IV ordered the arrest of
every Templar in France. The leadership already knew. In testimony before the Papal Inquisition at
Poitiers in June 1308, the knight Jean de Chalons described what happened: Gérard de
Villiers, Master of France, fled with fifty horses and put to sea with eighteen galleys. A second
man, Hugues de Chalons, escaped carrying what the testimony calls "the whole treasure" of Hugues de
Pairaud, the Visitor General who controlled every Templar treasury across Europe. Gérard had
form. At the siege of Ruad in 1302, he left the island a day before it fell to the Mamluks. Five
years later, he left Paris before the arrests. Twice in a fortress about to fall. Twice out before
the door closed. The historian E.-G. Leonard identified Hugues de Chalons, preceptor of Epailly, as
"probably identical" with Hugh of Villiers, who held the same office from roughly 1293 to 1301. If
correct, then both men who carried the Templar treasury out of Paris were De Villiers. The
Inquisition testimony further describes Hugues de Chalons as the nephew of Pairaud, the Visitor,
meaning Pairaud was family too. Pairaud's father Humbert had served as Master of England and
Aquitaine from 1266 to 1271, a jurisdiction that extended across Scotland and Ireland, and the
knowledge of every Templar harbour and preceptory in the British Isles passed directly from father
to son. As it appears, three generations coordinated a single operation: Pairaud controlling the
Templar treasury from within, his nephew Hugh carrying the money, and Hugh's nephew Gérard
running the military escort. The ships sailed and none of them were ever seen again.
[article:the-knights-templar] The Other Side of the House When the Templars were dissolved in 1312,
their assets passed to the Knights Hospitaller. The De Villiers name transferred with them. The
families of De Villiers and L'Isle Adam had merged through marriage in the 1290s, and the documented
genealogy traces six generations from Gérard de Villiers to Philippe de Villiers de L'Isle
Adam, born in 1464. Gérard's nephew Adam married into the L'Isle Adam house. Their
descendants held positions as Knight of the Star, Knight Hospitaller, Chamberlain of France, holder
of the Golden Fleece, Marshall of France, and Governor of Paris. One hundred and eighty-nine years.
Six generations. The family's power base shifted seamlessly from the destroyed order to the
surviving one. Philippe became Grand Master in 1521. Within a year, Sultan Suleiman besieged Rhodes
with 100,000 men against fewer than 7,000 defenders. After six months, Philippe negotiated
withdrawal. On January 1, 1523, the knights sailed carrying the same relics Jean de Villiers had
evacuated from Acre 232 years earlier. After seven years of wandering, Philippe secured Malta in
1530, establishing the order's new headquarters at the Palazzo Falson in Mdina.
[article:the-knights-of-malta] Twenty Miles from Oak Island Philippe's grandfather had a brother,
Jacques de Villiers de L'Isle Adam, Marshall of France and Provost of Paris. From Jacques the line
descended through Robert II, Jacques II (Knight of the Order of Saint Michel), and Catherine de
Villiers, who married Francois de Razilly. Their son Isaac, born in 1587, was the tenth generation
from Gerard. Isaac de Razilly was a Knight of Malta, Commander of Isles Bouchard, and an Atlantic
navigator who had sailed from Brazil to Morocco. His uncle was Cardinal Richelieu, the most powerful
man in France and architect of the country's colonial expansion. Richelieu could have sent his
nephew anywhere in the New World. He sent him to the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia. In September
1632, Razilly landed at La Heve (LaHave), named his fort Sainte-Marie-de-Grace, and took possession
of roughly a third of what is now the province. La Heve sits twenty miles from Oak Island. In
February 1636, Razilly wrote to the Grand Master proposing a Priory of the Order of Malta on the
Nova Scotian coast. The proposal suggests Razilly saw Acadia not merely as a colonial outpost but as
a permanent base for the order in the New World. Whether the Grand Master acted on the proposal is
not recorded, and Razilly himself died later that year, leaving the question of what he intended to
build on that coast unanswered. Over a century later, in 1746, the man commanding French forces in
Acadia was still a De Villiers. Nicolas Antoine II Coulon-de-Villiers patrolled the coast between La
Heve and Halifax. According to Abbé Casgrain's biography of de Gaspé, whose maternal
grandmother was a Coulon, the family claimed alliance with the Grand Master of the Order of Malta,
Philippe de Villiers de L'Isle Adam. The authors of Coulon de Villiers: An Elite Military Family of
New France noted that this statement could not be verified. What can be verified is the maternal
line: Coulon-de-Villiers' maternal grandfather was Antoine de la Fosse, Lord of Valpendant, the old
Templar commandery overlooking L'Isle Adam, the ancestral seat of the Villiers family. Four
centuries after Gérard de Villiers vanished from history, a man whose family claimed descent
from the same bloodline was patrolling the same stretch of Nova Scotian shore.
[site:fort-point-museum] The Navigator's Star The direct line of the Villiers de L'Isle Adam ended
in the nineteenth century. Joseph Toussaint de Villiers, Marquis de L'Isle Adam, spent his fortune
searching for what he believed was the lost treasure of the Knights of Malta. He died penniless. His
son Auguste became a celebrated French writer, so poor he reportedly wrote lying on bare
floorboards. When Auguste was dying in 1889, his friends found an unfinished manuscript beside his
bed: a play called Axel, about a noble family guarding a vast underground treasure across
generations, accessible only through hidden passages. Among his own illustrations: Ursa Minor, the
navigator's star. Auguste married on his deathbed to legitimise his son Victor, who died in 1901 at
nineteen. The bloodline was extinguished. Presented at the Palazzo Falson This research was
presented by Corjan Mol in Season 12, Episode 23 ("Family Ties") of The Curse of Oak Island, at the
Palazzo Falson in Mdina, the same residence Philippe de Villiers de L'Isle Adam chose when he
arrived on Malta in 1530. The bloodline is documented. The positions are documented. The proximity
to Oak Island is documented. Not every link in the chain carries equal weight: the Hugues de Chalons
identification rests on Leonard's assessment of "probably identical," and the Coulon-de-Villiers
connection to Philippe relies on unverified family tradition. But the documented core, from
Gérard's escape with the Templar treasury through Philippe's evacuation of Rhodes to
Razilly's landing twenty miles from Oak Island, is a pattern that spans ten generations and asks to
be explained. [site:palazzo-falson]

### Oak Island Mystery Trees
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/oak-island-mystery-trees

The Trees That Named the Island Oak Island takes its name from the trees that once defined its
landscape: tall, sinuous trunks topped with broad, arching canopies, photographed repeatedly between
the 1880s and the 1940s at Isaac's Point and the Smith's Cove area. For over two centuries, these
trees were assumed to be a species of oak (Quercus genus), and no one looked closer. The name stuck.
Maps were drawn. The story was told and retold with "oak" as settled fact. In 2022, researchers
David H. Neisen, Robert W. Cook, and Christopher L. Boze published Oak Island Mystery Trees and
Other Forensic Answers, the first of four volumes applying forensic botanical methods to the
island's vegetation. Their conclusion overturned the oldest assumption in the Oak Island story: the
iconic trees were not oaks at all. They were European Sycamore, Acer pseudoplatanus, a member of the
maple family native to Central Europe and Western Asia. In North America it is known as Sycamore
Maple, a large deciduous broadleaf that can reach 35 metres in height and live for 400 years. Its
five-lobed palmate leaves, grey flaking bark, and winged samara seeds distinguish it clearly from
any species of North American oak. The identification matters because Acer pseudoplatanus does not
occur naturally in Nova Scotia. It is not part of the region's native flora. The species was
introduced to the British Isles around 1500 and later spread to parts of North America, Australia,
and New Zealand as an ornamental and windbreak tree, but it requires human agency to cross an ocean.
If the trees on Oak Island were European Sycamore, someone brought them there, or brought the seeds
from which they grew. [map:isaac-s-point] The Raasay Connection Neisen and his co-authors identified
a stand of trees on the Isle of Raasay in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland that they describe as
identical in every respect to the Oak Island specimens. Located on the shoreline of the village of
Clachan, on the property of Andrew and Anne Gillies near Raasay House (latitude 57.3518, longitude
-6.0808), the trees grow in an almost identical maritime environment: coastal, windswept,
salt-exposed. The Raasay stand was first recorded in print by the Scottish biographer and lawyer
James Boswell (1740 to 1795), the ninth Laird of Auchinleck, best known for his biography of Samuel
Johnson. On 10 September 1773, Boswell and Johnson visited the Laird of Raasay, Malcolm MacLeod,
during their famous tour of the Hebrides. Boswell noted a stand of trees near the house, writing
that there were "a number of trees near the house, which grow well, some of them of a pretty good
size. They are mostly Plane and Ash." In the Scottish usage of the 18th century, "Plane" referred to
what is now classified as Acer pseudoplatanus, the European Sycamore. The Latin name itself means
"false plane tree," reflecting the long-standing confusion between the two genera. The geographical
link runs deeper than botany. Settlers from the western Hebrides, including the Raasay area, were
among the earliest European inhabitants of the Mahone Bay coastline and the broader Nova Scotia
shore. If the Oak Island trees originated as transplants or seed stock carried by Scottish settlers,
Raasay and the surrounding islands represent one plausible source. Neisen's team has pursued
botanical examination and dendrochronological analysis to establish whether the Raasay and Oak
Island specimens share a genetic lineage, though results of that work have not yet been published in
full. The Mystery Fiber The trees are only one part of the forensic picture. The second, and
arguably more significant, line of evidence concerns the fibrous material found in both the Money
Pit and the filtration system at Smith's Cove. Neisen calculates that a minimum of 1.54 metric
tonnes of this fiber was recovered from these constructions over two centuries of excavation, an
amount equivalent to roughly 2.5 compacted forty-foot shipping containers. Reports from the 19th and
early 20th centuries describe the fiber piled in bushels around the top platform of the Money Pit
and raked into heaps along the Smith's Cove beach, where locals and tourists helped themselves to
souvenir bundles as late as the Restall era in the 1960s. For decades the material was identified as
coconut coir fiber, a classification supported by laboratory analyses from Robert Dunfield's samples
tested in 1976 and a broader survey by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in 1995. That
identification went largely unchallenged. However, Neisen, Cook, and Boze's more recent micro and
macro botanical examination of the evidence has led to a revised conclusion: the fiber is not
coconut husk at all, but mesh and sheath trunk fiber from the Judean Date Palm (Phoenix
dactylifera). The Judean Date Palm produces a coarse, durable fiber from the mesh-like sheathing
that wraps around its trunk, material that was widely used in the ancient and medieval Near East for
rope, matting, and construction packing. Like coconut coir, it is a product of retting, a controlled
fermentation process that strengthens the fiber and dramatically extends its lifespan in wet or
saline environments. The fiber on Oak Island has been radiocarbon dated to between 1185 and 1330 AD,
with 95 percent confidence. That places it squarely in the era of the Crusades, centuries before any
documented European activity in Nova Scotia. The fiber was not scattered on the surface or washed
ashore. It was found packed inside engineered structures: layered into the Money Pit shaft between
oak log platforms and incorporated into the filtration drain system at Smith's Cove. Whatever its
origin, it was placed there with purpose. [artifact:coconut-fibre-money-pit] Fiber from the Holy
Land The identification of the fiber as Judean Date Palm trunk material narrows the geography
considerably. In the medieval period, the Judean Date Palm grew only in a restricted band of the
Levant: Jericho, the Jordan River Valley, and the western shore of the Dead Sea. It was not a wild
plant left to chance. The palm was cultivated intensively, and its products, including the fruit,
the syrup derived from it, and the fibrous trunk sheathing, were commercially valuable. The fiber
source, in other words, points to a specific region and a specific agricultural economy. Between
1116 and 1187 AD, the Knights Templar operated an extensive agribusiness in the Jericho region,
cultivating date palms alongside sugarcane. The Templars processed sugarcane into sugar and date
fruit into silan, the thick date honey that served as a staple sweetener across the Near East. This
agricultural operation generated large quantities of date palm trunk fiber as a byproduct, material
readily available to an order that also maintained a fleet of commercial and military vessels and a
logistics network stretching from the Levantine ports to the Atlantic coast of France and Portugal.
The Battle of Hattin in 1187, when Saladin's forces defeated the Crusader army, forced the Templars
to evacuate Jericho and much of the surrounding territory. The radiocarbon dating of the Oak Island
fiber, 1185 to 1330 AD, begins precisely at the end of that agricultural operation. The Templar
connection to the fiber's source region is a matter of documented historical record, but it does not
exclude other possibilities. The Knights Hospitaller operated in the same territory and inherited
all Templar properties and personnel after the order's suppression in 1312. They continued to
maintain a Mediterranean fleet and Atlantic reach for centuries afterward. Basque fishermen and
whalers, whose deep-sea voyaging in the North Atlantic predates most documented expeditions, had
access to Levantine trade goods through Mediterranean commerce. Even the tail end of Norse activity
in the North Atlantic, well established by the settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland
around 1000 AD, overlaps with the lower boundary of the carbon dating range. The fiber evidence
narrows the field of candidates, but does not reduce it to one. The Forensic Case Taken together,
the findings from Neisen, Cook, and Boze's four-volume series present a coherent body of forensic
evidence, though one that stops short of definitive proof. The European Sycamore identification
challenges the most basic assumption about the island, its name, and by extension the provenance of
its earliest visitors. The Judean Date Palm fiber dating places human activity on the island in the
late 12th to early 14th century, centuries before any recorded European presence in the region. The
sheer volume of processed fiber, over a tonne and a half, rules out accidental deposit or ship's
dunnage washing ashore and points instead to planned, large-scale construction. The series also
examines the red clover reportedly found by the Money Pit's original discoverers, the log platforms
within the shaft, and connections to Cornwall's tin mining industry, each treated as a separate
forensic question with its own evidence base. Volume III focuses on the fiber evidence in detail,
while Volume IV examines the Templar connection as one candidate explanation, arguing that the
combined botanical, archaeological, and chemical data are consistent with a medieval military order
possessing the resources, the seafaring capability, and the motivation to reach Nova Scotia. Across
all four volumes, the level of detail and scientific rigour stands out as some of the most thorough
independent research produced in the Oak Island field. Where most authors begin with a theory and
work backward to fit the evidence, Neisen, Cook, and Boze begin with material samples, laboratory
results, and archival records, and let the findings lead. That methodological discipline is rare in
a genre often dominated by speculation. [article:the-knights-templar] Independent verification of
some of these claims remains ongoing. The dendrochronological work on the Raasay trees has not yet
yielded a published genetic comparison with the Oak Island specimens. And the leap from forensic
botany to any specific historical attribution, whether Templar, Hospitaller, Basque, or Norse, still
depends on circumstantial alignment rather than a single piece of conclusive evidence tying a named
individual or documented voyage to the island. What the research does establish, at minimum, is that
someone carried a European tree species and over a tonne of processed Judean Date Palm fiber to a
small island in Mahone Bay during the medieval period, and built structures with both. The dating
window of 1185 to 1330 overlaps with the operational peak of several groups already linked to Oak
Island through other evidence found on the island. The trees and the fibers do not tell us who. They
tell us when, and that changes everything else.

### The Doomed Expedition of the Duc d'Anville
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/the-doomed-expedition-of-the-duc-d-anville

In the spring of 1745, a combined force of New England militia and British warships captured the
Fortress of Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island, the most powerful French fortification in North
America. The loss stunned Versailles. Louisbourg had guarded the entrance to the St. Lawrence and
protected France's North American possessions for over three decades. Its fall demanded a response
of extraordinary scale. What followed was the largest military expedition France had ever sent
across the Atlantic: 64 ships, 11,000 men, and a level of secrecy that still raises questions nearly
three centuries later. The fleet's destination was Chibouctou, the harbour the British would later
rename Halifax, barely fifty miles from Oak Island. The Organisation The man chosen to lead the
expedition was Jean-Baptiste Louis Frederic de Roye de La Rochefoucauld, Duc d'Anville. He was a
member of the powerful Rochefoucauld family, one of the oldest noble houses in France. Maurepas, the
Minister of the Navy, established the orders. Monsieur Meric was to supervise coordination between
the various army corps, and all logistical planning was handled by a certain M. Le Brun. By March
1746, operations were already behind schedule and tensions between Anville and various officials
were growing. On the 9th of March, a man named Bigot was summoned to Versailles. Francois Bigot had
served as head of the administration in Louisbourg during the British siege and knew the fortress
and its operations in detail. He remained at court until the 22nd of February, when he departed as
general supervisor of the expedition. His promotion was unexpected and came with unusual conditions.
Maurepas insisted on extreme secrecy around Bigot's involvement; he could not appear on the docks
and was to remain invisible to everyone connected to the fleet. His previous role in Louisbourg made
him recognisable, and the destination of the expedition had to remain confidential at all costs. In
his memoirs, Bigot later recalled having knowledge of the secrets of the operation. He was sent to
the port of Rochefort to oversee the fitting of certain ships, fittings that had been discussed at
length during his time at Versailles. [article:the-treasure-of-louisbourg] The Advance Ships Months
before the main fleet departed, two warships were sent ahead to Nova Scotia with orders to wait for
Anville at Chibouctou. L'Aurore, a frigate under the King's orders, was commanded by Monsieur du
Vigneau, identified in the French naval archives as Jean-Julien d'Herisson de Vigneux, from a
military family near Paris. Le Castor, a smaller vessel, sailed under Monsieur de Salies. Both
departed Brest on the 9th of April 1746. Their stories diverge almost immediately. On the 4th of
June, du Vigneau ordered Le Castor to separate and proceed alone to the Banc a Vert off the coast of
Newfoundland for a surveying mission. De Salies protested. His crew was sick, provisions were low,
and no one on board had any knowledge of the waters they were being sent to. He asked to follow
L'Aurore to Chibouctou to resupply and make contact with Beauharnois, the governor general, to
coordinate arrangements for Anville's arrival. Du Vigneau refused. Le Castor was sent north, as far
from Nova Scotia as possible. With Le Castor out of the way, L'Aurore made for the Acadian coast. On
the 9th of June she was seven leagues from Cap de Sambourle. The next day du Vigneau chased an
English boat into the Bay of La Heve. From the ship's log, we know that L'Aurore then navigated
close to the coast, anchoring at coordinates recorded as 44 degrees 38 minutes. These are the
coordinates of St. Margaret's Bay, immediately adjacent to Mahone Bay and Oak Island. On the 12th of
June, when another ship was spotted, du Vigneau ordered his pilot to give chase while pulling
L'Aurore out of the bay so that the English vessel "would not know we were there." On the 13th,
after sending a pilot to shore near l'Isle Ronde, where he encountered a group of Mi'kmaq and an
Acadian who confirmed his identity, L'Aurore sailed into Chibouctou harbour. There, the missionary
Le Loutre came aboard and explained he had been waiting for fifteen days by order of Beauharnois. Le
Loutre carried a package for the Duc d'Anville and had instructions about recognition signals. He
expressed surprise that L'Aurore had made no signals upon entering the harbour. Du Vigneau replied
that he had received no orders about signalling, which suggests that Le Loutre was not expecting any
French ship before Anville's fleet itself. What happened next is harder to trace. On the 24th of
June, du Vigneau received news of an English fleet off the coast. On the 27th, L'Aurore moved
further into the bay to stay hidden. Then the journal falls silent for two weeks. When entries
resume on the 12th of July, the captain describes arming a schooner under Monsieur de Vante and
sending it toward Saint Sembre to find a discreet bay near the cape, land men on shore, and survey
the coast. The schooner carried signal knowledge and a pilot, accompanied by Mi'kmaq with canoes.
Another gap of twelve days follows. L'Aurore remained in the area for over two months before
departing for France on the 13th of August, leaving behind seized schooners, supplies, and canons
hidden in the woods. The most revealing detail comes from the letter that accompanied du Vigneau's
journal. In it, the captain writes: "I will not speak to anyone about this place, but I am obliged
to warn you that it is difficult to hide it from the quantity of people who have knowledge of it."
The recipient of this letter has never been identified. Nor has the place to which du Vigneau was
referring. When Le Castor finally reached Chibouctou on the 9th of July, de Salies noted his
surprise that du Vigneau had made no contact with Beauharnois despite having been in the harbour for
weeks. Du Vigneau had shown no desire to coordinate, no interest in communicating with officials on
land, and had avoided the very person whose instructions he was supposed to deliver. De Salies
recorded: "I was surprised that Monsieur du Vigneau let this general ignore his stay at Chibouctou."
The Masked Man Back in France, the main fleet was ready but refused to leave. Official reports
blamed contrary winds, though the explanation was questioned at the time. On the 24th of May, the
Duc d'Anville received a letter from a messenger and departed at once for Bordeaux. He had strict
orders not to mention the destination of the squadron and carried a packet from Versailles that
could only be opened after departure. On the evening of the 20th of June 1746, the Northumberland,
Anville's flagship, was anchored at La Rochelle. An officer from the squadron who had been in town
left around five o'clock with post horses. He returned with another person, wearing a mask, on
horseback. The two rode through the city, boarded a dinghy at the port, and were rowed to the
Northumberland. The fleet departed shortly after. Three independent sources describe this event. The
earliest is a letter written the following day by Seigneur Hastrel in La Rochelle, an eyewitness
account addressed to a Monsieur de B. whose identity remains unknown. The second is the chronicle of
Barbier, a Parisian attorney who compiled detailed records of events in France, writing that the
dinghy carried "six men in post, including one who was masked" and noting that rumours on board
suggested the figure was "the Pretender or the Duke of York, his brother." The third source is the
British Gentleman's Magazine, which published a different version: "A lady in a masque accompanied
with several well-dressed people came this morning to our gate... This lady is called by others a
prince." The speculation that the figure might be the Stuart Pretender or the Duke of York suggests
that whoever it was spoke English, or at least carried themselves in a way that implied British or
royal origins. Wearing a mask was not a common act in the 1740s. It implied the person was important
enough to be recognised, and that being recognised would be dangerous, either for them or for the
secrecy of the expedition. The Crossing The secrecy on board had taken its toll. Until the 24th of
July, the crews and officers had no idea where they were going; most assumed the destination was
Port Mahon or Gibraltar. When Anville finally announced they were heading for Acadia, the mood
darkened. During the crossing, two ships were detached from the fleet under special orders. On the
16th of July, the frigate La Mutine was given a sealed package by the General and told to leave. Her
captain was not allowed to open the package until twenty-four hours later; she was reportedly sent
to deliver weapons to Mississippi. On the 19th of July, La Renommee was ordered to leave the fleet
and sail directly to Chibouctou to warn L'Aurore and Le Castor of Anville's late arrival. She
carried munitions and supplies for the advance ships. La Renommee was expected to guide the fleet
into harbour on its arrival, but she never did. By the end of August, the ships were devastated by
illness. Up to fifty men were dying each day. When the fleet finally reached the Acadian coast, a
severe storm scattered the ships. Most of the main vessels are accounted for in the records, and
nothing in the surviving logs points to a planned visit to Mahone Bay. One detail, however, stands
out: Le Trident, navigating in poor visibility, confused the entrance to St. Margaret's Bay for the
entrance to Chibouctou. The ship's log records that an officer from Le Prince d'Orange assured them
that the island they could see was at the entrance to the harbour of "Saint Margueritte," which the
manuals had been mistaking for Chibouctou. The fleet was navigating blind, and some of its ships
were passing within sight of Mahone Bay. Chibouctou The Duc d'Anville arrived in Halifax on the 19th
of September 1746 with the remnants of his fleet. La Renommee, which had been sent ahead weeks
earlier, had not returned to guide them in. Instead, her captain Monsieur Kersaint had moored in Le
Havre au Castor, sent a boat to Chibouctou where no one was waiting, and then sailed to the harbour
himself, arriving just two hours after the Northumberland. Within days, the expedition collapsed. On
the 27th of September, the Duc d'Anville died. An autopsy performed on board attributed the cause to
a fit of apoplexy, though the British later suggested poison or suicide. His replacement, Monsieur
d'Estourmel, assumed command and immediately summoned a war council. The officers opened Anville's
sealed packet from Versailles and read the letter from the King with his orders for the mission.
D'Estourmel appeared shaken. He wanted to pull back from any attack. On the night of the 1st of
October, cries were heard from his cabin. The men who entered found him in a pool of blood, a sword
through his body. The accounts vary: either the sword was found on the deck beside him, or the
surgeon removed it. D'Estourmel resigned his command. Speculation spread that the two men had
fought, or that d'Estourmel had been attacked to remove him from his position. Command passed to La
Jonquiere. In the weeks that followed, strange events continued. Around the 10th of October, a small
fleet of ships appeared outside Halifax harbour. Men in the port speculated that it was the squadron
of Conflans, which had been ordered to sail from Martinique and rendezvous with Anville. La
Jonquiere sent a small boat to investigate; they concluded the ships were British. The fleet
disappeared, but on the 17th of October, more than seventy cannon shots were heard from outside the
harbour. No explanation was ever recorded. Two days later, the frigate La Megere was sent toward La
Heve to defend a French vessel under attack by an English privateer. The captain of the rescued ship
reported meeting a group of French boats "in the far end of a bay, seven to eight leagues from
Chibouctou." These were described as fishing boats. He had attacked them and burned their ships. La
Megere returned to the bay and moored overnight, hoping to find the escaped privateer. The Conflans
Squadron Conflans' supporting fleet of four warships had departed Martinique on the 7th of September
with orders to join Anville at Chibouctou. On the 28th of September they sighted l'Isle de Sable and
spent the next fifteen days navigating the area. On the 9th of October, Conflans called his captains
together and asked whether anyone recognised the coastline. No one did. Confused and running low on
supplies, the squadron turned toward l'Isle Royale. Near Canso, the ship l'Alcyon was separated in
bad weather and fog; her captain opened sealed orders confirming the rendezvous at Chibouctou, but
his efforts to reach the harbour failed. On the 13th of October, Conflans ordered the return to
France. His ships reached port on the 6th of November. L'Alcyon arrived two days later. Two logbooks
from the squadron are missing, and Conflans left no personal account. The records that survive
suggest the fleet never approached Mahone Bay, but the gaps in the record leave room for doubt. The
Return La Jonquiere attempted to move the fleet from Chibouctou toward Port-Royal, but the weather
and the condition of the squadron made the attempt impossible. The return crossing to France was as
catastrophic as the outward voyage. Ships battled illness and starvation; there are reports of men
eating ropes and of discussions about cannibalism. The fate of La Renommee on her return stands
apart from the rest of the fleet. At fifteen leagues from the French coast, she was spotted by a
squadron of British warships that gave chase. The battle lasted thirteen hours before La Renommee
fought her way into harbour at l'Isle de Groix. From a secondhand account, the British squadron was
led by Commander Anson, the brother of Thomas Anson, and he had been "searching for her." No direct
source for Anson's search has been found, but the coincidence is difficult to ignore. Once the
surviving ships reached France, Maurepas gathered the officers and navigators for a full debrief. In
the weeks that followed, he was alarmed to find detailed information about the expedition appearing
in British and Dutch publications. During the return voyage, the ship carrying the court's
instructions and Anville's letters had been caught in battle and forced to throw them overboard. The
British recovered what they could and published some of it. The Oak Island Connection The Anville
expedition did not, according to any surviving document, visit Mahone Bay. But the records, drawn
from French naval archives, contain a series of details that researchers have found difficult to
dismiss. The advance ship L'Aurore, under the secretive du Vigneau, navigated to within sight of
Mahone Bay and anchored at coordinates corresponding to St. Margaret's Bay, one bay to the east. Du
Vigneau's behaviour, sending Le Castor away, avoiding contact with Beauharnois, making no signals,
and operating with an excellent pilot who knew the coast, does not match an officer on a routine
mission. His letter about a "place" that he would never speak of, but that would be "difficult to
hide from the quantity of people who have knowledge of it," has never been explained. The main
fleet's navigators confused St. Margaret's Bay for Chibouctou. Beauharnois ordered
Coulon-de-Villiers and Le Loutre to send patrols along the coast between La Heve and Chibouctou "to
prevent any new British establishment," an area that encompasses Mahone Bay. French boats were found
and burned in a bay seven to eight leagues from Halifax, a distance that places them in the vicinity
of Chester or Mahone. And then there is the matter of who was involved. The Duc d'Anville was born a
Rochefoucauld. The land forces coordinating with the expedition in Acadia were commanded by Nicolas
Antoine II Coulon-de-Villiers, who claimed descent from Philippe de Villiers de L'Isle Adam, Grand
Master of the Knights of St. John. A Rochefoucauld leading the fleet. A Villiers commanding on
shore. Both families carried deep historical connections to the military religious orders,
converging on the same stretch of Nova Scotian coast in the same operation.
[article:de-villiers-the-treasure-bloodline] The masked man remains unidentified. The sealed packets
from Versailles were never recovered. Of the 13,000 men who left France, only a fraction returned,
and whatever they knew about the expedition's true purpose, if it extended beyond the recapture of
Louisbourg, went with them to their graves or to the bottom of the Atlantic.

### Zena Halpern and the Templar Map of Oak Island
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/zena-halpern-and-the-templar-map-of-oak-island

In November 2016, area historian Doug Crowell introduced the Oak Island team to a New York-based
researcher named Zena Halpern. What she brought to the table would reshape the investigation for
years to come: three documents that, if authentic, would place the Knights Templar on Oak Island
centuries before the Money Pit's discovery in 1795. Halpern was not a casual theorist. She had spent
more than a decade tracing a chain Th of evidence from a medieval document purchased in Cremona,
Italy, through a web of collectors, secret societies, and hidden objects, all the way to the shores
of Nova Scotia. Her work appeared across multiple seasons of the show, generated real archaeological
investigation, and connected Oak Island to European noble families, Templar prisons, and ancient
navigation technology. She passed away in 2018, and her entire research archive was bequeathed to
the Oak Island team. This article examines what she presented, what the team found when they tested
her claims on the ground, and where her evidence stands today. The Templar Document and its Origins
The foundation of Halpern's theory was a manuscript she called the Templar Document. According to
her account, the document was purchased in 1971 by a man she identified as Dr. W. David Jackson from
a Mr. Benvenuto in Cremona, Italy. The manuscript had reportedly been kept at the Church of San
Sigismundo in Cremona, and before that at Castrum Sepulchri, a Cistercian abbey in Seborga, a small
principality on the Italian Riviera near the French border. Seborga had documented Templar
connections dating to the 12th century and sat along the medieval pilgrimage route.
[article:the-inscribed-marker-stones-of-seborga][article:the-knights-templar] The Templar Document
contained maps, journal entries, and descriptions of objects recovered from beneath the Temple Mount
in Jerusalem during the early 12th century. Among these was a journal entitled "A Year We Remember,"
attributed to an English Templar knight named Ralph de Sudeley of Gloucestershire. According to the
journal, de Sudeley was dispatched on a mission in 1178 by Templar Grand Master Odo de St. Amand to
recover secret scrolls hidden in a land called Onteora, a mountain range in what is now New York
State. On his way there, de Sudeley and his men reportedly stopped at an island of oak along the
coast of maritime Canada. The document also described five devices found in the Jerusalem tomb,
including navigation instruments, a decoder with Arabic and Hebrew letters, maps, gold, and the
bones of a man named John. These items were said to have been transported to Castrum Sepulchri,
where Cistercian monks translated the accompanying scrolls with the help of Jewish scholars. The
scrolls allegedly described a hidden cache of treasure in Onteora and provided maps showing the
route. Three Documents on the War Room Table When Halpern appeared on Season 4, Episode 1, she
presented three specific documents via conference call with Marty Lagina, Craig Tester, and Doug
Crowell. The first was a hand-drawn French map of Oak Island, which she dated to 1347. The map
labelled landmarks in French, including a basin corresponding to the swamp, a marsh, a dam, and an
entry point labelled "la chene" ("the oak"). Three features on the map drew particular attention:
the anchors, the valve, and a location marked "Le Trou Sous la Trappe," meaning "the hole under the
trap door." The team would spend years searching for this feature, eventually calling it the Hatch.
The second was a Nova Scotia map dated 1179, which Halpern connected to the Templar Document. This
map marked an area from west to east where gold was present, corresponding to the Gold River that
flows from New Ross to Mahone Bay, where gold deposits triggered a major rush in the mid-1800s. The
map also showed a land bridge connecting Nova Scotia to Cape Breton Island, and depicted water
levels and island configurations consistent with what oceanographers confirmed were lower sea levels
several centuries ago. The third was the La Formule cipher, a coded page covered in strange symbols.
Crowell noted immediately that the symbols appeared to match those believed inscribed on the lost
90-foot stone, the stone found in the original Money Pit shaft in the 1790s whose inscription was
famously translated as "Forty Feet Below, Two Million Pounds are Buried." The La Formule page was
torn in a deliberate jigsaw pattern and bore a faint inscription at the bottom: "Tim McInnis to W.
David Jackson, one of seven." The La Formula Cypher The McGinnis Connection The surname McInnis
caught the team's attention. Halpern and fellow researcher Judi Rudebusch had tracked the name to
Jim McGinnis, a direct descendant of the original Oak Island discoverer Daniel McGinnis. McGinnis
had lived in Florida, worked for the CIA, and was known to have shared Oak Island information with
Dr. Jackson in the 1970s. Before his death, McGinnis gave his sister a gold cross he always wore,
the same cross she later showed on The Curse of Oak Island. The cross was authenticated and dated to
the 16th century. [artifact:mcginnis-gold-cross] Halpern believed Jackson found information about
Oak Island within the Templar Document and that certain parties wanted it. She pointed to a note
Jackson had written in the back of a book, dated 1996, which read: "They wanted the info about the
tunnels so they bought the document from me. But they didn't get it. Who has it now? I think it was
broken up into 8 parts. I have 4, what happened to the rest?" The La Formule page, torn like a
puzzle piece, appeared to be one of those parts. Testing the Map on the Ground The team did not
simply accept Halpern's documents at face value. They tested them against the physical landscape of
Oak Island, and that investigation produced a trail of results that stretched across multiple
seasons. In Season 4, Jack Begley overlaid the 1347 map onto modern satellite imagery and found that
the old French coastline aligned with the current island shape. Dave Blankenship revealed a strange
depression near his property on Lot 22, close to where the map placed the Hatch. The team found a
rectangular opening that appeared to have been chiseled through bedrock. Archaeologist Laird Niven
confirmed the feature did not appear natural and recommended a formal archaeological permit before
further excavation. In Season 9, mechanical engineer Matt Sandt corrected a translation from the
map: the original French read "the hole under the hatch" rather than simply "the hatch," a
distinction that changed the search parameters. CSR GeoSurveys scanned Lot 22 and Lot 4 with VLF
radio signals and magnetometer equipment, revealing anomalies near the road on Lot 4 in the area
where the team believed the Hatch could be located. Subsequent metal detecting on Lot 4 produced a
leather strap and buckle, a gold-plated button, an iron spike, and a topping adze that Carmen Legge
dated to 1620 to 1740. By Season 10, the team had identified a 13-foot-diameter circular stone
feature on Lot 5, close to where a half Roman coin and a lead barter token had been found. Its
dimensions matched the original Money Pit, and the construction resembled a wall on Lot 26 that
contained charcoal dated to the 15th century. The team considered whether this could be the Hole
Under the Hatch. In Season 8, GIS expert Erin Helton used the positions of Nolan's Cross boulders
and other landmarks to identify geometric alignments across the island, placing the original Money
Pit just three feet from Borehole RF-1. She later interpreted the La Formule cipher's instructions
as describing a 522-foot corridor at a 45-degree alignment from the Money Pit, followed by a passage
of 1,065 feet, leading her to propose the treasure vault lay not beneath the Money Pit itself but at
the end of a tunnel extending west. The Map of Nova Scotia, Newfoundland is indicated bu the word
"froid" (cold in French) The Rochefoucauld Connection One of the most productive threads from
Halpern's material was the name "La Rochefoucauld," which appeared on the alleged 14th-century map.
Doug Crowell researched the family and found the Rochefoucaulds were a prominent French noble house
dating to the 10th century with direct connections to the Crusades through the Lusignan family, who
ruled in Jerusalem. At the Centre of Geographic Sciences in Lawrencetown, the team discovered that a
Francois de La Rochefoucauld married into the line of Pierre Dugua, the founder of the first French
colony in Nova Scotia. Dugua's personal cartographer was Samuel Champlain, whose otherwise
meticulous maps conspicuously omit Mahone Bay, a body of water containing more than 360 islands. The
team asked why Champlain would leave a 25-by-20-mile bay off his charts. Rick Lagina and Alex Lagina
later traveled to the Chateau de la Rochefoucauld in France, where family representative Sonia
Matossian confirmed the family's participation in the Crusades. Critically, Matossian and translator
Nichola Lewis corrected a translation on Halpern's map: a phrase previously rendered as "a little
drink from Neustria" in fact read "a little towards the west," strengthening the map's potential as
a directional document. The most striking Rochefoucauld connection came from the Halifax archives.
Doug Crowell presented what appeared to be a French military ship's log describing an advance vessel
for the fleet of Duc d'Anville, which sailed 97 ships and 13,000 men to recapture Acadia from the
British in 1746. The log described the crew burying treasure in a deep pit with a secret entrance by
tunnel from the shore. The shaft reached 67 feet before seepage made conditions too damp. Duc
d'Anville's real name was Jean-Baptiste Louis Frederic de Rochefoucauld, connecting the expedition
directly to the family whose name appeared on Halpern's map.
[article:the-doomed-expedition-of-the-duc-d-anville][site:chateau-de-la-rochefoucauld] The La
Formule Decipherment Rick Lagina sent the La Formule page to Professor Kevin Knight at the
University of Southern California, a leading expert in machine translation and decipherment. Knight
concluded the cipher was likely a substitution cipher used by secret societies and created by
someone knowledgeable in cryptography. His partial decipherment translated into French and, rendered
in English, read: "Halt. Do not dig to forty foot with an angle of forty-five degrees the shaft of
five hundred twenty-two foot you enter the corridor of one thousand sixty-five foot reach the
chamber." Rick noted that 522 feet was almost exactly the distance from Smith's Cove to the Money
Pit, suggesting the cipher might describe the relationship between the flood tunnel and the treasure
location. Knight also identified the cipher as one of seven pieces of a larger document, with the
remaining six fragments still missing. The number seven carried its own weight on Oak Island, where
legend holds that seven men must die before the treasure can be found. Halpern's Visit and the H+O
Stone In Season 5, Rick visited Halpern at her New York home, where she presented material for her
book on pre-Columbian Templar contact with North America. She traced Ralph de Sudeley's 12th-century
voyage from Gloucestershire, England, to Oak Island and beyond, arguing he was sent to recover
ancient scrolls hidden in North America. Halpern drew a connection between Templar coins bearing
four distinctive dots around a cross and the markings on the H+O stone, a fragment salvaged by
Gilbert Hedden in 1936 from a massive carved boulder that earlier searchers had dynamited in 1921 on
the island's northern shore. The four dots on the H+O stone matched the embellishment style found
exclusively on Templar crosses, according to her research. She also offered an unexpected
interpretation of the lead cross found at Smith's Cove: rather than a depiction of Christ crucified,
she identified the figure as a representation of Tanit, a Phoenician goddess dating back 3,000 years
who was revered as the protector of sailors. [artifact:h-o-stone] Legacy Zena Halpern died in 2018
at age 88. Rick learned of her passing during Season 6 and read a tribute written by
archaeoastronomer Rich Moats, who had worked closely with her. Rick and nephew Peter Fornetti
traveled to Halpern's Long Island home, where they joined her sons Davin and Jason in sorting
through more than 50 years of research materials. Among the collection, Rick found a copy of the
Cremona Document, the manuscript attributed to Ralph de Sudeley. The Oak Island team established a
dedicated research center on the island to house Halpern's archive. Doug Crowell, Paul Troutman,
Rick, and Charles Barkhouse began unpacking and cataloging her annotated books, maps, and documents.
When Davin Halpern later visited the center, he presented Rick with a candlestick artifact from one
of his mother's research trips. Rick promised the candle would be lit only once: when the team finds
answers because of her work. Her research continued through others. Emiliano Sacchetti and Judi
Rudebusch presented findings from the Cremona Document, including the Ralph de Sudeley deposition
and connections to Seborga. Professor Adriano Gaspani analyzed stellar alignments encoded in Nolan's
Cross and dated its construction to approximately 1200 AD, matching the Templar timeline Halpern had
proposed. Rich Moats argued that Nolan's Cross functioned as a navigational treasure map constructed
by engineers with celestial navigation skills. Carbon dates from across the island continued to
cluster in periods consistent with her theory: the serpent mound dated to 1320 to 1440, the swamp
disturbance to approximately 1220 AD, and the stone pathway charcoal to the 15th century. Assessment
Zena Halpern's contribution to the Oak Island investigation is substantial. She drove years of
fieldwork, connected the team to verifiable European noble families, and introduced documents that
generated testable predictions about specific locations on the island. The Rochefoucauld family is
historically real. Champlain's omission of Mahone Bay is documented. The Duc d'Anville expedition
happened. The artifacts found in the areas her map indicated are genuine and have been dated by
independent experts. The documents themselves, however, are forgeries. The French across all three
is riddled with errors no native speaker would make: masculine and feminine articles mixed up
throughout, modern vocabulary used on supposedly medieval documents, and grammatical constructions
that read like dictionary translations from English. The word "atterrissage" on the 1347 map did not
enter the French language until 1830. The word "chene" was still written "chaisne" in the 14th
century. The Oak Island map depicts the island as it appears today rather than as it would have
looked in 1347, when sea levels were lower and the island was still connected to the mainland. The
Frog Island Shoal, submerged today, would have been visible land at the time the map was supposedly
drawn, yet it does not appear. The Oak Island Compendium has published a detailed four-part
linguistic and provenance investigation of the Jackson documents that lays out the full case, and
their findings are thorough. The provenance is equally problematic. Every document traces back to
Dr. W. David Jackson, a figure whose existence cannot be independently verified and who had a
remarkable habit of discovering important objects hidden inside other objects. The Vatican confirmed
to the Compendium that Franco Franzetti, who supposedly authenticated the Cremona Document, never
worked for them. The Parisian rare book dealer who allegedly sold Jackson the document has no record
of existence in France. Don Ruh, who co-owned the documents with Halpern, eventually declared the
Oak Island map a forgery on Scott Wolter's blog in 2018, claiming it had been fabricated by Jackson
as bait in an intelligence operation, though his account of how Jackson obtained the map contradicts
what he wrote in his own book. Your author visited Cremona multiple times and found no Mr.
Benvenuto ever worked at San Sigismundo, the City Archives or in any other place that had an archive
or library.  None of this is Halpern's fault. She was given these documents by others and she
believed them to be genuine. She invested years of her life researching their contents in good
faith, and the connections she drew were logical given the materials she had to work with. The team
respected her deeply, and Rick Lagina's relationship with her was genuine. The deception, if that is
what it was, was done to her as much as to anyone else. In fact, all facts indicate Don Ruh himself
is the forger. In an irony only life itself can produce, Zena's book and maps have spurred research
that she probably would have loved. The facts and datings found on Oak Island now could serve to
substantiate a Templar journey to Oak Island in the Middle Ages. The Rochefoucauld research stands
on its own merits. The artifacts found on Lots 4 and 5 are real. The carbon dates are real. The
questions she raised about pre-Columbian European contact with Nova Scotia continue to be worth
asking, regardless of the documents that prompted them. We can call her a visionary for that.

### Vikings
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/vikings

Long before the Lagina brothers, before the Onslow Company, before Daniel McGinnis found that
depression in the ground in 1795, someone else may have stood on the shores of Oak Island. The
Norse. We know for certain that Viking explorers reached North America around 1000 AD. The question
is how far south they travelled, and whether Oak Island bears the marks of their presence. The
Proven Foothold In 1960, Norwegian explorer Helge Ingstad and his archaeologist wife Anne Stine
discovered the remains of a Norse settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows on the northern tip of
Newfoundland. Excavations revealed the foundations of eight buildings, including a forge, a
carpentry workshop, and several dwellings. Radiocarbon dating placed the settlement around 1000 AD.
It was the first confirmed evidence of European presence in the Americas, nearly 500 years before
Columbus. UNESCO designated it a World Heritage Site in 1978. L'Anse aux Meadows sits roughly 1,200
kilometres northeast of Oak Island. For a civilisation that routinely crossed the open North
Atlantic between Scandinavia and Greenland, that distance was well within reach.
[site:l-anse-aux-meadows] The Sagas and the Lands Beyond Two Icelandic sagas describe the Norse
exploration of lands west of Greenland. The Saga of the Greenlanders and the Saga of Erik the Red
tell of Leif Erikson's voyages to places he named Helluland (likely Baffin Island), Markland (likely
Labrador), and Vinland, a land of wild grapes and mild winters. The location of Vinland has been
debated for over a century. Some scholars place it in Newfoundland. Others argue that the
description of wild grapes, self-sown wheat, and warm temperatures points much further south,
possibly to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, or even New England. If Vinland was Nova Scotia, the Norse
would have sailed directly past Mahone Bay and Oak Island. The sagas also describe subsequent
voyages by Thorfinn Karlsefni, who attempted to establish a permanent settlement in Vinland with a
crew of around 160 people. They stayed for several years before conflicts with the indigenous
population forced them to leave. These were not quick raids. The Norse came to stay. Evidence in
Nova Scotia Several finds in and around Nova Scotia have fuelled speculation about Norse activity in
the region. A Norse penny, minted during the reign of King Olaf III of Norway (1067-1093), was
discovered at the Goddard site in Brooklin, Maine in 1957. While some researchers believe it arrived
through indigenous trade networks, others see it as direct evidence of Norse contact along the
northeastern seaboard. Either way, it confirms that Norse objects were circulating in the region.
The Yarmouth Stone, found in southwestern Nova Scotia in 1812, bears markings that some researchers
have interpreted as runic inscriptions. The interpretation remains disputed, with others reading the
marks as natural weathering or later carvings. But the stone has kept the question of Norse presence
in Nova Scotia alive for over two centuries. [artifact:yarmouth-runic-stone] Oak Island Connections
On Oak Island itself, several discoveries have been examined through the lens of possible Norse
origin. A crossbow bolt recovered during excavations caught the attention of researchers because
crossbows were common weapons among Norse warriors and remained in use across Scandinavia well into
the medieval period. The style and construction of the bolt raised questions about its age and
origin. [artifact:crossbow-bolt] Wooden structures found deep in the Money Pit and surrounding
shafts have been carbon-dated to periods that overlap with the known range of Norse exploration.
While carbon dating provides a window rather than a precise date, and the wood could have been
placed at any point after the tree was felled, the dates have kept the Norse theory in the
conversation. Stone markers and carved features on the island have also drawn comparisons to Norse
navigational traditions. The Norse were known to use stone cairns, directional markers, and
landscape features to guide their movements across unfamiliar territory. Some researchers see echoes
of these practices on Oak Island, though separating Norse construction methods from later European
ones is notoriously difficult. The Engineering Question One of the strongest arguments against the
Norse theory is the sheer complexity of Oak Island's underground works. The Money Pit, the flood
tunnels, the carefully layered platforms of logs, charcoal, putty, and coconut fibre: this was
sophisticated engineering on a massive scale. Were the Norse capable of it? The answer is more
nuanced than it might seem. The Norse were exceptional builders. They constructed ocean-going
longships capable of crossing the Atlantic. They built elaborate stave churches with intricate
joinery and no nails. In Scandinavia, they dug extensive mining tunnels and constructed complex
drainage systems. But the coconut fibre found at Smith's Cove presents a problem. Coconuts do not
grow anywhere near Scandinavia or the North Atlantic. Their presence on Oak Island suggests contact
with tropical regions, which points more naturally toward later European powers with global trade
networks, such as the Templars, the Spanish, or the British. Unless, of course, the coconut fibre
represents a separate and later phase of construction, added to works that were originally begun by
someone else entirely. [artifact:coconut-fibre-money-pit] Norse or Not? The Norse theory for Oak
Island occupies an interesting middle ground. We know the Norse were in North America. We know they
were capable sailors, skilled engineers, and prolific explorers. We know they travelled through
waters that would have taken them within reach of Nova Scotia. What we lack is the single definitive
artefact: a clearly Norse object, recovered from a sealed context on Oak Island, with no possibility
of later placement. Without that, the Norse theory remains compelling but unproven. It is worth
noting that the same could be said of most Oak Island theories. The island has a way of offering
just enough evidence to keep every possibility alive, and never quite enough to settle the question.
If the Norse did reach Oak Island, they would have found exactly what every treasure hunter since
has found: a small, wooded island in a sheltered bay, with deep soil and natural drainage,
surrounded by the cold waters of the Atlantic. A place worth hiding something. A place worth
remembering.

### The Portuguese: The Order of Christ
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/the-portuguese-the-order-of-christ

The Order That Never Died When Pope Clement V dissolved the Knights Templar in 1312, the order was
dismantled across Europe. Knights were arrested, assets seized, leaders burned. But in Portugal,
King Denis I refused. Rather than destroy the Templars, he simply renamed them. In 1319, a papal
bull officially established the Ordem Militar de Cristo, the Military Order of Christ, granting it
all former Templar properties, personnel, and wealth. The headquarters remained at Tomar, in the
same Convento de Cristo the Templars had built. The knowledge, the traditions, and the mission
survived intact. [site:convento-de-cristo] What happened next changed the world. The Cross on Every
Sail In 1417, Prince Henry of Portugal, known to history as Henry the Navigator, became
administrator of the Order of Christ. Under his leadership, the Order channeled its vast
Templar-inherited wealth into something unprecedented: a systematic program of maritime exploration.
Henry established a navigation school at Sagres and funded voyage after voyage down the African
coast. The distinctive red Cross of Christ appeared on the sails of every Portuguese ship during the
Age of Discovery. This was not decoration. It was identification. The voyages were Order of Christ
operations. The roster of navigators who sailed under that cross reads like a roll call of
exploration itself. Bartolomeu Dias, who rounded the Cape of Good Hope in 1488. Vasco da Gama, who
reached India in 1498. Pedro Álvares Cabral, who claimed Brazil in 1500. Ferdinand Magellan,
whose expedition completed the first circumnavigation of the globe. Every one of them sailed under
the Cross of Christ. Every one of them was connected to the Order. These were not rogue adventurers.
They were agents of an institution with two centuries of Templar heritage, operating under royal
charter with access to resources, knowledge, and navigational expertise that no other European power
could match. Portuguese Footprints in Nova Scotia The Portuguese did not confine themselves to
southern waters. João Álvares Fagundes, a ship owner from Viana do Castelo, explored
the Nova Scotia coast around 1520 and attempted to establish a permanent settlement. With his
captain Pero de Barcelos and colonists mostly from the Azores, Fagundes charted Sable Island, Cape
Breton, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. King Manuel I granted him exclusive rights to the lands he
discovered. By 1521, approximately 200 settlers had established a fishing colony on Cape Breton
Island, possibly at Ingonish. The colony ultimately failed. Fagundes died in Portugal around 1522,
leaving the settlement without leadership. Harsh climate and conflict with indigenous populations
forced its abandonment. But the Portuguese had been there, and they left traces. When Samuel de
Champlain explored Nova Scotia in 1607, he reported finding an old, moss-covered cross near what is
now Advocate, Nova Scotia. Some researchers believe it was erected by Fagundes eighty years earlier.
The Lopo Homem map of 1554 includes Mi'kmaw place names along the Cape Breton coast, evidence of
sustained Portuguese-Mi'kmaq contact over decades. The Overton Stone In 2015, local historian Terry
Deveau presented the Oak Island team with his analysis of the Overton Stone, a large carved boulder
found near the town of Overton, not far from Oak Island. Deveau identified the cross carved into the
stone as stylistically consistent with padrão crosses, the stone markers Portuguese explorers
planted to claim territory during the Age of Discovery. The padrão tradition was directly
tied to the Order of Christ. Diogo Cão carved one at Yellala Rock on the Congo River in 1485.
Bartolomeu Dias erected one at the Cape of Good Hope. Vasco da Gama planted them along the East
African coast. These crosses were not simply Christian symbols. They were the Order's mark of
possession. Deveau proposed that the Overton Stone commemorates a friendship treaty between
Portuguese explorers and the local Mi'kmaq people. The carving includes tobacco leaves and an eagle
feather, both of deep spiritual significance in Mi'kmaw culture, alongside the crescent moon that
corresponds to their tradition of observing the lunar cycle. If Deveau is correct, the stone
represents documented contact between Order of Christ navigators and indigenous Nova Scotians,
within reach of Oak Island. [artifact:overton-stone] Artifacts on the Island Physical evidence of a
Portuguese presence on Oak Island has been steadily accumulating. Two stone cannonballs, or gun
stones, were found in separate seasons: one excavated from more than 100 feet deep in the Money Pit
area, another discovered by Gary Drayton near the swamp. Chemical analysis revealed both were made
from volcanic rock sourced from the Azores, a Portuguese territory. Museum experts in Portugal
confirmed they matched 14th and 15th century ship-mounted cannons of Portuguese origin.
[artifact:stone-shot] A fragment of what was identified as a Portuguese breech swivel gun was found
on Lot 4, in an area marked on Zena Halpern's map as "The Hole under the Hatch." Analysis by Dr.
Christa Brosseau confirmed the metal was consistent with cannon material, possibly of Portuguese
manufacture. [artifact:swivel-gun-metal] In Season 13, a hand cannon fragment was identified through
CT scanning, revealing a touch hole that confirmed its function. Maltese military historian Matthew
Balzan dated it to between the 1200s and early 1500s, and raised the possibility it had been
repurposed as a tool for directing gunpowder to fracture rock, a technique that would predate
conventional blasting and could connect to the construction of the island's stone road feature.
[artifact:barrel-of-a-hand-cannon] Perhaps most striking is the Portuguese coin: a billon
Tornês from the reign of King Ferdinand I, minted at Miranda do Douro between 1369 and 1370.
Its reverse carries a cross design that researcher Judi Rudebusch identified as resembling a Templar
cross, alongside a six-pointed star similar to symbols found at Fonte Arcada Church in northern
Portugal. [artifact:portuguese-torn-s-coin-pitblado-coin] The Stone Road When the triangular swamp
on Oak Island was drained and excavated, the team discovered a stone road and cobblestone pathway
leading toward the Money Pit. Historian Terry Deveau immediately noted its resemblance to road
construction techniques used by the Portuguese in the 1500s. The comparison was not casual. During
the team's trip to Portugal, guided by researcher Corjan Mol and Templar historian João
Fiandeiro, they visited Alqueidão Da Serra, where a medieval Portuguese stone road bears a
striking similarity to the one found in the Oak Island swamp. [map:stone-road] Tomar, Fontarcada,
and the Archives In Season 9, the Oak Island team traveled to Portugal to investigate the connection
directly. At the Convento de Cristo in Tomar, the 12th century Templar stronghold that became the
Order of Christ's headquarters, Corjan Mol drew attention to the aqueduct drainage system. He
believed it could have served as an engineering precedent for whoever constructed the finger drains
at Smith's Cove, the elaborate system designed to flood the Money Pit when disturbed. At the Church
of Fontarcada in Póvoa de Lanhoso, the team found cryptic symbols and carvings that appeared
to match those found on Oak Island. A well at Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra, built to match older
designs, was found to share the exact dimensions of the original Money Pit treasure shaft. While the
Sintra structure dates to the 19th century, it preserves construction traditions linked to the Order
of Christ and Masonic initiation rituals with deep roots. [site:church-of-fonte-arcada] A Theory
Built on Evidence The Portuguese theory does not rest on a single artifact or a speculative leap. It
is built on a convergence of physical evidence, documented history, and geographical logic. The
Order of Christ had the motive: it inherited the Templar mission and its secrets. It had the means:
the most advanced naval fleet in the world, funded by centuries of accumulated wealth. And it had
the opportunity: documented Portuguese expeditions to Nova Scotia spanning decades, including
attempts at permanent settlement within sailing distance of Oak Island. Stone shots from the Azores.
A coin from the reign of Ferdinand I. Cannon fragments matching Portuguese manufacture. A stone road
built using Portuguese techniques. Padrão-style crosses carved within miles of the island.
And behind all of it, an Order that carried the Templar cross on its sails to every corner of the
known world. The question is not whether the Portuguese reached Oak Island. The question is what
they did when they got there.

### Henry Sinclair, the Zeno voyage
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/henry-sinclair-the-zeno-voyage

The Zeno Narrative In 1558, a Venetian nobleman named Nicolò Zeno the Younger published a
collection of letters and a map that had been sitting in his family's archives for over a century.
The documents, attributed to his ancestors Niccolò and Antonio Zeno, described a series of
voyages through the North Atlantic in the 1390s under the command of a prince they called Zichmni.
The letters described how Niccolò Zeno had been shipwrecked in the North Atlantic and rescued
by this prince, who ruled over islands to the north of Scotland. In gratitude, the Zeno brothers
placed their considerable maritime expertise at Zichmni's disposal. What followed, according to the
narrative, was a systematic program of exploration that took the expedition from the Faroe Islands
to Iceland, to Greenland, and ultimately across the Atlantic to a land the Zenos called Estotilanda.
The Zeno Map that accompanied the letters proved remarkably accurate for its time. It charted the
North Atlantic with a precision that sailors of many nations relied on for the next 150 years. Some
researchers have noted that its accuracy raises its own questions: how could navigators in the 1390s
have produced a map this detailed, unless they were working from older charts, perhaps carried in
secrecy from the medieval East? Prince Zichmni The identification of Zichmni has been debated since
the letters were first published. In 1784, Johann Reinhold Forster proposed that Zichmni was in fact
Henry Sinclair, the first Earl of Orkney. The name, Forster argued, was a corruption introduced
through Venetian transliteration of a Scottish title. Henry Sinclair was born around 1345 and
inherited the titles of Baron of Roslin and Lord High Admiral of Scotland while still a teenager. In
1379, King Håkon of Norway invested him as Earl of Orkney, granting him dominion over both
Orkney and Shetland. He was, by any measure, a powerful northern lord with the resources and naval
authority to mount a transatlantic expedition. The Sinclair family's later history only deepens the
connection. Henry's grandson William Sinclair founded Rosslyn Chapel in 1446, a structure whose
elaborate carvings have fueled centuries of speculation about what the Sinclairs knew and when they
knew it. The Voyage of 1398 According to the Zeno Narrative, the expedition departed in the spring
of 1398 with a fleet of twelve ships and approximately 300 men. Antonio Zeno served as navigator.
Their route took them from Orkney to Iceland, then to Greenland, and finally six days' sailing west
to a landfall in Newfoundland. The reception in Newfoundland was hostile. The narrative describes
the expedition being attacked by indigenous people, with several men wounded and killed while
attempting to take on fresh water. Sinclair withdrew and continued south along the coast until
reaching a more welcoming harbor. The narrative describes what they found next: "We brought our
barks and our boats to land, and on entering an excellent harbor, we saw in the distance a great
hill that poured forth smoke." This description has been matched to the pitch deposits at Pictou and
Stellarton in Nova Scotia, the only location on the North American coast with the open bitumen seeps
described in the text. Mi'kmaq communities had long used these deposits and lived in nearby caves.
The timing of the arrival was established through a detail in the narrative itself. Sinclair named
their anchorage Trin Harbor, from Trinity. The fleet arrived, in Zeno's words, when "the month of
June came in." The only year between 1395 and 1402 when Trinity Sunday fell in early June was 1398.
Glooscap The Mi'kmaq people of Nova Scotia preserved no written records from the 14th century. But
their oral traditions carry a story that has drawn the attention of researchers for generations. The
Mi'kmaq tell of a figure called Glooscap, a powerful leader who arrived from across the sea. He came
from an island far away, traveled with many soldiers, had three daughters, and stayed for one winter
before departing. He told the people he would not return but would send others in his place. The
parallels to the Zeno Narrative are striking. A ruler from an island dominion. A military
expedition. A winter spent among indigenous people. A departure with a promise of future contact.
The Mi'kmaq held Glooscap in such regard that they celebrated his memory for centuries afterward,
calling him "the deceiver," a title of respect meaning he was skilled at outwitting his enemies.
Whether Glooscap and Sinclair are the same figure cannot be proven. But the convergence of a
European narrative describing a landing in Nova Scotia in 1398 and an indigenous oral tradition
describing the arrival of a foreign leader from across the sea is difficult to dismiss as
coincidence. The Westford Knight In Westford, Massachusetts, a glacial boulder bears markings that
have been debated since the 1870s. First described in 1873 as a possible Native American carving,
the pattern was reinterpreted in 1954 by Frank Glynn, president of the Connecticut Archaeological
Society, who identified it as the effigy of a medieval knight. Glynn, working with British
archaeologist T.C. Lethbridge, identified the weapon as a hand-and-a-half wheel pommel sword of a
type common in 14th century northern Britain. Heraldic analysis of the shield markings identified
devices consistent with the arms of Clan Gunn: a galley, a star, and two buckles. Sir James Gunn,
chief of Clan Gunn, is believed by proponents of the Sinclair theory to have traveled with the 1398
expedition and died during an inland exploration of Massachusetts. The Zeno Narrative mentions a
cousin of Zichmni who perished during the voyage, and the Westford carving, if genuine, would
represent a memorial to the fallen knight. The carving is contested. Archaeologist Kenneth Feder has
argued that the markings have appeared to improve over time rather than deteriorate, suggesting
modern enhancement. A forensic geologist, Scott Wolter, studied the stone's mineral weathering in
2007 and concluded the carvings predated colonial settlement. A bronze sculpture was added to the
site in 2015, and a glass covering now protects the original rock face. The modern monument nearby
states as fact that Sinclair traveled to Massachusetts in 1398. Rosslyn Chapel In 1446, Henry
Sinclair's grandson William began construction of Rosslyn Chapel, six miles south of Edinburgh. The
chapel took forty years to complete and contains some of the most elaborate stone carvings in
medieval Britain. Over a hundred Green Men peer from the stonework. Biblical scenes share space with
images that do not appear in any standard Christian iconography. Among the carvings that have
attracted the most attention are botanical forms around the window arches of the south aisle. Some
researchers, beginning with Andrew Sinclair in 1992 and Robert Lomas and Christopher Knight in 1996,
have identified these as depictions of maize and aloe, plants native to the Americas and unknown in
Europe at the time of construction. If the carvings do represent New World plants, the implication
is significant: the Sinclair family possessed knowledge of American flora decades before Columbus
sailed. William's grandfather had allegedly visited Nova Scotia in person. The identification is
disputed. Botanist Adrian Dyer examined the carvings and concluded that the forms were stylized
decorative patterns that only coincidentally resembled real plants. Archaeo-botanist Dr. Brian
Moffat identified the supposed maize as a highly stylized arum lily and noted that the carvings are
not naturalistic. Rosslyn Chapel's own website has wavered between endorsing and qualifying the
claim. What is not disputed is that the chapel was built by the Sinclair family, that the Sinclairs
held the Earldom of Orkney, and that the family's history is intertwined with the Zeno Narrative.
Whatever the carvings depict, they exist within a context where a transatlantic voyage by the
chapel's founder's grandfather is at least a documented claim, not a modern invention.
[site:rosslyn-chapel] The Templar Thread The connection between Henry Sinclair and the Knights
Templar is central to the Oak Island theory but also the most speculative element of the story. The
Templars were suppressed across Europe beginning in 1307, more than ninety years before the alleged
voyage. Scotland under Robert the Bruce, who had been excommunicated by the Pope, is widely believed
to have offered refuge to fleeing Templars who were no longer welcome elsewhere in Christendom. The
Sinclair family's territory bordered the Gunn lands in Caithness, in the far north of Scotland, and
Orkney was about as far from papal authority as one could get in medieval Europe. Proponents of the
theory argue that Templar refugees brought with them not only their military expertise but also
their accumulated treasures and navigational knowledge, possibly including charts of the western
Atlantic predating any known European exploration. Sinclair's 1398 voyage, in this reading, was not
a voyage of discovery but a mission with a specific destination, guided by maps the Templars had
carried to Scotland nearly a century earlier. The Sinclair family's own later history complicates
matters. When the Templars were put on trial in Edinburgh in 1309, the Sinclair family testified
against them. This is an inconvenient fact for the theory, though defenders note that public
testimony against an order marked for destruction by both King and Pope may not reflect private
alliances. A Theory in the Balance The Zeno Voyage theory rests on a single documentary source
published 160 years after the events it describes, supported by contested physical evidence and
indigenous oral tradition. The Zeno Narrative has been called a fabrication by some historians and a
genuine record by others. The Westford Knight may be a medieval memorial or a glacial scratch
enhanced by modern enthusiasts. The Rosslyn carvings may depict American plants or European lilies.
But the narrative does describe a voyage to a land whose geography matches Nova Scotia. The Mi'kmaq
do preserve traditions of a foreign leader arriving by sea. A map accompanied the letters that
proved accurate enough for navigators to use for 150 years. And the Sinclair family, whose genealogy
is not in dispute, did hold dominion over the very islands from which the voyage allegedly departed.
The theory asks whether a powerful Scottish earl with Venetian navigators, a dozen ships, and 300
men could have crossed the Atlantic in 1398. The Vikings had done it four centuries earlier with
less. The question, as with all Oak Island theories, is not whether the voyage was possible. It is
whether it happened, and if it did, what the expedition left behind.

### Pirates
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/pirates

The pirate theory is where Oak Island begins. Not as history, but as a story people believed in
enough to start digging. When Daniel McGinnis found that depression in the ground in 1795, the name
on everyone's lips was Captain Kidd. More than two centuries later, the question of whether pirates
could have built the Money Pit remains open. It is the oldest theory, the most popular, and in many
ways the hardest to kill. The Legend That Started It All The original story, first recorded in print
in 1863, tells of a dying sailor from the crew of Captain Kidd who confessed that treasure worth two
million pounds had been buried on an island "east of Boston." The tale had been circulating among
New England settlers for decades before McGinnis ever set foot on Oak Island. When he found that
circular depression beneath an old oak tree, with a ship's tackle block hanging from one of the
branches, it was the Kidd legend he thought of first. That assumption shaped everything that
followed. The Onslow Company, the Truro Company, and every early expedition dug with pirates in
mind. The Money Pit was, from its very first excavation, understood as a pirate vault.
[article:captain-kidd-and-the-hidden-maps] Pirate Country The pirate theory rests on geography as
much as legend. Mahone Bay, where Oak Island sits among more than 360 islands, was ideally suited to
piracy. The bay takes its name from the French word "mahonne," a type of low-lying barge used by
pirates who frequented these waters. Natural mountain barriers shielded the bay by land, while the
Tancook Islands at its mouth offered shelter from the open Atlantic. Anyone docking on the south
shore of Oak Island would have been invisible from the bay's entrance, hidden behind a dense canopy
of oak trees that gave the island its name. During the Golden Age of Piracy, roughly 1690 to 1730,
Nova Scotia was largely unsettled by Europeans but heavily trafficked by ships. The coastline
offered hundreds of hidden coves and deep harbours where a vessel could anchor without being seen.
The rich fishing grounds off Newfoundland and Nova Scotia drew thousands of fishermen and sailors
every summer, and historian Dan Conlin has noted that pirate crews regularly visited these waters to
recruit from the fishing fleets and stock up on food and supplies before heading south as cold
weather arrived. The region was one of four areas central to the Golden Age, valued less for what
could be taken from it than for what it could provide. Documented pirate activity in and near Nova
Scotia confirms the pattern. Peter Easton operated a fleet of up to 40 ships from Harbour Grace,
Newfoundland, as early as 1612, raiding European fishing fleets along the coast. In 1720, the pirate
Ned Low terrorised fishing fleets at Shelburne. That same year, Bartholomew Roberts raided Canso and
captured ships around Cape Breton before attacking the harbour at Trepassey, Newfoundland, where he
seized 22 merchant vessels and 150 fishing ships. By the mid-1720s, the governor of Fortress
Louisbourg was so alarmed by the ongoing pirate threat that he requested additional naval protection
from France. For more than a century, pirates and privateers treated Nova Scotia's coastline as a
place to recruit, resupply, careen their ships, and disappear. The Pirates Captain William Kidd is
the most famous name attached to the Oak Island story and the one whose legend started the digging.
His confirmed burial of treasure on Gardiners Island in 1699 proves that at least one pirate did
hide valuables along the Atlantic coast. Henry Every, the "King of Pirates," pulled off the richest
pirate raid in history when he seized the Mughal ship Ganj-i-Sawai in 1695 and then vanished
completely. His treasure was never recovered, and 17th century Yemeni coins consistent with his
plunder have since turned up at sites across Rhode Island and Massachusetts, proving his crew passed
through New England waters. One version of the theory places Kidd and Every as partners in a
communal bank on Oak Island, hiding their combined riches in a shared vault. The communal bank
theory extends further. Beginning around 1625 and spanning into the 1700s, pirates operating out of
Port Royal, Jamaica, including Sir Henry Morgan, Jean Levasseur, and Bartholomew Sharp, may have
used Oak Island as a collective stash over decades. Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, adds
another thread through his famous boast that he buried his treasure "where none but Satan and myself
can find it." Peter Easton, arguably the wealthiest and most powerful pirate of the early 17th
century, operated from Newfoundland with a fleet large enough to rival a navy. Marty Lagina has
named Easton as the most likely pirate candidate for Oak Island.
[article:peter-easton-the-pirate-admiral][article:blackbeard-the-devil-s-bargain][article:la-buse-and-the-unsolved-cryptogram]
Sailors, Soldiers, and Specialists The standard objection to the pirate theory is engineering. The
Money Pit, with its precisely layered platforms, its fills of charcoal, putty, and coconut fibre,
and its apparent flood tunnel system, required skills that most pirate crews did not possess.
Pirates were sailors and fighters, not civil engineers. The objection holds if "pirate" means a
disorganised crew between raids, but the line between pirate and privateer was thin and frequently
crossed. Privateer crews, operating under government commission, routinely included former naval
officers, experienced navigators, military engineers, and tradesmen drawn from merchant and military
backgrounds. Peter Easton held a royal commission before turning pirate. William Kidd sailed under
letters of marque from the King of England. Blackbeard served as a privateer during Queen Anne's
War. Among ordinary crew, skills varied widely. The Cornish miner's pick recovered from 127 feet
during William Chappell's 1931 excavation has drawn attention from pirate theorists who note that
Henry Every was known to recruit west countrymen, many of whom would have had experience working the
tin mines of Cornwall. A privateer crew with access to military engineers, carpenters, and miners
could command a broader range of construction skills than the popular image of piracy suggests. The
Case Against Scale remains the strongest argument against the pirate theory. A shaft over a hundred
feet deep, with layered oak platforms, imported coconut fibre from the tropics, and a flood tunnel
system engineered to protect it, represents months of organised labour by a large workforce. The
coconut fibre alone, found in large quantities at Smith's Cove, implies supply chains reaching into
tropical latitudes, a level of logistics beyond anything documented in pirate operations. And a
project of this size would have been difficult to keep secret. Pirates drank, talked, and moved
between crews. Beyond the dying sailor legend, no confession, rumour, or boast connecting a specific
pirate crew to Oak Island has ever surfaced. The Simplest Explanation The pirate theory persists
because it answers the most basic question about Oak Island: why there? Small, wooded, uninhabited,
sheltered in a bay already known to pirates, accessible by sea but invisible from the mainland. The
geography fits, and the timeline works. Carbon dating of wood and other materials recovered from the
pit has returned dates ranging from the early 1600s to the mid-1700s, a window that encompasses the
careers of Easton, Kidd, Every, Blackbeard, and dozens of other pirates operating in Atlantic
waters. The pirate theory is the oldest explanation for Oak Island, and whatever lies beneath the
island, the pirates got there first in the imagination.

### La Buse and the Unsolved Cryptogram
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/la-buse-and-the-unsolved-cryptogram

On the afternoon of July 7, 1730, a French pirate named Olivier Levasseur stood on the scaffold at
Saint-Denis, on the island of Bourbon in the Indian Ocean. He had been captured near Fort Dauphin in
Madagascar after nine years in hiding, and the charges against him were not in dispute. Levasseur
had plundered ships across two oceans for the better part of fifteen years. According to a legend
that has proven impossible to kill, he tore a necklace from his neck in his final moments, hurled it
into the watching crowd, and shouted: "Mes tresors a qui saura comprendre." My treasures to he who
will know how to understand. Inside the necklace was a slip of paper bearing seventeen lines of
coded symbols. Nearly three hundred years later, the code has never been solved and the treasure has
never been found. The Buzzard Levasseur was born in Calais around 1688, during the Nine Years' War.
Most accounts describe him as the son of a wealthy bourgeois family, well educated, possibly trained
as an architect. When the War of the Spanish Succession broke out in 1701, he obtained a letter of
marque from King Louis XIV and became a privateer for the French crown, raiding enemy ships in the
Caribbean. He was, in other words, a licensed pirate, operating with royal authority in the same
Atlantic waters that wash the coast of Nova Scotia. When the war ended in 1714, Levasseur was
ordered to return home with his ship. He refused. In 1716 he joined the pirate company of Benjamin
Hornigold, whose crew at that time included a young Edward Teach, not yet known as Blackbeard.
Levasseur also sailed with Samuel Bellamy, the so-called "Prince of Pirates," whose ship the Whydah
was discovered off Cape Cod in 1984 carrying over four tons of gold and silver. These were not
isolated operators. They were members of an interconnected Atlantic pirate network that stretched
from the Caribbean to the African coast, from New England to Madagascar. Levasseur earned his
nickname La Buse, "The Buzzard," for the speed and ferocity with which he attacked. By 1719,
Levasseur had moved his operations to the Indian Ocean, working alongside pirates Howell Davis,
Thomas Cocklyn, John Taylor, and Edward England off the coast of West Africa and Madagascar. It was
this partnership with John Taylor that would lead to the single richest pirate capture in recorded
history. The Nossa Senhora do Cabo On April 8, 1721, Levasseur and Taylor, commanding the ships
Victory and Cassandra, arrived at the island of Reunion. There they found a 700-ton Portuguese cargo
ship, the Nossa Senhora do Cabo, lying at anchor at Saint-Denis. The ship had been caught in a
violent storm on its voyage from Goa to Lisbon. Its main mast was broken, and two-thirds of its 72
cannons had been thrown overboard to prevent the ship from capsizing. It was, in every sense, a
sitting target. The pirates boarded without resistance. What they found in the holds has been
described by one historian as a "floating treasure house." The Nossa Senhora was carrying the
retiring Viceroy of Portuguese India and the Archbishop of Goa, both returning to Lisbon with the
accumulated wealth of their offices. The cargo included bars of gold and silver, chests of golden
guineas, diamonds, pearls, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, fine silks, spices, religious art, and
sacred vessels. Among the haul was an object that would become the centrepiece of the legend: the
Flaming Cross of Goa, a crucifix said to stand seven feet tall, wrought from pure gold and encrusted
with diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. It was so heavy that three men were required to carry it from
the ship to the pirates' vessel. The plunder was so vast that the pirates did not bother to rob the
passengers of their personal belongings. The Viceroy was released for a ransom of 2,000 dollars.
When the spoils were divided, each ordinary crew member received approximately 50,000 pounds in
golden guineas and 42 diamonds. Levasseur and Taylor, as captains, claimed the lion's share of the
remaining gold, silver, and artefacts. Levasseur took the Flaming Cross. Nine Years in Hiding After
the Nossa Senhora raid, Levasseur attempted to retire. He settled in the Seychelles, hoping to live
quietly on his fortune. The French government offered amnesty to any pirate who surrendered, but
there was a condition: the pirate must forfeit his treasure. Levasseur refused. He became a
fugitive, moving between the islands of the Indian Ocean for nearly a decade. He was finally
captured in 1730 near Fort Dauphin, Madagascar, and transported aboard the naval vessel La Meduse to
Saint-Denis on Bourbon Island, where he was sentenced to hang. The details of what happened at the
scaffold vary by source. Some accounts describe the necklace and the cryptogram. Others say the
coded paper was concealed on his person. What most versions agree on is the challenge he issued to
the crowd: find my treasure, if you can understand the clue. The Cryptogram The seventeen-line
cipher that bears Levasseur's name first appeared in print in 1934, when the French historian and
librarian Charles de La Ronciere published a book titled Le Flibustier Mysterieux: Histoire d'un
tresor cache. La Ronciere claimed to have received the cryptogram through a chain of possession
running from the original document through a notary on the island of Mahe in the Seychelles, a woman
named Madame Savy who was a descendant of a pirate named Nageon de L'Estang, and eventually to the
Bibliotheque Nationale de France in Paris. La Ronciere identified the cipher as a pigpen cipher, a
geometric substitution system in which letters of the alphabet are replaced by fragments of a grid
pattern. This was not an obscure method. The pigpen cipher was widely used by the Freemasons
throughout the eighteenth century to encrypt lodge records, ritual documents, and correspondence
between lodges. It was so closely associated with the fraternity that it became known simply as the
Freemason's Cipher. Variations of the same system had been used by the Rosicrucians since the early
seventeenth century, and there is evidence of the Knights Templar employing a related substitution
cipher during the Crusades. The cryptogram of Olivier Levasseur. La Ronciere decrypted the cipher
into French plaintext, but the result was largely incomprehensible. Fragments of recognisable French
appeared alongside garbled text that read more like a folk remedy or a spell than a set of
directions to buried treasure. One line appeared to reference cooking pigeons and removing their
hearts. Whether this was the result of deliberate obfuscation, repeated miscopying over two
centuries, or a cipher that requires an additional key to fully decode has been debated ever since.
Some researchers believe the symbols contain embedded numerical values that function as coordinates
or measurements, hidden within what appears to be nonsense text. Others have concluded that the
cryptogram is a twentieth-century invention by La Ronciere himself, noting that no mention of a
coded document, a necklace, or a gallows speech appears in any contemporary account of Levasseur's
execution. The Wreck In July 2025, archaeologists from the Center for Historic Shipwreck
Preservation in Massachusetts confirmed what treasure hunters had long suspected. The wreck of the
Nossa Senhora do Cabo had been found on the seafloor near Nosy Boraha, a small island off the
northeast coast of Madagascar that was once the most notorious pirate haven in the Indian Ocean.
After sixteen years of fieldwork, the team led by Brandon Clifford and Mark Agostini of Brown
University identified the wreck through analysis of hull remains, artefact assemblages, and primary
source accounts. Among the more than 3,300 artefacts recovered from the site were gold coins
inscribed with Arabic writing, pieces of Chinese porcelain, cowrie shells, and religious figurines
carved from wood and ivory, including an image of the Virgin Mary and an ivory plaque bearing the
inscription "INRI" in gold letters. These devotional objects were almost certainly made in Goa and
were being shipped to Lisbon when the pirates intervened. The estimated value of the recovered
material exceeds 138 million dollars. The Flaming Cross of Goa was not among the finds, consistent
with the historical accounts that Levasseur took it with him when the spoils were divided. The Oak
Island Connection Levasseur's treasure is traditionally associated with the Indian Ocean, not the
Atlantic. The searches for his buried hoard have focused on the Seychelles, Reunion, and Madagascar.
No artefact recovered on Oak Island has been directly linked to the Nossa Senhora do Cabo or to
Levasseur personally. But the connections that run beneath the surface are harder to dismiss.
Levasseur began his career as a privateer for Louis XIV in the Caribbean, operating in the same
Atlantic waters and during the same decades as the activity dated on Oak Island by carbon analysis.
He sailed with Benjamin Hornigold, Edward Teach, and Samuel Bellamy, all of whom worked the Atlantic
seaboard from the Caribbean to New England. The pirate networks of this period did not respect the
boundaries that modern maps impose. A captain who sailed the Caribbean in 1716 could be operating
off West Africa in 1719 and the Indian Ocean in 1721. The routes were fluid, the crews were
interchangeable, and the harbours of Nova Scotia sat directly on the shipping lanes between Europe,
the Caribbean, and the African coast. Then there is the cipher itself. The pigpen system used in the
Levasseur cryptogram is a Masonic cipher, and Freemasonry is woven through Oak Island's documented
history at every level. Frederick Blair, R.V. Harris, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and many of the early
searchers were Freemasons. The inscribed stone reportedly found in the Money Pit at ninety feet,
bearing symbols that no one could read, has invited comparison with coded Masonic systems for over
two centuries. If Levasseur was a Freemason, as the cipher strongly suggests, he belonged to the
same fraternal network that appears repeatedly in the Oak Island record. Levasseur's associate
Nageon de L'Estang adds another thread. Among L'Estang's possessions were found letters referring to
Levasseur's treasure, including three additional cryptograms and two letters said to reveal the
locations of hidden caches across the Indian Ocean. In one letter to his brother, L'Estang wrote
that Levasseur, whom he called "our captain," had made sure L'Estang was a Freemason before
entrusting him with his papers and secrets. The deliberate confirmation of Masonic membership before
the transfer of treasure documents is a detail that resonates with the fraternal secrecy that
characterises so much of the Oak Island story. The Parallel Whether Levasseur's treasure lies
beneath the Seychelles, on the seafloor off Madagascar, or somewhere else entirely, his story
mirrors Oak Island's in ways that go beyond the obvious pirate connection. Both involve an
elaborately concealed treasure. Both involve a coded message that has resisted solution. Both
involve Masonic symbolism at critical junctures. And both have consumed the lives of searchers who
were unable to walk away. Reginald Cruise-Wilkins stumbled across the Levasseur mystery in 1947
while recovering from malaria in the Seychelles. He spent the rest of his life excavating on Mahe
Island, finding pirate-era artefacts but never the main cache. After his death, his son John took up
the search. As of the most recent reports, John Cruise-Wilkins was still digging. The pattern will
be familiar to anyone who has followed Oak Island. The treasure is always close. The evidence is
always tantalising. The next dig is always the one that will break through. What makes Levasseur's
story distinct is the cryptogram. Oak Island has its inscribed stone, its mysterious symbols, its
geometric alignments. Levasseur had seventeen lines of pigpen cipher and a dying challenge to a
crowd of strangers. Both puzzles remain unsolved. Both continue to attract people who believe the
answer is there, waiting for someone with the right key.

### William Phips, the Treasure of the Concepción
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/william-phips-the-treasure-of-the-concepcion

Of all the theories surrounding Oak Island, few are grounded in as much documented history as the
case for Sir William Phips. Born on the Maine frontier in 1651, Phips rose from humble origins as a
shepherd boy and ship's carpenter to become one of the most remarkable figures in colonial New
England. He would recover a fortune in Spanish silver from the bottom of the Caribbean, receive a
knighthood from the King of England, lead military campaigns across Nova Scotia, and serve as the
first royally appointed governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay. Along the way, according to a
theory first advanced by researchers Graham Harris and Les MacPhie, he may also have built the Oak
Island Money Pit. The Treasure of the Concepción The story begins with a shipwreck. On
September 20, 1641, the Spanish treasure fleet set sail from Havana bound for Seville. Among its
vessels was the Nuestra Señora de la Pura y Limpia Concepción, a 600-ton galleon
serving as vice-flagship, her hold packed with silver from the mines of Mexico and Potosí
alongside silks, porcelain, and jade from the Orient trade. Already leaking from an earlier
hurricane and fitted with an undersized rudder, the Concepción was dangerously unseaworthy.
Eight days out, a second hurricane struck. The fleet scattered, and the crippled galleon drifted for
weeks under a jury-rigged sail before running aground on the Silver Bank reef north of Hispaniola on
October 31, 1641. Most of her crew survived, but the vast treasure sank with the ship. For more than
four decades, Spanish, English, and Dutch salvors searched for the wreck without success. Then
William Phips entered the picture. A self-taught mariner with a talent for persuasion, Phips
convinced the Duke of Albemarle and other English investors to finance an expedition. In January
1687, his divers located the Concepción on the reef. Over the following months, working with
local free-divers and improvised salvage equipment, Phips and his crew recovered silver coins,
bullion, doubloons, jewellery, and other valuables weighing more than 30 tons. The haul was
officially valued at over £205,000, a staggering sum for the period. Phips returned to England
a hero. King James II knighted him in June 1687, appointed him Provost Marshal General of the
Dominion of New England, and claimed a royal share of the proceeds. Phips received roughly
£11,000 for himself, enough to make him one of the wealthiest men in the colonies. The
Glorious Revolution The political landscape that followed is where the Oak Island theory takes
shape. James II, a Catholic monarch deeply unpopular with England's Protestant majority, faced
growing opposition from powerful figures determined to remove him from power. Among them was Lord
Charles Mordaunt, a political exile living in Holland, who was actively courting William III, Prince
of Orange, to invade England and seize the throne. What Mordaunt needed was money to finance an
invasion force of over 600 vessels and 40,000 men. In September 1687, a return expedition sailed
from Portsmouth to the Concepción wreck site. The flotilla included HMS Foresight under Sir
John Narborough, Phips aboard his vessel the Good Luck, and several other ships. Lord Mordaunt
arrived at the wreck in February 1688 with four men-of-war. While the official record claims the
second expedition recovered little treasure, the theory advanced by Harris and MacPhie, and later
expanded by Oak Island historian Hammerson Peters, argues otherwise. Mordaunt returned to Holland in
mid-1688, and within months, the invasion of England was underway. William III's forces landed at
Torbay in November 1688, and James II fled the country in what became known as the Glorious
Revolution. Mordaunt was soon rewarded with the post of Lord of the Treasury, an appointment Harris
and MacPhie considered telling given his well-known inability to manage his own finances. According
to the theory, Phips sailed separately from the wreck site to Nova Scotia aboard the Good Luck,
carrying a portion of the recovered silver. On Oak Island, he and his crew constructed the Money Pit
to secure the treasure. But the plan went wrong. An underground cavern collapsed during
construction, flooding the shaft and trapping the deposit beyond recovery. Phips sailed for England
to report the disaster. Over the following decades, the Crown allegedly dispatched engineering teams
to retrieve the treasure, but each attempt failed. By the 1750s, the theory holds, the British
government decided to booby-trap the island with flood tunnels and defensive shafts rather than
allow the lost silver to fall into other hands. Phips in Nova Scotian Waters What makes the theory
especially compelling is the documented record of Phips operating extensively in the waters around
Nova Scotia. In 1690, he commanded a Massachusetts militia force of seven ships and roughly 450 men
against French Acadia, capturing Port Royal on May 21 after its governor surrendered. Later that
year, he led a larger but ultimately unsuccessful expedition against Quebec. These campaigns
demonstrate that Phips was thoroughly familiar with the Nova Scotian coastline and had the maritime
resources to reach Oak Island. His known movements between Boston, the Caribbean, England, and the
Maritime provinces place him in the right waters at the right time. Phips went on to become the
first royally appointed governor of Massachusetts in 1692, a position secured through the influence
of Increase Mather and the favour of the new Protestant monarchs. His tenure was marked by the Salem
witch trials, which he initially enabled by establishing the Court of Oyer and Terminer but later
shut down after the accusations spiralled out of control. He died in London on February 18, 1695, at
the age of 44, leaving behind a legacy that intertwines treasure hunting, colonial politics, and
religious upheaval. The Masonic Thread A layer of Masonic connections adds further intrigue. During
seasons 11 and 12 of The Curse of Oak Island, 32nd-degree Freemason and historical researcher Scott
Clarke presented evidence linking Phips to a chain of Masonic figures with direct ties to Oak
Island. Clarke noted that Captain Andrew Belcher, a Nova Scotia mariner and Freemason, worked
closely with Phips during the Concepción salvage and was later entrusted with inventorying
Captain William Kidd's treasure on Gardiner's Island. Belcher's grandson, Jonathan Belcher, served
as Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia and was himself a Freemason. Jonathan Belcher's subordinate,
Chief Surveyor Charles Morris, another Freemason, created a 1762 map of Mahone Bay that divided Oak
Island into 32 lots, making it the only island in the bay to be subdivided in this manner. Clarke
argued that this chain of Masonic insiders, spanning three generations, may have known about the
treasure on Oak Island and taken deliberate steps to monitor or protect it. Evidence from the Island
Physical discoveries on Oak Island have lent growing support to the Phips timeline.
Archaeometallurgist Emma Culligan, working with the Oak Island team during seasons 11 and 12,
identified iron artifacts recovered from Lot 5 whose chemical composition, specifically a high
aluminium-to-silicon ratio in trace impurities, matched iron objects from Phips' birthplace and home
site in colonial New England. Carmen Legge, the team's blacksmithing expert, examined copper and
iron fragments from the same area and dated them to the late 1600s to early 1700s based on their
construction and alloy composition. Additional artifacts from Lot 5, including iron straps
consistent with a fortified strongbox, copper pieces possibly from a jewellery box or chest, a
Tudor-period British coin bearing a portcullis, and 17th-century Venetian trade beads, all fall
within the Phips-era window. Beyond Lot 5, broader evidence from the island aligns with the theory.
Several pieces of wood recovered from the Money Pit area have been carbon-dated to the late 1600s
and early 1700s. Two human bone fragments found in Season 5, one of European origin and one of
Middle Eastern origin, were carbon-dated to the late 1600s through mid-1700s. Core samples from the
Oak Island swamp indicate human activity between approximately 1674 and 1700. A 16th or 17th-century
English pickaxe has also been recovered. None of these findings prove the Phips theory on their own,
but taken together, they establish a consistent pattern of activity on Oak Island during the precise
period when Phips was operating in the region. An Open Case The William Phips theory remains
circumstantial. No document has surfaced placing Phips on Oak Island, and the discrepancy between
his reported treasure deliveries and what he may have kept remains a matter of interpretation rather
than proof. But the theory has strengths that many competing explanations lack. It is anchored in a
verified historical figure with documented access to enormous wealth, proven familiarity with Nova
Scotian waters, and a political motive for concealment. The timeline matches the physical evidence.
And the Masonic network connecting Phips to later Oak Island history provides a plausible mechanism
for the secret to have been maintained across generations. Whether Phips built the Money Pit or
merely passed through the same waters that others used before and after him, his story has become
one of the most persuasive frameworks for understanding what may lie beneath Oak Island.

### Blackbeard, the Devil's Bargain
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/blackbeard-the-devil-s-bargain

The Pirate Who Built a Brand Edward Teach was likely born in Bristol around the 1680s, though almost
nothing is known of his early life. He served as a privateer during Queen Anne's War, the North
American theatre of the War of the Spanish Succession, gaining experience in combat and seamanship
under legitimate commission. When the war ended and the privateering commissions dried up, Teach,
like hundreds of other former privateers, turned to piracy. His first documented appearance in the
historical record comes in late 1716, when he was serving under the English pirate captain Benjamin
Hornigold in the waters around the Bahamas. Teach quickly distinguished himself. In November 1717,
he captured La Concorde, a large French slave ship, off the coast of Saint Vincent. He armed it with
40 cannons, renamed it the Queen Anne's Revenge, and began a twelve-month campaign of piracy that
would make him the most feared marauder on the Atlantic seaboard. He attacked more than thirty
English, French, and Spanish merchant vessels. He blockaded the port of Charleston, South Carolina,
for several days, holding an entire city's shipping hostage in exchange for a chest of medicine. He
cultivated terror as a weapon: a tall, broad man with a thick black beard tied into pigtails, who
lit slow-burning fuses under his hat during battle to shroud himself in smoke. The image was
deliberate. Teach understood that a ship that surrendered without a fight was more profitable than
one that had to be taken by force. The Quote Blackbeard's connection to Oak Island comes down to six
words. According to "A General History of the Robberies and Murders of the Most Notorious Pyrates,"
published in 1724 under the name Captain Charles Johnson, one of Teach's crew asked him the night
before his final battle whether his wife knew where his treasure was buried. Teach reportedly
replied that nobody knew where it was "but himself and the Devil," and that the one who lived
longest should take all. The General History, likely written by Daniel Defoe or a contemporary,
appeared six years after Teach's death and is the single source for this exchange. The book is a
mixture of genuine research, second-hand accounts, and outright fabrication, and historians have
long debated which portions can be trusted. The quote may record an actual conversation relayed by
surviving crew members who were captured and interrogated. It may also be a literary invention
designed to sell books to a public hungry for pirate lore. There is no independent corroboration.
Regardless of its authenticity, the quote attached itself to the Oak Island story early and has
never let go. A buried treasure that only the Devil could find, on an island where six men have died
searching: the narrative appeal is obvious, even if the evidentiary basis is thin. The Missing
Fortune If Blackbeard accumulated a significant treasure during his career, it has never been found.
In June 1718, the Queen Anne's Revenge ran aground near Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina. What is
believed to be the wreck was discovered by divers in November 1996. Hundreds of thousands of
artefacts have been recovered from the site in the decades since, including cannons, sword hilts,
gold fragments, navigational instruments, and coins from the reign of Queen Anne. No large store of
gold or silver was found aboard. After losing his flagship, Teach retreated to Ocracoke Island
aboard the smaller Adventure. He accepted a royal pardon from Governor Charles Eden of North
Carolina and briefly played at respectability, but was soon back to raiding. On 22 November 1718,
Lieutenant Robert Maynard engaged Teach in close combat under orders from the Governor of Virginia,
Alexander Spotswood. Teach boarded Maynard's sloop and was killed in the fighting, reportedly
sustaining five gunshot wounds and twenty sword cuts before falling. Maynard cut off his head and
hung it from the bowsprit. In the two weeks that followed, Maynard's men searched Ocracoke Island
for the rumoured treasure. They were disappointed. The total haul amounted to casks of sugar, cocoa,
indigo dye, a few bales of cotton, and a small quantity of gold dust. If Teach had a fortune hidden
somewhere, it was not at Ocracoke, and it was not aboard his ships. The Oak Island Connection The
most detailed case for Blackbeard's involvement with Oak Island was put forward by Jesse E. Boyd in
a 1990 article published in the magazine Treasure Search/Found. Boyd proposed that Teach and his
sometime partner Stede Bonnet, the so-called "Gentleman Pirate," used Oak Island as a haven where
they could careen their ships and clean their barnacle-encrusted hulls with little fear of
discovery. According to Boyd, Teach recovered a portion of a Spanish treasure fleet that was wrecked
by a hurricane off the coast of Florida, and stored it on the island. Boyd's evidence was
circumstantial at best. His most compelling point was a local legend that two Nova Scotian fishermen
disappeared while investigating mysterious lights on Oak Island sometime around 1720, roughly
coinciding with the final years of Teach's career. Beyond this, the case rested on geographical
possibility rather than documented fact. Nova Scotia's coastline, with its hundreds of sheltered
coves and uninhabited islands, certainly lay within the broader operating range of Golden Age
pirates. Ned Low terrorised fishing fleets at Shelburne in 1720, and the governor of Fortress
Louisbourg requested additional French naval protection against the pirate threat in the mid-1720s.
Pirates were active in these waters. Whether Teach specifically was among them is another question
entirely. The Problem Blackbeard's pirate career lasted roughly two years, from late 1716 to
November 1718. That is an extraordinarily short window in which to accumulate a fortune large enough
to justify the engineering effort the Money Pit represents, transport it to Nova Scotia, and
construct an elaborate underground vault to protect it. His known movements during this period place
him almost exclusively in the Caribbean and along the coast between the Carolinas and Virginia. No
documented voyage takes him north of the Chesapeake. There is also a question of means. Despite his
fearsome reputation, Teach may not have been as wealthy as the legend suggests. The inventory
recovered after his death was modest. Pirate crews divided their plunder according to strict
articles of agreement, with the captain typically receiving only two shares to a common sailor's
one. Whatever Teach accumulated was split among dozens of men. The image of a pirate sitting atop a
mountain of gold is largely a creation of 18th century publishing and 19th century illustration,
particularly Howard Pyle's influential paintings for Harper's Magazine in the 1880s. No artefact
recovered from Oak Island has been attributed to Blackbeard. No archival document, ship's log, or
crew testimony places him in Mahone Bay. The connection rests entirely on a quote of uncertain
provenance, a geographical possibility, and the enduring appeal of the most famous pirate who ever
lived. In the hierarchy of Oak Island theories, Blackbeard is more myth than evidence, a name that
attaches itself to buried treasure the way barnacles attach to a hull: persistently, but without
much to hold onto.

### The Knights Baronet
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/the-knights-baronet

Of all the theories surrounding Oak Island, the Knights Baronet may be the most overlooked, and one
of the most historically grounded. It does not rely on legends of medieval monks fleeing persecution
or pirates burying plunder between raids. It begins with a documented act of the British Crown, a
royal charter signed on September 10, 1621, that handed an entire province to a single Scottish
courtier and created a hereditary order of knights with direct authority over the land where Oak
Island sits. The theory was brought to prominence by the late James McQuiston, a historian, author,
and Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, who spent years tracing the connections
between this knightly order, the earlier military orders of medieval Scotland, and the mystery of
Oak Island. His research, presented multiple times in the War Room on The Curse of Oak Island and
developed across more than a dozen books, remains one of the most methodical and historically
rigorous contributions to the Oak Island story. The Creation of Nova Scotia In the early 1600s, King
James I of England (simultaneously King James VI of Scotland) wanted control of the vast stretch of
North American territory between his colonies in Virginia and Newfoundland. The problem was the
French. Samuel de Champlain and Pierre Dugua had established settlements in Acadia, and the oldest
of these, Port-Royal, sat on the Bay of Fundy in what is now western Nova Scotia. The French were
already there, and they were not leaving. Sir William Alexander of Menstrie, a Scottish poet,
courtier, and tutor to the young Prince Henry, proposed a solution. He would establish a "New
Scotland" in the heart of French Acadia, replacing Catholic settlers with Scottish Protestant ones.
King James agreed. On September 10, 1621, he granted Alexander the charter for Nova Scotia, making
him lord proprietor of a territory encompassing what are now the three Maritime Provinces and the
Gaspé Peninsula. It was an enormous grant. On paper, Sir William Alexander owned everything,
including the small wooded island in Mahone Bay that would one day become the most excavated piece
of ground in North America. The Order of Knights Baronet Alexander's first attempts at colonisation
failed. In 1622 he sent a ship from London to Kirkcudbright to collect settlers, but bad weather,
reluctant artisans, and scarce supplies turned the expedition into a disaster. The colonists ended
up stranded in Newfoundland. A second attempt in 1623 fared little better. Settlers explored the
Nova Scotia coastline as far as Port-Joli and Port-au-Mouton, formed a favourable impression, then
sailed home without establishing anything permanent. The problem was money. Alexander was spending
his personal fortune trying to populate a colony that no one wanted to move to. King James, who had
successfully raised £225,000 by selling baronetcies to fund the plantation of Ulster in 1613,
proposed the same scheme for Nova Scotia. On October 18, 1624, the king announced his intention to
create the Knights Baronets of Nova Scotia. The deal was straightforward: any Scottish gentleman who
paid 3,000 merks, or who equipped and transported six armed settlers to Nova Scotia for two years,
would receive a hereditary baronetcy and a barony of 16,000 acres in the new colony. Under Scots
law, each baronet would "take sasine," receiving symbolic earth and stone from the actual land as
proof of ownership. Since crossing the Atlantic was impractical for this ceremony, Charles I (who
took the throne after James died in March 1625) arranged for the ritual to take place at Edinburgh
Castle, where a mound of Nova Scotian earth was symbolically present. A total of 150 baronetcies
were authorised. By 1631, 85 had been created. The Knights Baronets of Nova Scotia were, on paper at
least, the legal landowners of the province in which Oak Island sits. The Templar Thread What made
McQuiston's research so compelling was his discovery of the connections running backward in time
from the Knights Baronet to the older military orders. This was not speculation. He traced it
through verifiable genealogical and institutional records. The key moment was 1563, when the
singular Grand Prior of the Order of the Knights of St. John and the Temple in Scotland turned over
all possessions of both knighthoods to Mary, Queen of Scots. This was a transfer of real property,
real authority, and real institutional memory from the remnants of the Templar and Hospitaller
orders into the hands of the Scottish Crown. Within two generations, the heirs of four men involved
in that 1563 transfer became Knights Baronets of Nova Scotia. And by July 3, 1634, the first
recorded Freemasons appeared in Edinburgh, all with documented connections to Nova Scotia. McQuiston
identified that roughly 25 percent of the Knights Baronet had some traceable connection back to the
Knights Templar. The Baronetage was not simply a fundraising scheme for colonisation. It was, in
McQuiston's carefully argued view, a continuation of something much older. James McQuiston and the
Oak Island Connection McQuiston came to the Oak Island story through a personal discovery. In 1965,
like so many others, he had read the Reader's Digest article about the mystery. But it was not until
October 2016 that he realised his own extended family's title of Premier Knight Baronet of Nova
Scotia might have something to do with the island's story. He contacted the Oak Island team with a
small amount of information. It was met with requests for more. That initial contact led to years of
sustained research, more than a dozen books, and over a dozen appearances on The Curse of Oak
Island. His theory, which he described as "a conspiracy of elites," was ranked among the top
theories on the show, and Rick Lagina himself said on-air: "When you ask the who, what, when, where,
why and how, I think James, above all the others, really deals with that." McQuiston's approach was
that of a detective, not a storyteller. A Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and a
member of the Scottish Rite Research Society, he worked from primary sources: letters, family
histories, war records, and documents scanned from libraries dating back to the 1600s, sourced from
archives in Scotland, England, and Nova Scotia. He collaborated closely with Oak Island historians
Charles Barkhouse and Doug Crowell, and carried out regular research for the team that continued
almost weekly until his passing. James McQuiston died unexpectedly on December 6, 2025, at the age
of seventy-five. His loss was felt deeply across the Oak Island research community and far beyond
it. He was, by every account, generous with his findings, supportive of fellow researchers, and
possessed of a rare combination of deep scholarship and genuine warmth. His work on the Knights
Baronet represents one of the most significant original contributions to the Oak Island literature,
and it continues to shape the direction of the search. The 1671 Medallion and New Ross One piece of
physical evidence gave particular weight to McQuiston's theory. A 1671 British knighthood medallion
was found in the ground near an unexplained stone foundation at New Ross, Nova Scotia, approximately
twenty miles upriver from Oak Island along the Gold River. The New Ross site has long been a subject
of debate. Some researchers have attributed the foundation to Vikings or Templars. McQuiston
believed the evidence pointed to a later date: 1623, when Alexander's settlers first explored the
Nova Scotia coastline. Three separate traditions, from the Alexander family, the Nauss family of
Nova Scotia, and the Mi'kmaq First Nations, all describe a "secret estate" built at the New Ross
site for Sir William Alexander during that period. The medallion, in McQuiston's analysis, connected
not to the original construction but to a later visit. He linked it to Sir William Phips, a knight
who recovered a fortune from the sunken Spanish galleon Concepción in the Caribbean and
returned the bulk of it to King James II. McQuiston believed Phips visited the New Ross site not to
bury treasure of his own, but to search for Alexander's. He noted a tantalising genealogical thread:
Phips' father was named James, but no further family history is known. Alexander's private secretary
was named James Philp, and nothing is recorded of him after Alexander's death in 1640, when Philp
sold his Scottish land. The names Phips and Philp are contractions of Phillips, and in the records
of this period, they were used interchangeably. The Carbon Dating Window McQuiston's theory also
aligned with the physical evidence from Oak Island itself. Carbon dating of wood and other materials
recovered from the Money Pit and surrounding structures has repeatedly returned dates clustering
around 1620 to 1660. This window matches almost exactly with the active period of the Knights
Baronet colonisation effort and the construction timeline McQuiston proposed. If the Money Pit was
built during this period, it was constructed at a time when the Knights Baronet held legal authority
over the island, when Scottish settlers with Templar-connected lineages had both the motive and the
means to hide something of great value, and when the political turmoil of the English Civil War made
secure storage outside of Britain an urgent practical concern. A Theory Built on Records, Not
Romance What distinguished McQuiston's work from many other Oak Island theories was its foundation
in documented history. The charter of 1621 is a matter of public record. The creation of the
Baronetage is documented in detail. The genealogical connections between the Baronets and the
earlier knightly orders can be traced through Scottish archives. The carbon dating evidence from Oak
Island sits within the timeframe his theory predicts. None of this proves that the Knights Baronet
built the Money Pit. But it establishes something that few other theories can claim: a documented
group of people with legal authority over Oak Island, with traceable connections to medieval
military orders, operating within the exact time period indicated by the physical evidence, and with
a plausible reason to construct a hidden vault on a remote island in the North Atlantic. The Knights
Baronet theory does not ask you to believe in lost fleets, undocumented ocean crossings, or treasure
maps drawn from memory by eccentric English authors. It asks you to follow the paper trail. And for
that, we owe a great debt to James McQuiston, who followed it further and more carefully than anyone
before him.

### The Treasure of St. Andrew's Cathedral
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/the-treasure-of-st-andrew-s-cathedral

The Richest Church in Scotland St. Andrew's Cathedral was the largest building ever constructed in
Scotland. Founded in 1158 on a clifftop promontory on the Fife coast, the church measured 119 metres
from end to end, with a central tower and spire visible from miles out at sea. For four centuries it
served as the seat of the Catholic Church in Scotland, home to the Bishop and later Archbishop of
St. Andrews, head of the richest diocese in the kingdom. The cathedral's power derived from its
relics. According to tradition, the bones of the apostle Andrew were brought to Scotland in the 8th
century by Bishop Acca of Hexham. The collection included a kneecap, an upper arm bone, three
fingers, and a tooth, housed in a chest weighing approximately 1.5 tonnes. These relics drew an
estimated 20 million pilgrims between the 14th and 16th centuries, making St. Andrews one of the
most visited shrines in medieval Europe, second in the British Isles only to Canterbury and
rivalling Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The wealth that accumulated around these relics was
extraordinary. At its height, the cathedral contained 30 altars, a large statue of Christ above the
high altar, extensive white marble work, and what researchers describe as the largest collection of
medieval art in Scotland. Ecclesiastical plate, jewelled reliquaries, vestments embroidered with
gold thread, illuminated manuscripts, and liturgical objects from across Europe filled the building.
In 1318, Robert the Bruce himself attended a consecration service, attended by every bishop and most
of the powerful nobles of Scotland. The cathedral was not simply a church. It was a national
treasury. The Battle of Bannockburn The theory linking St. Andrew's to Oak Island begins not with
the cathedral itself, but with the battle that secured Scottish independence. On June 23 and 24,
1314, Robert the Bruce's army of roughly 7,000 men defeated King Edward II's force of approximately
15,000 English soldiers at Bannockburn, near Stirling. The victory was decisive. Bruce's forces
captured the entire English baggage train, a haul of gold, silver, weapons, armour, and valuables
that represented the accumulated campaign wealth of the largest army England had ever sent north.
This treasure was added to the holdings of the Scottish Crown and, according to the theory first
published in 1988, much of it was placed under the protection of the Church at St. Andrews. A
persistent legend surrounds the Scottish victory at Bannockburn. According to accounts first
recorded in the 18th century, fugitive Knights Templar fought alongside Bruce's army and helped turn
the battle. The factual basis for this claim is narrow but real. In October 1307, King Philip IV of
France ordered the arrest of every Templar in his country and pressured other European monarchs to
follow suit. Scotland, whose king was already excommunicated, never enforced the papal suppression.
Robert Ferguson, in his 2010 book The Knights Templar and Scotland, calculated that between 29 and
48 Templars could have reached Scotland after the arrests.  Whether or not Templars fought at
Bannockburn, the connection matters for the theory because it places both a vast captured English
treasure and a possible Templar presence in Scotland at the same moment. If fugitive Templars did
reach Scotland, and if they did bring knowledge of sacred relics or treasure concealment, their
influence would have extended to the institutions that protected Scotland's wealth, including its
most powerful cathedral. [article:the-knights-templar] The Destruction of 1559 For 240 years after
Bannockburn, the wealth of St. Andrew's continued to grow. Pilgrims arrived in such numbers that
Queen Margaret of Scotland endowed a ferry service across the Firth of Forth, with hostels at both
North and South Queensferry. The university founded in 1413 added intellectual prestige to the
cathedral's spiritual authority. By the mid-1500s, St. Andrews was the undisputed ecclesiastical
capital of Scotland. Then the Reformation arrived. On June 11, 1559, John Knox preached a sermon in
the parish church of St. Andrews. Knox had spent years in exile in Geneva, studying under John
Calvin and developing a vision of Protestant Scotland free from Roman authority. His preaching in
Perth had already triggered riots that destroyed three monasteries. At St. Andrews, the effect was
the same. On June 14, a Protestant mob ransacked the cathedral, destroying the interior, smashing
altars, statuary, and religious imagery. The shrine containing the relics of St. Andrew was broken
open. The relics themselves were either destroyed or disappeared; their fate has never been
determined. Replacement relics were not obtained until 1879, when a shoulder bone was sent from
Amalfi in Italy, and 1969, when Pope Paul VI donated additional bones with the words "Peter greets
his brother Andrew." The cathedral was abandoned by 1561 and never repaired. Its stone was quarried
by townspeople for use in other buildings. Today it stands as a roofless ruin, its precinct walls
and the 33-metre St. Rule's Tower the most substantial surviving structures. But the fate of the
cathedral's movable wealth remains an open question. Researcher Andrew Speirs has noted that the
Reformation's transfer of church property was not purely chaotic. For the most part, the loss of
medieval religious plate, art, vestments, books, relics, and architecture was a slow, organised, and
lengthy process, with clerics smuggling valuables to the Continent and sympathetic laypeople
concealing what they could. Rick Falconer, a St. Andrews author and researcher, has investigated
reports of tunnels and sealed vaults beneath the cathedral grounds, based on work by 19th-century
antiquarian Linskill, who documented a sealed stone staircase near the High Altar discovered during
rubble clearance in 1842. In 1868, stonemasons working on the walls discovered a sealed crypt inside
what is now called the Haunted Tower, containing mummified bodies that may predate the Reformation.
Whether the treasure was looted by the mob, smuggled abroad by fleeing clergy, hidden in vaults
beneath the cathedral, or removed before the destruction even began, one fact is clear: a thousand
years of accumulated sacred wealth vanished from St. Andrews and was never accounted for. New
Scotland The connection between Scotland's lost cathedral treasure and Oak Island runs through one
of the most ambitious colonial ventures in Scottish history. In 1621, King James I of England
(simultaneously King James VI of Scotland) granted Sir William Alexander a royal charter for all the
territory between New England and Newfoundland. The colony was to be called Nova Scotia: New
Scotland. To finance the settlement, James created a new chivalric order in 1624, the Knights
Baronet of Nova Scotia. Scottish aristocrats could purchase membership, with the funds used to
outfit colonists and establish a Scottish presence in the New World. Sir William Alexander was
himself an active Freemason, a member of Mary's Chapel Lodge in Edinburgh from 1634, the oldest
documented Masonic lodge in the world. Writer and researcher James McQuiston, a Fellow of the
Society of Antiquaries of Scotland who has appeared on The Curse of Oak Island, found that
approximately 25% of the Knights Baronet had documented genealogical connections to the Knights
Templar. McQuiston has described the Baronetage as a continuous legacy of the Scottish Templars. The
first settlers under Alexander's charter landed on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia in 1623, not
far from Oak Island. Alexander's son established a Scottish settlement at Charles Fort, later
Port-Royal, in 1629. Though the colony was returned to France in 1632 and Alexander died in poverty
in 1640, the Baronetage itself continued, and Scottish interest in Nova Scotia persisted for
decades. The timeline is suggestive. The cathedral treasure vanishes between 1559 and 1561. The
Knights Baronet are created in 1621 to colonize Nova Scotia. The first Scottish ships arrive near
Oak Island in 1623. Carbon dating of materials recovered from the Money Pit has produced clusters in
the 1620 to 1660 range, precisely the period of the Baronetage's most active operations. If the
cathedral treasure had been secretly preserved by Catholic or Templar-connected Scottish families
during the 60 years between the Reformation and the creation of Nova Scotia, the Baronetage provided
both the motive to establish a secure hiding place and the means to reach it.
[article:the-knights-baronet] The Theory The Treasure of St. Andrew's theory was first published in
April 1988 in Treasure Magazine, under the title "The 13 Million Dollar Mistake?" The article, which
reached Hammerson Peters through the personal Fortean archive of researcher Gary Mangiacopra,
proposed that the wealth accumulated at Scotland's greatest cathedral over a millennium, augmented
by the spoils of Bannockburn, was secretly transported to Oak Island. The original article did not
explain the mechanism of transport. Subsequent research by McQuiston and others has filled in the
gap through the Knights Baronet connection, linking the Scottish families who would have had access
to the treasure with the chivalric order that had both legal authority over Nova Scotia and ships
capable of reaching it. Several elements of the theory align with physical evidence found on Oak
Island. The lead cross discovered at Smith's Cove in 2017, dated to between 900 and 1300 AD, was
traced through lead isotope analysis to medieval mines in southern France, a region with deep
connections to both the Templars and the Scottish crown. The coconut fibre found in the Money Pit
has been carbon dated to the medieval period, consistent with materials that could have been used as
packing for sacred objects during transport. The elaborate engineering of the Money Pit itself, with
its flood tunnels and layered platforms, suggests the work of people protecting something of
extraordinary value, something worth more than gold. The Treasure of St. Andrew's theory remains one
of the lesser-known proposals for the origin of the Oak Island deposit. But it connects three
historical facts that are individually well documented: Scotland possessed a cathedral treasure of
immense value; that treasure disappeared; and within decades, Scottish settlers with Templar
connections were establishing colonies within miles of Oak Island. The question is whether those
three facts are coincidence, or a trail.

### The Versailles Alignment to Oak Island
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/the-versailles-alignment-to-oak-island

A Line Across the World Stretching out from the central gates of the Palace of Versailles is a
three-mile axis that bisects the royal gardens. Avenues converge at perfect sixty-degree angles.
Fountains and canals extend toward the horizon in rigid symmetry. Every stone, every path, every
sightline was placed under the watchful eye of Louis XIV, the Sun King. For more than three
centuries, visitors have marveled at the scale and beauty of Versailles without ever realizing what
is hidden in its design. In 2020, researchers Corjan Mol and Chris Morford presented a theory on
Season 8, Episode 4 ("Alignment") of The Curse of Oak Island that revealed something extraordinary
concealed in the layout of the royal gardens: a giant menorah, delineated on a truly massive scale,
whose central axis points with remarkable precision to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, the site of
Solomon's Temple, where the original Menorah once stood. Extended in the opposite direction, that
same axis crosses the Atlantic Ocean and reaches Nova Scotia, aligning with the megalithic formation
on Oak Island known as Nolan's Cross. If the alignment is intentional, it means that the builders of
Versailles encoded a line connecting the place where the treasures of Solomon were kept with the
place where they may ultimately have been hidden, and placed a three-mile representation of the
Menorah itself at the midpoint. Interactive File Oak Island – Versailles Alignment A KML file
plotting the geometric alignment between Nolan's Cross on Oak Island and the gardens of Versailles.
Open it in Google Earth to explore the connection in 3D. Download KML How to open in Google Earth
Browser (no install)Go to earth.google.com. Click the menu, then New > Open local KML file.
Select the downloaded file. Google Earth Pro (desktop)Go to File > Open and select the KML file.
The alignment loads into your Places panel. MobileInstall the Google Earth app. Tap the downloaded
file from your device and it opens directly. The Alignment from Nolan's Cross on Oak Island to
Versailles, following the curvature of the earth in a great circle. The Alignment line leaving
Versailles. The Alignment line hitting the spine of Nolan's Cross on Oak Island with incredible
mm-precision. The Hidden Menorah When viewed from above on a historical plan of the estate, the
gardens of Versailles slowly reveal the shape of a seven-branched Menorah with straight arms,
stretching across the full extent of the grounds. The palace building itself sits at the heart of
the design, at the center of the central axis. From the east, three avenues converge to meet the
main gate in a huge, perfect sixty-degree tripod. To the west, the gardens extend outward along the
branches, with the Grand Canal forming a Latin cross at the center of the composition. The
straight-armed form of the Menorah depicted at Versailles is significant. It corresponds to the
earliest known depictions of the Menorah and to the interpretation championed by Rabbi Maimonides in
his twelfth-century work the Mishneh Torah, which argued that the original Menorah had straight arms
rather than the curved form commonly shown today. Louis XIV possessed a copy of the Mishneh Torah,
and it was translated into French in 1678 on the orders of his First Minister of State,
Jean-Baptiste Colbert. It appeared that Louis and his inner circle shared the view that the
straight-armed menorah was the original form and it was this version they embedded in the landscape
of Versailles. The early landscaping works were carried out by Jacques Boyceau and Claude Mollet,
both of whom wrote extensive treatises on the use of sacred geometry and precise alignments in
landscape design, documenting the scientific instruments they used to achieve such features. It was
Boyceau who created the central axis of the gardens, first documented on the Plan du Bus. These were
men with both the knowledge and the tools to execute designs aligned across vast distances.  
  From Jerusalem to Oak Island The initial inspiration to look for alignments at Versailles
came from the late Oak Island researcher Chris Donah, a skilled amateur astronomer who suggested
during a war room discussion that Nolan's Cross, the formation of five megalithic boulders on Oak
Island discovered by Fred Nolan in 1981, might point toward the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. That
segment never aired, but Mol and Morford continued to investigate, and they soon realized that the
giant menorah they had mapped in the gardens at Versailles was pointing in exactly the same
direction. To validate their findings, Mol and Morford enlisted the help of Erin King, a geolocation
and geographic information system expert and consultant on The Curse of Oak Island, who used
industry-grade GIS software to verify the alignments. They also established rigorous criteria for
their research: any alignment had to physically point from one place to another along a defined
feature; the two locations had to be contextually connected; and the technology required to create
the alignment had to have been available in the seventeenth century. The central axis of the
Versailles Menorah met every test. It pointed with remarkable precision directly to the Temple Mount
in Jerusalem, the very site where the Menorah had once illuminated the Holy of Holies in Solomon's
Temple. However, when they extended the line in the opposite direction, northwest across the
Atlantic toward Nova Scotia, the alignment to Oak Island carried a deviation of approximately 0.7
degrees. Over a distance of more than three thousand miles, that small error translated to a
variation of roughly twenty-five miles on the ground, too large to claim the alignment was
intentional. Mol and Morford presented this caveat honestly when they first revealed the theory
during Season 8 of the show. But the story did not end there. The Royal Chapel One of the defining
features of Versailles is its symmetry. Louis XIV insisted that this aesthetic be adhered to
religiously. Even the village of Versailles that bordered the palace had to expand symmetrically to
retain the beauty of the surrounding area. The King had a term for this principle: "the royal
symmetry." It therefore came as a great surprise to his courtiers when, in 1687, Louis chose a
location for his new Royal Chapel that violently broke the otherwise perfect symmetry of the palace.
Multiple proposals had been rejected since 1685. The chapel that was finally built jutted out from
the north wing like a sore thumb, becoming the tallest structure on the entire estate. Many in
Louis' court deeply resented the decision, and no satisfactory explanation for the break from
symmetry was ever offered, until Mol and Morford found one. The Royal Chapel at Versailles aligns
with extraordinary precision with the spine of Nolan's Cross on Oak Island. If you were to walk
along the spine of the cross heading east, continuing across the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, you
would eventually arrive at the altar of Louis XIV's chapel. The researchers concluded that the King
had deliberately broken his own golden rule in order to correct an alignment that had been laid out
imperfectly by his father, Louis XIII. He realigned his menorah to Oak Island, creating a dramatic
new landmark at Versailles in the process. Louis was explicit about the significance of this place
of worship. Inside the chapel, sculpted on the wall beside the altar, is a menorah, closely
resembling the form depicted next to Edward Despenser in the Tewkesbury Book of Founders and
Benefactors. The chapel, it appears, declared its purpose in stone. The New Orleans Connection The
French did not stop embellishing their alignments after the completion of the palace. In 1720, five
years after the death of Louis XIV, the city of New Orleans was founded on the Gulf Coast of North
America. French engineers hand-picked the site for the town, and they did the same for the location
of its church, today known as the Cathedral-Basilica of St Louis King of France, named for the same
Louis IX who initiated the Seventh Crusade and who Mol and Morford argue was privy to knowledge of
the treasures of Solomon being transported from the Holy Land. Inside the cathedral, high above the
altar, is a massive mural depicting Louis IX calling for the Seventh Crusade. If you were to start
at the altar and draw a straight line toward France, you would discover that the Cathedral-Basilica
of St Louis is aligned precisely with the central axis of the Versailles menorah. The line passes
through Oak Island, continues through Versailles, and ends at the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Four
points. One line. Spanning from the Gulf of Mexico to the Holy Land, connecting a crusader king's
cathedral, a tiny island in Nova Scotia, the Sun King's hidden menorah, and the site of Solomon's
Temple. The Dark Origins of Versailles The question of why this particular spot was chosen for the
grandest palace in Europe has never been satisfactorily answered. In the sixteenth century, the land
that would become Versailles was nothing more than an insignificant, swampy expanse of uncultivated
ground. The air was said to be unpleasant and unhealthy due to numerous pools of stagnant water.
Critics in the royal court endlessly questioned why the King would prefer this squalid marshland
over the opulence of the Louvre and Tuileries palaces in Paris. The property was first purchased in
1561 by Martial de Loménie, Secretary of State for Finance to King Charles IX. It was then
acquired through sinister means by Albert de Gondi, an Italian from Tuscany who had embedded himself
in the household of Catherine de Medici. During the religious wars between Catholics and Huguenot
Protestants, de Loménie was arrested and imprisoned. While in his cell, he was visited by de
Gondi and coerced into signing over the Versailles estate for a nominal sum. De Loménie
believed the act had saved his life, but it was not to be, he was strangled in his prison cell on de
Gondi's orders during the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre of 1572, with the approval of Catherine de
Medici herself. The de Gondi family secured the estate and became the dominant power in the region.
The land eventually attracted the interest of King Henry IV, who brought his young son, the future
Louis XIII, hunting there in 1607. Louis XIII built a hunting lodge on the site in 1623 and
purchased the surrounding estate from Albert de Gondi's son in 1632. His own son, Louis XIV,
inherited Versailles and transformed it into the palace that stands today. The conventional
explanation is that Louis preferred the site because it offered room to build on a scale Paris could
not accommodate. Mol and Morford argue a different reason: the site was chosen because it sat at the
precise point from which the alignments connecting Jerusalem and Oak Island could be drawn. Poussin
and the Great Secret The man whose work first led Mol and Morford to the alignments is Nicolas
Poussin, one of France's most celebrated Baroque painters and a figure deeply entwined with the
mysteries of Versailles. In 1638, Poussin painted The Conquest of Jerusalem by Titus, depicting the
sack of Solomon's Temple with the golden menorah clearly visible being carried away. Around the same
time, he completed The Shepherds of Arcadia, a painting that would become central to one of the most
enduring mysteries in European art and one of the most elaborate theoretical frameworks explored on
the show. In 1655, Nicolas Fouquet, the Superintendent of Finances and one of the most powerful men
in France, sent his brother Louis to Rome to buy works of art. Louis Fouquet enlisted the help of
Poussin, and the two men became closely acquainted. On April 17, 1656, Louis Fouquet wrote a now
notorious letter to his brother Nicolas describing discussions with Poussin involving what appeared
to be a great secret. The relevant passage reads: "He and I, we have projected certain things that I
may discuss with you entirely in a short time, they will give you, through M. Poussin, advantages
that kings would have great trouble taking from him, and after him maybe nobody in the world will
ever recover in the centuries to come." Mol and Morford believe this letter describes discussions
about alignments and sacred geometry pointing to specific locations, both in France and beyond, the
same coded knowledge that Poussin was embedding in his paintings. Shortly after Fouquet's arrest by
Louis XIV in 1661, the King personally acquired Poussin's The Shepherds of Arcadia and had it
displayed at Versailles. The painting subsequently disappeared from public view in the mid-1700s.
Its fate remains unknown. [article:nicolas-poussin-keeper-of-secrets] The Company of the Blessed
Sacrament Behind the alignments and the art lay a secret organization. In the 1620s, Nicolas
Fouquet's father, François IV Fouquet, helped Cardinal Richelieu establish three companies to
expand French influence in the New World. Two operated openly: the Company of New France, whose
members included the explorer Samuel de Champlain, and the Company of the American Isles, tasked
with trade and religious affairs overseas. The founding of the Company of New France was first
proposed by Isaac de Razilly, a prominent member of the Knights of Malta who had served the order
since childhood and who would later play a central role in the colonization of Acadia, the vast
territory that included Nova Scotia and Oak Island. The third organization was the highly secretive
Company of the Blessed Sacrament, founded by Henry de Lévis, Duc de Ventadour, the Viceroy of
New France, whose coat of arms bore three chevrons and three pentagrams. The company maintained a
rule of absolute secrecy, obliging members never to speak of it to outsiders and never to reveal the
names of its members. No printed materials were kept. Written minutes were produced only when
absolutely necessary. Its members included some of the most powerful figures in France, among them
Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet, Louis XIV's court preacher, who stated in 1652 that the mission of
the Company of the Blessed Sacrament was to "Build Jerusalem at the centre of Babylon." Mol and
Morford hypothesize that this organization was tasked with identifying the exact location where the
menorah, which they believe had been taken to North America by the Portuguese Order of Christ, was
buried and, if possible, to reclaim it for France. When Louis XIV abolished the company after his
mother's death, he immediately founded the Royal Academy of Sciences, an organization that appears
to have been created to finish what the Company of the Blessed Sacrament had started: to pinpoint
where the Menorah was hidden. A Grand Design The Versailles Alignment does not rest on a single
coincidence. A skeptic might argue that alignments can be found between any set of points on a
globe, or that the menorah shape in the gardens is a product of seeing patterns in standard Baroque
landscape design. These are reasonable objections. What makes the Versailles case harder to dismiss
is the convergence: the shape is consistent with the Maimonides tradition that Louis XIV
demonstrably studied; the axis to Jerusalem follows a defined architectural feature, not an
arbitrary line; the Royal Chapel broke the symmetry of the entire estate for no recorded reason and
aligns precisely with Nolan's Cross; and the New Orleans cathedral, built after Louis's death,
extends the same line across the Atlantic. Each element in isolation might be coincidence. Together,
they form a pattern that demands consideration. Versailles sits at the center of that pattern: a
massive, figurative menorah, with the Temple Mount in Jerusalem on one side, where the real Menorah
once illuminated the Holy of Holies, and Oak Island in Nova Scotia on the other, where it may have
been buried by those who sought to protect it. Whether all of this was the work of one grand
architect or the accumulated effort of generations, the pattern is there for those with eyes to see.
The full research behind the Versailles Alignment is detailed in The Jerusalem Files: The Secret
Journey of the Menorah to Oak Island by Corjan Mol and Christopher Morford (Watkins/Penguin Random
House). The giant Menorah concealed in the ground plan of the Château de Versailles

### Nicolas Poussin, Keeper of Secrets
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/nicolas-poussin-keeper-of-secrets

Nicolas Poussin has become one of the most discussed figures in treasure-hunting circles, and not
always for the right reasons. Decades of speculation linking his paintings to the mystery of
Rennes-le-Chateau, the Priory of Sion, and assorted conspiracy theories have turned his name into
something of a red flag for serious researchers. That is unfortunate, because the historical
connections between Poussin and Oak Island are grounded in documented facts, verifiable geography,
and paintings that still hang in museums where anyone can study them. [site:rennes-le-chateau]
Understanding what Poussin may have encoded in his work requires understanding who he was. But
first, a disclosure. The Curse of Oak Island production team approached me specifically to ask for
my opinion and to develop a theory involving Poussin in 2019. His name had surfaced in several
earlier theories and there was a need for someone who could investigate whether the painter could
genuinely be linked to Oak Island. After a Friday night video conference, I was invited to Nova
Scotia the following Monday. I went, but I went skeptical. I was convinced I would never find a
credible connection between a 17th-century French classical painter and a small island in Mahone
Bay. What I found surprised me, and what Christopher Morford and I found together surprised us both.
So who was Poussin? Born in 1594 in the village of Villiers-en-Desoeuvre in Normandy, he fled his
parents' home at eighteen and found his way to Paris, where he trained under Flemish masters
Ferdinand Elle and Georges Lallemand. But it was Rome that Poussin had set his sights on, and in
1624, aged thirty, he finally settled there. His talent attracted the patronage of Cardinal
Francesco Barberini, one of the most powerful figures in the Catholic Church. For Barberini, Poussin
painted The Destruction and the Sack of the Temple of Jerusalem, a dramatic scene of Roman soldiers
looting Solomon's Temple in which a golden menorah can clearly be seen being carried away on the
left side of the composition. That painting was destined as a gift for Cardinal Richelieu. Poussin
was known for working alone, a rarity among painters of his era, and his reputation grew to the
point where patrons granted him free rein to choose his own themes and compositions. He adopted as
his personal motto Tenet confidentiam, Latin for "Keeper of secrets." It was a phrase he would live
up to. The Shepherds of Arcadia Poussin painted two versions of a scene known as The Shepherds of
Arcadia, also called Et in Arcadia ego after the inscription on the tomb depicted in both works. The
phrase, which translates loosely as "And in Arcadia, I," is grammatically incomplete Latin, missing
a verb. This oddity has prompted centuries of debate about its meaning and led to various attempts
to rearrange its letters into hidden messages. The most widely cited anagram is "I tego arcana Dei"
("Begone, I conceal the secrets of God"). Another reading rearranges the letters into "gite neo
Arcadia," which is Italian for "take a trip to new Arcadia." When Poussin was painting in Rome,
Arcadia was the name used for what is now Nova Scotia, following explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano's
use of the term during his voyage along the Atlantic coast in the service of King Francis I of
France in 1525. The first version (The Shepherds of Arcadia I) was painted between 1627 and 1628,
commissioned by Giulio Rospigliosi, who would later become Pope Clement IX. Poussin borrowed the
theme from an earlier work by the Italian painter Guercino, whose own Et in Arcadia ego had been
commissioned by Cosimo II de Medici in 1618. It is thought that de Medici himself coined the
inscription. These were private works for exclusive rooms in the Vatican, where only a very small
inner circle around Rospigliosi would have had access to them. The thought that they might one day
hang in public museums would have been inconceivable. Crucially, The Shepherds of Arcadia I was not
created in isolation. Poussin painted it alongside a pendant, a sister painting intended to hang
beside it. That pendant was Midas Washing at the Source of the Pactolus, which depicts the
mythological King Midas washing away the curse that turned everything he touched into gold. In the
story, the gold flows into the river Pactolus, turning it into a river of gold. Poussin connected
the two paintings by including a bearded River God in each composition. One references Arcadia, the
contemporary name for Nova Scotia. The other depicts a river running with gold. Oak Island sits at
the mouth of the Gold River in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. Combined, the two paintings bring anyone
following these clues to within touching distance of the island. The Second Version and the Hidden
Geometry Poussin returned to the subject later in his career with a second, more famous version of
The Shepherds of Arcadia. Many sources date this painting to around 1637 or 1638, but Anthony Blunt,
the British art historian who remains the undisputed authority on Poussin's body of work, concluded
that it was completed in 1655 or shortly after. If Blunt's dating is correct, and the evidence
strongly supports it, the painting was created after Poussin's revealing self-portrait of 1650 and
during the exact period when the notorious Fouquet letter was written. The Shepherds of Arcadia II
shows three shepherds and a woman gathered around a stone tomb bearing the inscription "Et in
Arcadia ego." Art historian Professor Christopher Cornford of the Royal College of Art analyzed the
composition and discovered that it was structured around a hidden pentagram, sections of which
extended beyond the frame of the painting. This finding was later expanded by Henry Lincoln, who
proposed that the pentagram formed a link between the painting and the landscape around
Rennes-le-Chateau in southern France. That connection generated enormous popular interest through
books and documentaries from the 1960s onward, but it also had the effect of burying the painting's
other, arguably more significant, connections beneath layers of speculation. The composition of
Shepherds of Arcadia II is based on an invisible pentagram, positioned partially outside the frame.
When the pentagram derived from The Shepherds of Arcadia II is superimposed over Nolan's Cross on
Oak Island, using the cross as a framework and scaling the pentagram so that its vertical axis
matches the column of the cross, the geometry aligns. The center of the pentagram falls precisely on
a feature known as the Eye of the Swamp, a circular formation of stones that would become a
significant focus of excavation during Seasons 7 through 10 of The Curse of Oak Island. The
Self-Portrait and the Third Eye In 1650, five years before painting the second Shepherds of Arcadia,
Poussin created a self-portrait that is rich with symbolism. During the summer of 2019, researchers
Corjan Mol and Chris Morford studied this painting together at the Oak Island research center and
made several observations. The same woman who appears as the shepherdess in The Shepherds of Arcadia
II appears in the self-portrait, but instead of the scarf she wears in the later painting, she is
depicted with a diadem-like headdress featuring an eye at its center. The third eye, also known as
the bindu point, traditionally represents the ability to perceive things beyond ordinary sight. For
a painter whose personal motto was "Keeper of secrets," this was compelling symbolism. The
self-portrait contains additional layers. A hidden pentagram is present in the composition,
connecting the black pyramid-shaped onyx ring on Poussin's finger, the artist's eyes, and the
headdress of the female figure. The door in the background is blocked by three large framed
canvases, recalling Masonic rituals in which three veils must be passed. In the foreground, Poussin
looks directly out at the viewer from behind his canvas, as if to signal that there is more here
than meets the eye. 1650, self-portrait of Nicolas Poussin featuring the woman from Shepherds of
Arcadia II wearing a diadem with a 3rd eye. In the same year, Charles Le Brun, a close friend who
had trained under Poussin and who also held the title of First Painter to the King, painted a
portrait of Nicolas Fouquet. Fouquet is shown in an austere black robe, holding a folded piece of
paper and sitting next to a locked book. Behind him, a curtain has been partially pulled aside to
reveal a portion of a hidden painting. In it, two figures stand on a boat. One holds a wooden oar
and is instantly recognizable as the same kneeling shepherd from The Shepherds of Arcadia II. The
second figure is only partially visible, but he is notable for wearing a single sandal. In Greek
mythology, the one-sandaled companion of Hercules is Jason, captain of the Argo, who led the
Argonauts on their quest for the golden fleece. The Fouquet Letter The connection between Poussin
and the French court goes beyond artistic patronage. In 1655, Nicolas Fouquet, Superintendent of
Finances under Louis XIV and one of the most powerful men in France, sent his brother Louis to Rome
to purchase works of art. Louis Fouquet enlisted Poussin's help, and the two men became closely
acquainted. On April 17, 1656, Louis Fouquet wrote a letter to his brother that has become one of
the most discussed documents in treasure-hunting history. The relevant passage, translated from the
original French by bilingual linguist Charlotte Wheatley for The Jerusalem Files, reads: "He and I,
we have projected certain things that I may discuss with you entirely in a short time, they will
give you, through M. Poussin, advantages (if you do not want to despise them) that kings would have
great trouble taking from him, and after him maybe nobody in the world will ever recover in the
centuries to come, and furthermore, this would be without much expense and might even turn to profit
and these are things so great to search for, that whatever there is on earth right now can not have
better fortune or even be equal." Six months after this letter was written, Nicolas Fouquet signed a
contract for the Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte for the astronomical sum of 600,000 livres. His display
of wealth soon attracted the attention of Louis XIV. In 1661, following the death of Cardinal
Mazarin, Louis had Fouquet arrested. His brother Louis wanted to burn Fouquet's library at
Saint-Mande, presumably to prevent its contents from being seized. Three Fouquet brothers were
exiled. Nicolas himself was imprisoned at the fortress of Pignerol, where he would spend the rest of
his life. Even from prison, Fouquet tried to leverage what he knew. In 1673, he wrote to the Marquis
of Louvois seeking a royal pardon in exchange for information, stating that "God has enlightened me
regarding certain things in such a significant way and about such important, easy and glorious
designs that it would do him a real displeasure if they would be lost without him knowing about it."
The French phrase Fouquet uses, "des lumieres d'affaires si grandes et des desseins si importants,"
is notable for the word "lumieres," meaning "multiple lights," and "desseins," meaning "designs." No
pardon was granted. By that time, it appears Louis XIV had already acquired Fouquet's secrets
through other means. Curiously, in 1679, Louis did permit Fouquet's brother Louis to spend four
months with him at Pignerol. During that visit, the two brothers received André Le Notre, the
royal gardener and mastermind behind the ground plan of Versailles, who was returning from a trip to
the Vatican. Whatever was discussed, Louis Fouquet was fully reinstated and granted a royal pension
of 35,000 livres just four years after Nicolas's death in 1680. The Painting's Journey to Versailles
The Shepherds of Arcadia II had its own remarkable journey. After Rospigliosi's death in 1669, the
painting passed through several hands before appearing at a Paris auction in 1685, where it was
described as "Shepherds who find the tomb of Igiezy, famous Arcadian shepherd on the shore of the
Ladon river." It came into the possession of art dealer Charles Antoine Herault at the precise
moment when the Marquis of Louvois had been tasked by Louis XIV to find a Poussin painting. Louvois
acquired it for some 6,600 francs. The painting was hung in the Sun King's Petit Apartment at the
Palace of Versailles, at the heart of the palace, on its central axis. This was also the room where,
decades later, Louis XV would meet with Thomas Anson during negotiations that led to the Treaty of
Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748. After Louis XIV's death, the painting remained at Versailles through the
reign of Louis XV. It survived the French Revolution, was restored at the Louvre in 1809, became
part of Napoleon I's collection, and was eventually placed in the Louvre, where it hangs today.
Shugborough and the Shepherd's Monument The influence of Poussin's painting did not stop at
Versailles. In August 1748, Thomas Anson returned to his estate at Shugborough Hall in Staffordshire
after the negotiations in France. He had been in the very room where The Shepherds of Arcadia II
hung. Anson immediately employed the architect Thomas Wright and Flemish sculptor Peter Scheemakers
the Younger and began transforming the grounds of his estate into what he envisaged as a small,
idealized version of Arcadia. The centerpiece was the Shepherd's Monument, a stone portico with
Doric columns enclosing a finely sculpted marble relief that is a mirrored copy of The Shepherds of
Arcadia II. The same imagery is present: the shepherdess, the three men, and the tomb with the
inscription "Et in Arcadia ego." Below the relief sits a stone plaque bearing a ten-letter
inscription in two lines: "O.U.O.S.V.A.V.V." and "D." and "M." below. Numerous attempts have been
made to decode this inscription over the years, but a conclusive solution has not been found. The
Shepherds of Arcadia became an enduring theme in the Anson family. In September 1750, Thomas's
sister-in-law Lady Elizabeth Anson wrote to him about "a very material discovery" and prolonged her
stay at Shugborough. In their correspondence, she addressed him as "my shepherd." A year later, she
purchased an original sketch of Poussin's first Shepherds of Arcadia from the collection of Jonathan
Richardson and had herself painted by Thomas Hudson holding the sketch like a scroll. The original
painting from which the sketch was derived was acquired by William Cavendish, 4th Duke of
Devonshire, a close friend of the Anson family, and it remains in the family's possession to this
day. Remarkably, Prime Minister Henry Pelham, the man who approved Anson's mission to Versailles,
also had a sculpted copy of The Shepherds of Arcadia II on a memorial in the gardens of his estate
at Esher Place in Surrey, carved by the same Peter Scheemakers the Younger.
[article:the-versailles-alignment] On the Show The Poussin research was presented across four
episodes of The Curse of Oak Island. In Season 7, Episode 8 ("Triptych"), researcher Corjan Mol
introduced the theory in the War Room, connecting the "Et in Arcadia ego" inscription with Acadia,
presenting the Midas pendant painting and its Gold River parallel, and proposing that the second
Shepherds of Arcadia was modeled on a portion of a pentagram. Christopher Morford had been invited
because he had developed a hypothesis around Poussin's work and its astronomical connections. By the
time Episode 9 ("An Eye for an Eye") was recorded, Mol and Morford had joined up and returned with
an expanded presentation demonstrating that the center of the pentagram, when projected onto Oak
Island using Nolan's Cross as the framework, fell precisely on the Eye of the Swamp. Marty Lagina
acknowledged the geometric elegance of the theory while noting the location was the hardest spot on
the island to excavate. Positioning of the painting and its pentagram on Nolan's Cross on Oak
island. The Eye of the Swamp was subsequently excavated in Season 7, Episode 16 ("Water Logged").
The team drained the area and uncovered a mysterious circle of stones with embedded iron. Blue clay
packed onto a large stone at the base recalled the blue clay layer found at forty feet in the Money
Pit by Daniel McGinnis and his partners in 1804. Several large oak stumps emerged around the Eye,
evidence that the area was once dry land, supporting geoscientist Dr. Ian Spooner's findings of
significant human activity at the swamp in the late 1600s. Most striking were boulders as large as
those forming Nolan's Cross, stacked together with smaller angular stones beneath and no clay
between layers. In Season 8, Episode 4 ("Alignment"), Mol and Morford presented further research via
video link, demonstrating that a line drawn along the column of Nolan's Cross aligns with the Royal
Way of the Palace of Versailles and, when extended further, intersects the Temple Mount in
Jerusalem. [map:eye-of-the-swamp] Assessment Poussin's name carries baggage. Decades of association
with Rennes-le-Chateau and the Priory of Sion, much of it rooted in the discredited Dossiers Secrets
planted by Pierre Plantard, have made any mention of the painter's hidden meanings an invitation for
skepticism. That skepticism is understandable and, in many cases, well-earned. But the connections
documented here do not depend on any of that material. They rest on verifiable facts. Arcadia was
the historical name for Nova Scotia, used on maps of the period. Oak Island sits at the mouth of the
Gold River. Poussin painted two works, side by side, referencing Arcadia and a river of gold. The
Fouquet letter exists in the French archives and its contents are a matter of historical record. The
Shepherds of Arcadia II hung at the heart of Versailles, and the men who negotiated the Treaty of
Aix-la-Chapelle in that very room went home and commissioned stone copies of the painting for their
estates. What remains interpretive is the geometric analysis: the pentagram overlay on Nolan's
Cross, the alignment between Versailles and the Temple Mount, and the symbolic readings of the
self-portrait. These are arguments, not proofs. A skeptic would point out that Poussin never
mentioned Nova Scotia in any surviving correspondence, that the Fouquet letter does not specify what
the "advantages" were, and that geometric overlays can be calibrated to fit many configurations if
the framework is chosen after the fact. These are fair objections, and they should be weighed
against the cumulative pattern of connections rather than dismissed. The full geometric detail is
laid out in our book The Jerusalem Files, the secret journey of the Menorah to Oak Island, which
devotes two chapters to Poussin and his circle. The television episodes could only present a
fraction of the evidence. Anyone who wants to evaluate the complete case will find it there. Poussin
died in Rome in 1665 and was buried in the Basilica di San Lorenzo in Lucina. In 1820, the French
ambassador Chateaubriand raised a monument above his mausoleum that includes a bas-relief of The
Shepherds of Arcadia II and an inscription from an obituary by Giovan Pietro Bellori: "He is silent
here now, but you would be surprised if you would hear him speak. He lives and speaks through his
paintings." Whether Poussin was encoding secret knowledge or simply painting beautiful compositions
that happen to align with remarkable geography is, ultimately, a question each person must answer
for themselves. But the geography is real, the paintings are real, and the connections between the
men who owned them and the decisions they made about Nova Scotia are documented history.

### Before Nolan's Cross: Temple Beeld Cross
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/before-nolan-s-cross-temple-beeld-cross

Since Fred Nolan first plotted the positions of five cone-shaped boulders on Oak Island in 1981, the
formation that bears his name has been one of the most debated features of the island. Supporters
argue the stones were placed deliberately, forming a precise geometric pattern that could not have
occurred by accident. Sceptics counter that five glacial boulders on a drumlin island could fall
into any number of apparent patterns if you look hard enough. For forty years, the debate has
circled the same problem. If Nolan's Cross was designed, it was designed by someone who understood
geometry, astronomy, and large-scale surveying. But no one had ever found anything like it anywhere
else. A formation of five megalithic stones in a cross pattern, with those specific angles, on that
scale, existed in exactly one place on earth. Without a precedent, Nolan's Cross remained an
anomaly, and anomalies are easy to dismiss. Remarkably, a precedent does exist. It stands on a
hilltop in the North Yorkshire Moors, between the moors of Danby and Lealholm, in a region the
Knights Templar used to graze their sheep. The place is called Temple Beeld Hill. "Temple" denotes
land once held by the order. "Beeld" is an old English word for shelter, or image. On its summit
stand five megalithic stones arranged in a cross-like formation. The arms meet at angles of 60 and
150 degrees. One of the stones has no obvious role in creating the cross shape. Later walls were
built between the stones, using the megaliths as guides, to shelter the flocks that still graze
there. The builders of those walls were careful not to damage the standing stones. The mortarless
walls appear to be a few hundred years old at most. The megaliths themselves are estimated to be at
least fifteen hundred years old. It is unknown when they were placed, or by whom. But their geometry
is not unknown. It is identical to Nolan's Cross.     The Geometry Researcher Stanhope
White was among the first to draw attention to the Temple Beeld formation, noting a parallel with
the Nether Largie Standing Stones near Temple Wood at Kilmartin in Scotland, another cross-shaped
arrangement of ancient stones on land with Templar associations. But the more striking parallel lies
across the Atlantic. The configuration of the Temple Beeld stones is, in its essential geometry,
identical to Nolan's Cross on Oak Island. Both formations consist of five standing stones. Both have
the same angular relationship between their arms: 60 degrees and 150 degrees. Both include a fifth
stone that serves no clear purpose in defining a cross shape. The Temple Beeld formation is rotated
90 degrees relative to Nolan's Cross, but the proportions are the same. When GPS coordinates of the
Temple Beeld stones were recorded using a Garmin GPSMAP 66SR and plotted against the known positions
of the five cone-shaped boulders on Oak Island, the geometric correspondence was precise. Two
formations of five stones, separated by an ocean, built to the same angular specifications, each
including a stone that appears extraneous to the cross pattern. If one is deliberate, it becomes
difficult to argue that the other is accidental. The five stones of Temple Beeld Cross in the North
York Moors near Lealholm. The Cupmarks The central stone of the Temple Beeld formation bears a
number of cupmarks carved into its surface. Some are deeper than others, and some appear to have
weathered significantly over the centuries, making precise mapping difficult on a stone whose
surface is slightly curved. The marks are not random scratches or erosion patterns. They are
deliberate depressions, carved by hand. If the cupmarks were intended to represent a constellation,
the closest match is Cygnus, the Swan. This is the same constellation that researcher Petter
Amundsen identified as an overlay on Nolan's Cross, and the same alignment that Professor Adriano
Gaspani confirmed at Bianzano Castle in Italy, a documented Templar site in the Cavallina Valley
near Bergamo. The Cygnus connection now appears in three separate locations: a Templar castle in
northern Italy, a megalithic formation on Oak Island, and a megalithic formation on Templar land in
Yorkshire. Three sites, three countries, one constellation. The Templar Heartland North Yorkshire
was a region of significant economic importance during the Middle Ages, largely due to its
flourishing wool trade. Between 1132 and 1156, the region saw the establishment of no fewer than
eight Cistercian abbeys and thirteen Templar commanderies and preceptories, forming a network of
religious and military influence across the moors. Yorkshire was the centre of Templar power in
England outside London, and the order's holdings in the county were so extensive that a chief
preceptor was appointed specifically for Yorkshire from early times. Their estates included
preceptories at Copmanthorpe, Faxfleet, Foulbridge, Penhill, Ribston, Temple Cowton, Temple Hirst,
Temple Newsam, Westerdale, and Whitley, as well as the manors of Alverthorpe and Etton. The Templars
operated the first fulling mill in England at Temple Newsam, where they manufactured woollen cloth.
The North Yorkshire moors were particularly suited to grazing sheep, and the Templars used them
extensively. The foundation of Temple Newsam in Leeds, one of the most important Templar
preceptories in the north of England, arose from a grant of land at Newsam, Skelton, Chorlton, and
Whitkirk made to the order by William de Villiers, who died in 1181. The Templar survey of 1185
records that the property at Newsam, amounting to sixteen carucates, was obtained from William de
Villiers. The earliest recorded appearance of the De Villiers surname in England is in this very
document: "William de Viliers in the register of the Knights Templar of Yorkshire in 1185." The
Templars of Temple Newsam in Leeds appointed Westerdale as the head preceptory for North Yorkshire,
the same Westerdale that controlled the valley of the River Esk just miles from Temple Beeld Hill.
The De Villiers donation did not create Temple Beeld. But it enabled the Templar infrastructure that
surrounded it, and the family whose bloodline would run from the Norman Conquest through the Templar
suppression, through the Knights Hospitaller, and finally to Isaac de Razilly and the founding of
Acadia, enters the English historical record in the same county where these five stones stand. The
Westerdale preceptory, situated in the valley of the River Esk just miles from Temple Beeld Hill,
was donated to the order by Guido de Bovingcourt in 1203. The Templars of Temple Newsam in Leeds
appointed Westerdale as the head preceptory for North Yorkshire. It prospered for approximately two
hundred years until the suppression in 1308, when its last preceptor, William de la Fenne, appears
to have encouraged his brethren to convert their valuable possessions to cash. The inventory of
removable property taken at the time of suppression was suspiciously small for what had been
declared the head preceptory of North Yorkshire. The granary contained only four bushels of rye.
After the suppression, the Westerdale estates passed to the Knights Hospitaller, who continued
farming the land. The Owners Temple Beeld Hill itself was not a preceptory. It was part of the
broader network of Templar-associated land in the North Yorkshire Moors, and its ownership can be
traced through the Domesday Book and subsequent records. In 1086, the lands of Crunkly, Lelum, and
Danby, encompassing the area around Temple Beeld, were held by Hugh Fitzbaldric, Sheriff of
Yorkshire. By 1106, the land had passed to Nigel d'Aubigny. In 1129, upon the death of Nigel
d'Aubigny, the land passed to his nine-year-old son Roger de Mowbray. Roger de Mowbray was a
tenth-generation Norman in the direct male line from Malahulc, Jarl of Norway, who had participated
in the Viking siege of Paris alongside Rollo. Following their baptisms and a peace treaty with King
Charles the Simple in 911, Rollo and his descendants were granted the county of Normandy. Rollo's
direct lineage through the House of Normandy produced the medieval Kings of England, including
William the Conqueror, whose emblem was a cross with four surrounding dots, a symbol rooted in
Viking traditions brought from the north by Rollo and Malahulc. That same cross with four dots was
found carved into a rock on Oak Island in the 1930s. The d'Aubigny family had crossed the Channel
with William the Conqueror in 1066, and within three generations had amassed one of the largest
landholdings in northern England. Mowbray himself was one of the most significant Templar patrons in
English history. He donated four preceptories and large tracts of land that enabled the order to
develop its Yorkshire network. He fought in both the Second and Third Crusades, and when he was
captured during the Battle of Hattin in 1187, it was the Knights Templar who paid his ransom. He was
also a knight of the Order of St. Lazarus. He died in Tyre in 1188. His grandson, William de
Mowbray, continued the family's connection to the Templars. William was one of the twenty-five
barons appointed as executors of the Magna Carta in 1215, and the ceremony took place at Temple
Church in London, the Templars' English headquarters. The family that owned the land on which the
Temple Beeld stones stand was not merely sympathetic to the Templar cause. They were among its most
important English supporters, bound to the order by donations, ransoms, and the blood of two
Crusades. Five Miles from Mulgrave Within five miles of Temple Beeld Hill lies Mulgrave Castle, the
ancestral seat of the Phipps family. The castle was the birthplace and childhood home of Constantine
Phipps, who served as Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia from 1858 to 1863. Phipps held the title of
Baron Mulgrave of New Ross, and the village of New Ross in Nova Scotia was named after him in 1863.
There is no documented connection between the Phipps family and the Templars, and no suggestion that
Constantine Phipps knew what stood on the hilltop five miles from his home. But the geographic
proximity between a formation of five megalithic stones on Templar land in Yorkshire and the family
seat of a man who governed the province containing Oak Island is, at minimum, a coincidence that
warrants attention. The Mirror What stands on Temple Beeld Hill is not a ruin, not an inscription,
not an artefact that can be carbon dated or sent to a laboratory. It is five stones on a hilltop,
arranged in a pattern. But it is a pattern that matches. The angles match. The number of stones
matches. The presence of a stone with no function in the cross shape matches. The potential Cygnus
encoding matches. And the land on which the stones stand was owned by Templar patrons whose family
fought in the Crusades, donated preceptories, and was ransomed by the order after one of the most
catastrophic battles in the history of the Holy Land. The broader Templar network in Yorkshire was
enabled by a land grant from William de Villiers, whose donation founded Temple Newsam and whose
successors at Temple Newsam appointed Westerdale as the head preceptory for North Yorkshire. The
same family whose descendants would establish the French colony twenty miles from Oak Island four
and a half centuries later. [article:de-villiers-the-treasure-bloodline] Nolan's Cross has been
studied, measured, and debated since Fred Nolan first plotted the positions of its five boulders in
1981. In all that time, the question has been what the formation means. Temple Beeld Hill suggests a
different question: what does it mean that there are two of them?

### The Oak Island Star Map
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/the-oak-island-star-map

In 1981, Fred Nolan found five large cone-shaped boulders on his property on Oak Island. They were
scattered across Lots 5 and 21, some of them partially buried, none of them obviously connected. But
when Nolan plotted their positions on a survey map, the pattern was unmistakable. The five stones
formed a formation spanning 867 feet, with a vertical axis running roughly north to south and a
shorter horizontal axis crossing it near the top. Nolan called it a cross, and that name stuck. For
decades, most people assumed the formation was either a coincidence of glacial deposit or an old
property boundary. Nolan insisted otherwise. He believed the stones had been placed deliberately by
someone who understood geometry on a scale that could only be appreciated from above. He spent the
rest of his life trying to prove it. It took forty years for the science to catch up. Between 2019
and 2024, five independent researchers, using entirely different methods and starting from different
assumptions, would all arrive at the same conclusion: the structures on Oak Island were built to
align with the stars. The question is no longer whether the builders used astronomy. The question is
who, in the medieval period, possessed both the celestial knowledge and the engineering skill to lay
it out. [artifact:nolan-s-cross-6-boulders] As Above, So Below The first scientist to overlay a star
map onto Oak Island was Dr. Travis Taylor, an astrophysicist and aerospace engineer whom Marty
Lagina invited to the War Room during Season 6, Episode 7 ("Rock Solid") in January 2019. Taylor
approached the island the way a data scientist would approach a battlefield: he compiled every known
data point, including survey results, artefact locations, and geological features, and fused them
into a single integrated map. He then layered radon prospecting data over the top, revealing zones
of concentrated underground activity that corresponded to known areas of interest. It was one of the
most scientifically rigorous analyses ever applied to the Oak Island mystery, and it led Taylor to a
striking conclusion. When he overlaid the constellation Taurus on the island, key features aligned
with specific star positions. Nolan's Cross, the swamp, and other landmarks fell into correspondence
with the celestial pattern. Taylor's principle was "As Above, So Below," the ancient concept of
mirroring heaven on earth, a practice documented among the Templars, who built their fortresses in
alignment with sacred geometry across the landscapes of France. His Freemasonic theory extended this
further, connecting the island's geometry to Masonic symbolism and rituals, a thread that would be
picked up by other researchers in later seasons. Two episodes later, in Season 6, Episode 9 ("As
Above, So Below"), Taylor's star map was put to a field test. Jack Begley, Gary Drayton, and diver
Tony Sampson traveled by boat to nearby Apple Island, an area of interest identified on Taylor's
celestial overlay. At the coordinates indicated by his Taurus map, they discovered three large
boulders arranged in what appeared to be a deliberate formation. The boulders had not been
previously documented. Taylor's map, derived from star positions, had pointed to a real physical
feature on an island no one had thought to search. It was the first time a celestial theory about
Oak Island had produced a tangible, verifiable result on the ground. The Swamp and the Virgin A year
after Taylor's presentation, researcher Chris Donah brought a different constellation to the War
Room during Season 7, Episode 14 ("Burnt Offering") in February 2020. Where Taylor had looked at the
island's features broadly, Donah focused on a single element: the swamp. He had studied its outline
and concluded that its shape corresponded to the constellation Virgo. The swamp was not, in his
reading, a natural feature that happened to collect water in a convenient depression. It was a
shaped landscape, deliberately configured to reflect a pattern in the heavens. The idea landed in a
season already rich with swamp revelations. Dr. Ian Spooner had determined that the swamp was
created approximately 1220 AD, that it had once been open ocean, and that the "eye" of the swamp had
been manipulated by humans in the seventeenth century. A stick wedged between the paved stones at
its base had been carbon dated to the 1200s. If the swamp was artificial, as the evidence
increasingly suggested, then the question of why it was shaped the way it was became legitimate.
Donah's Virgo theory was the first attempt to answer it by looking up. The Swan Norwegian researcher
Petter Amundsen had been working on a different celestial connection. Amundsen, known primarily for
his work decoding what he believed were Baconian ciphers hidden in the works of Shakespeare, had
identified a correspondence between the constellation Cygnus, the Swan, and the layout of Nolan's
Cross. When the star pattern of Cygnus was overlaid on the five cone stones, the fit was close
enough to suggest intentional design rather than coincidence. The Cygnus connection gained
significant weight in Season 11, Episode 22, when the team traveled to Bianzano Castle in the
Cavallina Valley of northern Italy. The castle, identified as a Templar protection site, was where
they met Professor Adriano Gaspani, an archaeoastronomer and astrophysicist based near Milan.
Gaspani explained that Bianzano Castle was oriented to the cardinal points, with its corners aligned
to solstice sunsets and equinoxes. He then confirmed, for the first time on television, that the
castle's alignment matched the Cygnus constellation in exactly the same way that Amundsen had
proposed for Nolan's Cross. The same constellation, the same geometry, in a confirmed Templar
structure four thousand miles from Oak Island. The Archaeoastronomer Gaspani's contribution went far
beyond confirming someone else's theory. He brought a methodology that no previous Oak Island
researcher had applied: dating stone structures by calculating which stellar positions their
alignments would have matched at the time of construction. Stars move. Their positions in the sky
shift measurably over centuries due to precession and proper motion. A structure built to align with
a specific star in 1200 AD would not align with the same star today. By working backward from the
current positions of the stones and calculating when specific bright stars would have occupied the
correct positions relative to the formation, Gaspani could determine when the structures were built.
He presented his initial findings in Season 10, Episode 22 ("Starry Knights"). Gaspani had
identified six bright stars that aligned with the boulders of Nolan's Cross: Capella, Arcturus,
Antares, Bellatrix, Alphard, and Fomalhaut. When he calculated the epoch at which these alignments
would have held true, the answer was approximately 1200 AD. Doug Crowell, the team's historian,
immediately noted that this date matched the independent carbon dating of the swamp stone platform.
Two completely different methods, applied to two different features on the island, had converged on
the same century. Gaspani then turned his attention to the stone cairns on Lot 15, a separate set of
structures on the opposite side of the island from Nolan's Cross. Using the same archaeoastronomical
methodology, he dated the cairns to approximately 1250 AD. The Lot 15 cairns were aligned with a
different set of stellar positions, confirming that whoever built them had the same astronomical
knowledge as the builders of Nolan's Cross but had constructed the cairns roughly fifty years later.
The implication was that the island had been used over an extended period by people who understood
celestial navigation and incorporated it into their construction practices as a matter of course.
The Drilled Stones If Gaspani's work answered the question of when, researcher Christopher Morford's
War Room presentation addressed the question of what the formation was pointing at. Morford, a
Freemason and co-author of The Jerusalem Files, had been studying the relationship between the cone
boulders and a set of drilled stones found on the island. His theory, presented during Season 11,
was that the builders of Nolan's Cross had not merely created a monument. They had created a
targeting system. Morford demonstrated that two of the cone-shaped boulders from Nolan's Cross
aligned precisely with two drilled stones, and that the resulting sightline pointed directly at the
Money Pit area. The first boulder in the sequence, Cone C, sits on the beach where it would have
been visible to an incoming ship. A rock with a strangely drilled hole lies between Cone C and Cone
A at the top of the formation. A second drilled rock lies in a direct line beyond Cone A. Rick
Lagina reminded the group that a third drilled stone had been found in the Money Pit area in 1895
but was subsequently moved from its original position. Surveyor Steve Guptill immediately walked the
line and measured the distances. He discovered that the second drilled stone sat exactly halfway
between Cone C on the beach and the Garden Shaft. It was slightly off-centre of the shaft itself,
but it landed directly above the tunnel that runs to the Baby Blob, the underground zone where high
trace evidence of gold and silver had been detected between 80 and 120 feet below ground. Four lines
measured from Nolan's Cross, Morford argued, perfectly intersected at the Garden Shaft. The
implications were significant. Gaspani had demonstrated that the stones were placed according to
stellar alignments datable to 1200 AD. Morford had demonstrated that the same stones also functioned
as a ground-level survey system directing searchers to a precise underground location. The formation
was not one thing or the other. It was both: a structure that used the stars to establish its
geometry and then used that geometry to mark a target on the ground. The Viking Stars In Season 11,
Episodes 23 and 24, the team traveled to Denmark and Iceland to investigate a different but
potentially connected tradition of celestial navigation. On the island of Bornholm in Denmark,
historian Jeanne Cordua showed the team the Madsebakke rock carvings, a complex of
three-thousand-year-old Bronze Age petroglyphs that align with the stars. She described a Bronze Age
compass that pointed to the winter solstice sunrise and sunset, and she explained how Norse
navigators used translucent sunstones to determine the position of the sun even on overcast days.
Doug Crowell noted that certain carvings at Madsebakke representing the Hyades constellation matched
the configuration of the stone piles on Lot 15, the same structures that Gaspani had independently
connected to the Hyades using his archaeoastronomical methods. [site:madsebakke] At the Ladby Viking
Museum in Denmark, curator Ane Jepsen Nyborg examined a photograph of the crossbow bolt found on Oak
Island in the 1960s and confirmed that it matched artefacts from local archaeological digs dating to
the early medieval period through the Viking age, placing it before the 1300s. The crossbow bolt was
physical evidence of a medieval European presence on Oak Island, and it came from a culture that
navigated by the stars as a matter of survival. [site:ladby-viking-museum] In Reykjavik, Iceland,
the team visited the Arni Magnusson Institute, where Professor Gunnlaugsson showed them a manuscript
written in Latin and Norse that named four specific stars. One of them was Arcturus, the same star
that Gaspani had identified as one of the six reference points for the Nolan's Cross alignment. Doug
Crowell then noticed something else: the ribbon symbol from the Lot 8 copper piece, an artefact
found on Oak Island, appeared multiple times in the same Icelandic manuscript. A symbol from the
island and a star from the sky, both present in the same medieval document.
[site:arni-magnusson-institute-for-icelandic-studies] At the National Museum of Iceland, curator
Armann Gudmundsson presented Roman coins unearthed in southern Iceland, minted in the fourth century
but brought to Iceland by Norse settlers in the ninth or tenth century. The coins demonstrated that
objects moved across vast distances in the medieval world, carried by people who navigated the open
Atlantic using the stars. At a Viking ship museum, the team was shown a reconstructed cargo vessel
built around 1060, capable of carrying twenty tons and making the crossing to North America. The
technology existed. The navigation knowledge existed. The question was whether the people who
possessed both had any reason to sail to Nova Scotia and build stone structures aligned with the
constellations they used to find their way. Convergence What makes the celestial evidence on Oak
Island difficult to dismiss is not any single finding but the fact that the findings arrived
independently and confirm each other. Travis Taylor overlaid Taurus on the island and found three
undocumented boulders at the coordinates his star map predicted. Chris Donah looked at the swamp and
saw Virgo. Petter Amundsen looked at Nolan's Cross and saw Cygnus. Adriano Gaspani looked at the
same formation with the tools of astrophysics and dated it to 1200 AD, a date that matched the
carbon dating of the swamp's stone platform. Christopher Morford looked at the cone boulders and the
drilled stones and found sightlines converging on the Garden Shaft. In Scandinavia, the team
discovered that one of Gaspani's reference stars appeared in an Icelandic manuscript alongside a
symbol found on the island itself, and that the Hyades constellation matched the Lot 15 stone piles
through two entirely separate analyses. None of these researchers were working together. None of
them started from the same hypothesis. Yet all of them arrived at the same conclusion: the layout of
Oak Island was designed with reference to the sky. The stones are not random. The swamp is not
accidental. The alignments are not coincidental. Someone stood on this island eight hundred years
ago, looked up at the stars, and built accordingly. In the medieval world, two groups possessed both
the astronomical knowledge and the engineering capability to execute construction on this scale at
this level of precision. The first were the Norse, whose celestial navigation enabled them to cross
the open Atlantic centuries before Columbus. The second were the military orders of the Crusades,
the Templars and their associated Cistercian monks, who studied architecture, engineering, and
celestial navigation in abbeys across Europe and built their fortresses in alignment with stars and
sacred geometry from France to the Holy Land. The crossbow bolt dates to their era. Gaspani's
stellar dating places Nolan's Cross in their century. Bianzano Castle carries their name and the
same Cygnus alignment. The stars above Oak Island may yet tell us who stood beneath them.
[article:vikings][article:the-knights-templar]

### Rosicrusians
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/rosicrusians

In 1614, an anonymous document appeared in the German city of Cassel. It described a secret
underground vault, seven-sided and five feet broad on each wall, sealed behind a hidden door for 120
years. Inside were preserved books, scientific instruments, looking-glasses of diverse virtues,
burning lamps that had never gone out, and a body lying uncorrupted beneath a brass altar plate
inscribed in Latin. The door had been concealed behind plaster in a wall, discovered only when a
nail was pulled and a stone came loose, revealing a passage that had been invisible for over a
century. The document was the Fama Fraternitatis, the founding text of the Rosicrucian movement. It
was not describing Oak Island. But the parallels are difficult to ignore. The Fama told the story of
a man identified only as Brother C.R., later understood to be Christian Rosenkreuz, a German monk
born in 1378 who travelled to the Holy Land as a young man. In Damascus he studied with Arab
scholars who, the text claims, had been expecting him. He learned medicine, mathematics, and what
the Fama calls the secrets of nature. After further study in Fez, Morocco, where he was taught by
practitioners of magic and Kabbalah, Rosenkreuz returned to Europe with a library of translated
texts and a burning conviction that the arts and sciences of the continent were corrupt and in need
of reform. The learned men of Spain and elsewhere laughed at him. He retreated to Germany, built a
small house he called the Sancti Spiritus, and gathered three, then four, then eight followers
around him. Together they created a secret language, compiled a great book of knowledge designated
only as "Book M," and established the Fraternity of the Rosy Cross. Their six rules were precise:
they would cure the sick for free, wear no distinctive clothing, meet once a year at the house of
the Sancti Spiritus, each recruit a successor before death, use the letters C.R. as their seal, and
keep the fraternity secret for one hundred years. The Vault The centrepiece of the Fama is the
rediscovery of Rosenkreuz's burial vault, 120 years after his death. A later brother, renovating the
building, pulled a brass nail from a wall and accidentally dislodged a stone, revealing a hidden
door. Inscribed upon it in large letters were the words "Post 120 annos patebo," meaning "After 120
years I shall be opened." Behind the door lay a chamber of seven sides and seven corners, each wall
five feet wide and eight feet tall. Though the sun had never shone inside, the vault was lit by an
artificial sun mounted in the ceiling, which "had learned this from the Sun." In the centre stood a
round brass altar bearing the inscription: "A.C.R.C. Hoc universi compendium unius mihi sepulchrum
feci," which translates roughly as "I made this tomb a compendium of the whole universe." Each wall
was divided into ten squares containing figures and sentences. Each wall also contained a door
leading to a chest, and in those chests were "all our books," along with looking-glasses, small
bells, burning lamps, and "wonderful artificial songs," all placed there so that if the fraternity
should ever come to nothing, the vault alone could restore it. Beneath the altar lay the uncorrupted
body of Rosenkreuz himself, holding a parchment book described as the fraternity's greatest treasure
after the Bible. The parallels to Oak Island are structural, not superficial. A concealed
underground chamber, engineered to survive centuries. Preserved documents and artifacts placed
inside as a time capsule for future generations. A sophisticated construction designed to be
rediscovered only when the time was right. The Money Pit, with its oak platforms at ten-foot
intervals, its parchment fragment recovered from 153 feet, and its elaborate flood tunnel system
designed to protect whatever lies below, fits the Rosicrucian template with striking precision. The
Confessio and the Signs in the Sky A second manifesto, the Confessio Fraternitatis, appeared in
1616. Where the Fama told a story, the Confessio issued a declaration: the fraternity was real, its
treasures were available to the worthy, and the signs of its emergence had been written in the
heavens. The Confessio specifically referenced new stars that had appeared in the constellations
Serpentarius (now Ophiuchus) and Cygnus as divine signals that the age of revelation was at hand.
"The Lord God hath already sent before certain messengers," the text reads, "which should testify
his will, to wit, some new stars, which do appear and are seen in the firmament in Serpentario and
Cygno." The reference to Cygnus is significant in the context of Oak Island. The constellation
Cygnus, also known as the Northern Cross, has been identified by multiple researchers as the
celestial pattern mirrored by Nolan's Cross on Oak Island. The five megalithic boulders that form
Nolan's Cross, arranged across the island's surface, correspond to the principal stars of Cygnus
when projected downward from the sky. The Fama itself closes with the Latin phrase "sub umbra alarum
tuarum Jehova," meaning "under the shadow of thy wings, Jehovah." Cygnus is the swan, a creature
defined by its wings. If the Rosicrucians chose Oak Island as the site for their vault, Nolan's
Cross may have been placed as a marker, a terrestrial reflection of the constellation their own
manifesto declared sacred. Francis Bacon and the New Atlantis The question of who actually wrote the
Rosicrucian manifestos has never been definitively settled. The Lutheran theologian Johann Valentin
Andreae is often credited, and he did acknowledge authoring the Chemical Wedding of Christian
Rosenkreutz, a third text published in 1616 that is commonly grouped with the Fama and Confessio.
But many scholars have argued that the manifestos were the product of a circle rather than an
individual, and that circle almost certainly included Francis Bacon. Bacon's connections to
Rosicrucian thought are extensive. His unfinished utopian novel The New Atlantis, published
posthumously in 1627, describes a secret society of scholars called Salomon's House, operating from
a remote island, dedicated to the preservation and advancement of knowledge. The society conducts
its work in underground chambers, maintains vast libraries, and sends agents into the world in
disguise. Its members are sworn to secrecy. The resemblance to the Fraternity of the Rosy Cross as
described in the Fama is not coincidental. Bacon was, at minimum, deeply influenced by Rosicrucian
ideals; at maximum, he was a driving force behind the movement itself. The broader case for Bacon's
involvement with Oak Island, including the cipher research of Petter Amundsen, Jake Roberts, and
John Edwards, is explored in the Baconians article on this site. One figure in Bacon's circle
deserves particular attention in this context. Thomas Bushell, born around 1593, entered Bacon's
service at the age of fifteen and served as his seal-bearer and secretary until Bacon's fall from
power in 1621. After Bacon's death in 1626, Bushell became a mining engineer of considerable skill.
He recovered flooded mines in Wales and operated a Royal Mint at Aberystwyth Castle. He constructed
elaborate underground waterworks at Enstone in Oxfordshire. He defended Lundy Island for the
Royalist cause during the English Civil War, surrendering it in February 1647, after which he went
into hiding and did not resurface until 1652. That five-year disappearance falls within the period
that Amundsen's cipher research and dendrochronological dating from the show place activity on Oak
Island. A man trained by Bacon in the sciences, skilled in mining, experienced in engineering
underground chambers and managing water, and unaccounted for during the critical mid-1600s window:
Bushell fits the profile of someone who could have overseen the construction of the Money Pit. The
Rosicrucian Timeline and Oak Island The dating evidence from Oak Island increasingly supports a
1600s construction period for at least some of the island's features. In the Season 7 finale, Craig
Tester summarized the team's findings by noting that "there's a lot converging on the late 1600s," a
period he explicitly linked to "the Rosicrucians and the Francis Bacon theories." The Eye of the
Swamp has been dated to the late 1600s. The slipway at Smith's Cove was dated by dendrochronology to
1769, but a larger structure beneath it returned a date of 1741, indicating pre-searcher activity.
Artifacts dated to the 1400s and 1500s suggest even earlier visits to the island, but the 1600s
cluster aligns most closely with the peak of Rosicrucian activity in Europe. The Rosicrucian theory
also provides a framework for understanding why so many apparently different groups may have been
involved with Oak Island across centuries. The Fama describes how the original eight brothers
dispersed to separate countries after establishing their fraternity, each tasked with recruiting a
successor. The Confessio promises that the brotherhood will expand its membership "when the wall is
removed" and the door to Europe is opened. If the Rosicrucians operated as the Fama describes,
through a network of initiated members embedded in different countries and organizations, then the
Templar artifacts, the Masonic connections, and the Baconian ciphers all found on one small island
in Mahone Bay may not represent competing theories at all. They may represent successive layers of
the same tradition. The documented links between Rosicrucianism and early Freemasonry in Nova
Scotia, detailed elsewhere on this site, strengthen this reading. A Vault Built to Be Found The Fama
makes one promise above all others. The vault of Christian Rosenkreuz was not built to remain hidden
forever. It was built to be rediscovered at the appointed time. "Post 120 annos patebo." After 120
years, I shall be opened. The fraternity placed inside it everything needed to reconstitute their
knowledge from nothing: books, instruments, songs, and the body of their founder holding a parchment
that contained their greatest secrets. The entire structure was designed as a resurrection device
for an idea. The Money Pit, if it is a Rosicrucian vault, was built on the same principle. Its oak
platforms, its parchment, its flood tunnels designed to protect the contents from unworthy
intruders, all suggest a construction meant to preserve something until the right people, at the
right time, with the right knowledge, came to open it. The Fama warned that the building "shall for
ever remain untouched, undestroyed, and hidden to the wicked world." For over 230 years, the Money
Pit has fulfilled that promise. Whatever is buried beneath Oak Island has remained untouched,
despite the efforts of every treasure hunter who has tried. The Rosicrucians may not have built the
Money Pit. But whoever did build it appears to have read the same book.

### Early Freemasons
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/early-freemasons

Of all the theories surrounding Oak Island, the Masonic connection may be the most deeply embedded
in the story itself. Freemasonry does not simply appear at Oak Island as an external theory imposed
by outsiders. It is woven into the island's documented history, into the men who surveyed it, into
the symbols found upon it, and into the very structure of the legend as it has been told for over
two centuries. The question is not whether Freemasons were involved with Oak Island. The question is
what they were doing there. Freemasonry Arrives in Nova Scotia The story of Freemasonry in Nova
Scotia begins with a single man: Major Erasmus James Philipps. A military officer and member of the
Nova Scotia Council, Philipps was initiated into "The First Lodge" of Boston on November 14, 1737,
during a visit to settle boundary disputes between Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Henry Price, the
Provincial Grand Master of Masons in North America, saw in Philipps a proper agent to carry the
fraternity northward. On March 13, 1738, the Boston Gazette announced that "Major Philipps is
Appointed Provincial Grand Master over the Free and Accepted Masons, in the Province of Nova Scotia,
and that a Deputation is getting ready for that purpose." Philipps returned to Annapolis Royal in
June 1738, where he established the first Masonic lodge on Canadian soil. It was the fifth lodge
chartered from Massachusetts and it was, in membership, virtually a military lodge, its brothers
drawn almost entirely from the garrison. Among the earliest members were names that would matter to
the Oak Island story: John Easson, "made" a Mason in 1738, was a Master Artificer in the employ of
the Board of Ordnance. Dr. William Skene, who had served at Annapolis Royal since 1715, was a member
of the prominent Aberdeen Masonic family. The Craft took root quickly in the military and
administrative elite of colonial Nova Scotia. Philipps served as Provincial Grand Master until his
death in 1760. In his final years, he developed a close personal relationship with another figure
whose shadow falls directly across Oak Island: Charles Morris. Charles Morris and the Survey of Oak
Island Charles Morris was Nova Scotia's Surveyor General for over 32 years. Born in Boston in 1711,
he came to the colony as a military officer and rose to become one of its most powerful
administrators, serving simultaneously as a member of the Nova Scotia Council, Justice of the Peace,
and eventually Chief Justice of the Nova Scotia Supreme Court. He designed the layout of Halifax,
Lunenburg, Lawrencetown, and Liverpool. He was, by any measure, the man who drew the map of colonial
Nova Scotia. Morris was also a Freemason, deeply connected to the fraternal networks that Philipps
had established. And in 1762, he did something that no one has satisfactorily explained. That year,
Morris traveled 45 miles from Halifax to Oak Island and surveyed it into 32 lots of approximately
four acres each, most abutting a common road and all with water frontage. No other island in Mahone
Bay was ever surveyed in this manner. There were over 350 islands in the bay. Morris chose to divide
this one, and only this one, with the precision and formality normally reserved for planned
settlements. Why? The standard explanation is that the Shoreham Grant, which had opened the area to
settlement in 1759, required the land to be divided. But the grant covered a large area, and no
comparable effort was made for the other islands. Oak Island, at roughly 140 acres, was a small and
unremarkable piece of land. It had no harbour, no strategic value, no obvious reason to warrant the
personal attention of the colony's Surveyor General. Unless Morris already knew something was there.
The Morris Map and Its Symbols In Season 11 of The Curse of Oak Island, 32nd degree Scottish Rite
Mason and researcher Scott Clarke presented evidence he had found in the Canadian Archives: the
original 1762 map of Mahone Bay created by Charles Morris. Clarke, a librarian, archivist, and
records analyst from Toronto who has researched the Oak Island mystery for over two decades, had
been examining the map's details with a Freemason's trained eye. What Clarke found was striking. The
first letter A in "Mahone Bay" on the map was written with a distinctive v-shaped crossbar, a form
that differs from the other A's on the document, which are written normally. This v-bar A is a
symbol found repeatedly in Templar and early Masonic stonework, appearing in churches across
Portugal and Italy. It is commonly associated with the Holy Grail in Masonic tradition. Clarke found
the symbol used in three other places on the map. When these four instances were plotted on a
compass circle, the lines intersected at Oak Island. Clarke's conclusion was direct: Freemasons
within the colonial Nova Scotia establishment knew, as early as 1762, that something of significance
was buried on the island. Morris's superior was Lieutenant Governor Jonathan Belcher, himself a
Freemason. Belcher was the grandson of Andrew Belcher, who had worked closely with Sir William
Phips, the English privateer knighted for recovering Spanish treasure from the wreck of the
Concepcion in the 1680s. The connections between Freemasonry, treasure, and the colonial
administration of Nova Scotia run deep and interlocking. The Secret Vault The parallels between the
Oak Island legend and the rituals of Freemasonry are so numerous that they have been noted
independently by Masons and non-Masons alike. The resemblances centre on the allegorical story of
the Secret Vault, a narrative used in the Royal Arch and Scottish Rite degrees that describes the
discovery of a hidden underground temple built by the biblical patriarch Enoch. In the Masonic
allegory, the vault has nine levels, accessed through a succession of arches. It is discovered when
three worthy sojourners notice a depression in the ground. They dig and descend through the levels,
using ropes and tools. At the bottom, a stone is struck with a crowbar and found to be hollow.
Behind it lies a golden plate inscribed with the secret name of God, placed on a pedestal within a
chamber. The parallels to the Oak Island story as traditionally told are remarkable. Three young men
discovered a depression in the ground. They found nine distinct levels marked by oak platforms every
ten feet. A stone with a cipher inscription was found at depth. Workers probed the bottom with a
crowbar and struck what they believed to be a chest. The tools used by the diggers (spade, pickaxe,
crowbar) correspond to the three Working Tools of the Royal Arch Mason. A stone with an iron ring
was found in a pit near the main shaft, echoing the iron ring set in stone at the first level of
Enoch's temple. Three gold chain links were recovered during excavation, and three oak trees
reportedly formed a triangle around the pit, both motifs with direct Masonic significance. The
question, as researchers have debated for decades, is whether these parallels indicate that
Freemasons built the Money Pit or that Freemasons shaped the story of the Money Pit. The answer may
not be either/or. Jotham McCully and the Masonic Lens The most detailed early account of the Money
Pit's features comes from an 1862 article written by Jotham Blanchard McCully, who had been involved
in the treasure search since 1849. McCully's account introduced most of the Masonic-sounding
elements into the public record: the nine levels, the inscribed stone, the systematic platforms of
oak logs. An earlier account from 1861 by a writer identified as Patrick contained fewer of these
elements. Researcher Dennis J. King, himself a Freemason, demonstrated in his 2010 paper "The Oak
Island Legend: The Masonic Angle" that many of the story's most evocative details were added by
McCully and later writers, and that changes in the legend over time track closely with changes in
Masonic ritual. The inscribed stone, for example, was not described as porphyry until the 20th
century, after porphyry was introduced into the Masonic allegory of Enoch's temple. In 1936,
treasure hunter Gilbert Hedden found a stone at Joudrey's Cove on Oak Island bearing unmistakably
Masonic symbols, including a point within a circle, a three-sided square (which appears in the
Masonic pigpen cipher), and the letter H, a Masonic emblem for God. In 1967, a granite boulder was
overturned by a bulldozer, revealing on its underside the letter G in a rectangle, one of the most
public symbols in Freemasonry, denoting the Grand Geometer of the Universe. The stone was located on
the eastern side of the island, the direction considered the source of light in Masonic teaching. A
metal set square was also found beneath the finger drains at Smith's Cove. The square is, of course,
one half of the most recognisable symbol in Freemasonry. Two Theories, Not One The Masonic theory of
Oak Island is really two theories that operate on different levels and are not mutually exclusive.
The first is that Freemasons were directly responsible for whatever was buried on Oak Island, and
that the underground workings reflect Masonic engineering, Masonic symbolism, and Masonic purpose.
This version of the theory ties naturally to the Baconian hypothesis (Francis Bacon's connections to
early Rosicrucianism and Freemasonry are well documented), to the Knights Templar theory
(Freemasonry claims symbolic descent from the Templars), and to the broader idea that the colonial
Masonic elite of Nova Scotia was protecting or preserving something already on the island when
Morris surveyed it in 1762. The second is that Freemasonry became layered onto the Oak Island legend
as the story was told and retold by men who were themselves Masons, shaping the narrative to fit the
allegories and symbols they knew from their lodge rituals. This does not mean there is nothing on
Oak Island. It means the story as we have received it has been filtered through a Masonic lens, and
separating the physical reality from the ritual overlay requires careful work. The truth, as Scott
Clarke's research suggests, may lie in a combination of both. If Morris's 1762 map genuinely
contains coded Masonic markers pointing to Oak Island, then the fraternity's involvement predates
the "discovery" of the Money Pit by at least 33 years. And if Freemasons within the colonial
administration knew what was on the island, the seemingly inexplicable decision to survey one small
island with unusual precision begins to make a different kind of sense. The Masonic Thread
Freemasonry's relationship to Oak Island did not end in the 18th century. President Franklin D.
Roosevelt, a Freemason initiated in 1911, followed the Oak Island mystery from his youth until his
death in 1945, having participated in the work on the island as early as 1909. Actor John Wayne,
also a Mason, was reportedly associated with one of the treasure syndicates. Charles Barkhouse, the
Oak Island team's historian, is a Freemason. The fraternity's threads run through the story at every
level, from the colonial surveyors to the modern-day treasure hunters. What makes the Masonic theory
compelling is not any single piece of evidence but the sheer density of connections. The symbols on
the stones. The geometry of Nolan's Cross. The ritual echoes in the Money Pit legend. The fraternal
networks linking Morris to Philipps, Belcher to Phips, and the colonial elite to each other through
lodge memberships that were meticulously recorded. The decision to survey one island, and only one
island, in the entire bay. Freemasonry is a society built on the principle that truth is concealed
within layers that reveal themselves only to those who have been properly prepared. If that
principle was applied to Oak Island, the island itself becomes what a Mason would recognise as a
degree: a stage on which a story unfolds, level by level, to those willing to descend. The question
that remains, after more than 230 years of searching, is whether the treasure at the bottom is
literal or allegorical. The Freemasons, by design, would never tell you which.

### The Sack of Havana
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/the-sack-of-havana

In 1762, at the height of the Seven Years' War, Britain launched one of the most ambitious
amphibious operations of the 18th century: a full-scale assault on Havana, the wealthiest and most
heavily fortified port in Spain's American empire. The siege lasted more than two months, cost
thousands of lives, and ended with the British in possession of an extraordinary haul of treasure,
warships, and military stores. Within a few years, the first reported activity on Oak Island would
begin. The question that connects the two events is simple: did all of that treasure reach its
intended destination? The Siege Spain had remained neutral through much of the Seven Years' War, but
that changed in 1761 when King Charles III signed the Third Bourbon Family Compact, a secret
alliance with France against Britain. When word of the pact reached London, Britain declared war on
Spain in January 1762. The response was immediate and devastating. Lord George Anson, First Lord of
the Admiralty, and General John Ligonier proposed a strike at Spain's most valuable colonial
possession: Havana, the gateway through which the wealth of the Americas flowed on its way to
Madrid. The task force assembled for the operation was enormous. Admiral Sir George Pocock commanded
a fleet of roughly 180 vessels, including 22 ships of the line, frigates, sloops, bomb vessels, and
transports. General George Keppel, 3rd Earl of Albemarle, led the land forces, which ultimately
numbered some 14,000 soldiers drawn from Britain, North America, and the West Indies. Keppel's two
younger brothers played key roles: Major General William Keppel commanded troops on the ground, and
Commodore Augustus Keppel led a portion of the naval assault. Pocock navigated the fleet through the
treacherous Old Bahama Strait from Jamaica, arriving off the Cuban coast on June 6, 1762. Troops
landed the following day at Cojimar Bay, six miles east of the city, meeting little initial
resistance. The prize that awaited them was immense. Since the early 1500s, Havana had served as the
staging point for Spain's treasure fleets, the convoys that carried silver, gold, emeralds, indigo,
cocoa, and Oriental goods across the Atlantic. The city's harbour could accommodate over 100
warships, and its royal shipyard was the finest in the Americas. Defending the harbour entrance was
the formidable Castillo de los Tres Reyes del Morro, better known as Morro Castle, perched on a
rocky headland and armed with 64 guns. On the opposite side stood the Castillo de San Salvador de la
Punta. Between them, a boom chain stretched across the channel. The garrison, under Captain General
Juan de Prado, numbered roughly 11,000 men, including regular troops, sailors, marines, and militia.
The Fall of Morro Castle The Spanish strategy was to delay the British long enough for tropical
disease and the approaching hurricane season to do what the garrison alone could not. For weeks, the
defenders held. A naval bombardment of Morro Castle on July 1 by HMS Cambridge, Marlborough, and
Dragon was beaten back with heavy losses. But the fortress had a critical weakness: the unfortified
hill of La Cabaña overlooked its walls, and the British exploited it mercilessly, installing
siege batteries that pounded the castle day after day. On July 30, British engineers detonated mines
beneath a section of wall, and infantry stormed through the breach. The castle's heroic commander,
Luis Vicente de Velasco, had been mortally wounded the previous day; the Spanish navy would name a
ship in his honour for generations afterward. With Morro Castle in British hands, the fall of Havana
was only a matter of time. Batteries were positioned along the northern shore of the harbour
entrance, and on August 11, a bombardment of 47 heavy guns, 10 mortars, and 5 howitzers opened on
the city itself. Fort la Punta was silenced within hours. Captain General de Prado surrendered on
August 13, and British forces entered Havana the following day. The Spoils The scale of the plunder
was staggering. The British seized military equipment valued at 1,828,116 Spanish pesos and
merchandise worth an additional 1,000,000 pesos. Some contemporary estimates placed the total value
of captured stores and valuables at up to £3 million, an almost inconceivable sum for the
period. Nine Spanish ships of the line fell intact into British hands, representing roughly a fifth
of Spain's entire naval strength: the Infante, Reina, Soberano, Tigre, Aquilón, San Antonio,
América, Conquistador, and San Genaro, along with frigates, sloops, and nearly 100 merchant
vessels. Two additional warships under construction in the dockyards were burned. The division of
prize money became a source of lasting bitterness. Admiral Pocock and Lord Albemarle each received
£122,697, an extraordinary personal fortune. Commodore Augustus Keppel took home
£24,539. The 42 naval captains present each received roughly £1,600. Ordinary soldiers
and sailors, by contrast, received approximately £4 each, a paltry sum given the months of
brutal fighting, disease, and death they had endured. Of the British forces engaged at Havana,
around 1,790 were killed, wounded, or listed as missing in combat, but by October, a further 5,000
had died of tropical fevers. The disparity between the fortunes amassed by senior officers and the
scraps handed to the men who actually fought would become a persistent grievance, and it forms the
basis of the Oak Island connection. The Oak Island Theory The theory linking Havana to Oak Island
was most prominently advanced by the late Fred Nolan, one of the island's longest-serving treasure
hunters and the discoverer of the stone formation known as Nolan's Cross. Nolan believed that Oak
Island's underground workings, including the Money Pit, the artificial beach at Smith's Cove, and
the flood tunnel system, were constructed by members of the British military who diverted a portion
of the Havana spoils to the island rather than deliver it to the Crown. Author William Crooker
further explored this line of reasoning in his book Oak Island Gold, arguing that the treasure was
placed on the island for safekeeping and never recovered. The geographic logic is straightforward.
After the siege, captured Spanish vessels and British warships sailed north through waters that pass
within easy reach of Nova Scotia. Halifax, the Royal Navy's principal North Atlantic base, lies
roughly 1,200 miles from Havana, a voyage of days for a well-crewed warship. Oak Island sits in
Mahone Bay, just 60 miles southwest of Halifax, a sheltered location that would have been familiar
to any naval officer operating out of the Halifax station. The theory proposes that rogue British
officers, resentful of the prize money system that enriched admirals while leaving common sailors
with almost nothing, ordered a ship diverted to Oak Island, where the treasure was buried using the
engineering skills readily available to military personnel of the period. Evidence on the Ground In
Season 4, Episode 8 ("The Mystery of Samuel Ball"), metal detection expert Gary Drayton and Oak
Island historian Charles Barkhouse explored Lot 24, once part of the property owned by Samuel Ball,
a former slave who fought for the British in the American Revolution before settling on Oak Island
in 1786 and becoming one of its wealthiest residents. Drayton recovered an 18th-century "dandy
button," a copper coin bearing the head of King George II (who reigned from 1727 to 1760), a lead
ingot of the type used by British soldiers for casting musket balls, and a metal plate bearing a
faded inscription that appeared to come from the stock of a musket. Barkhouse noted that these finds
were consistent with Fred Nolan's theory of a British military presence on the island connected to
the Havana spoils. In 1977, Nolan himself discovered a carved stone surveyor's monument in the Oak
Island woods while following a survey line. The stone bore chisel scars and scorch marks and had a
shape that Nolan compared to a Spanish treasure galleon. While the stone alone proves nothing, Nolan
regarded it as further evidence that military surveyors had been active on the island, laying out
the kind of precise measurements that would be required for a large-scale construction project like
the Money Pit and its flood defences. The Samuel Ball Question The Havana theory also intersects
with one of Oak Island's most enduring sub-mysteries: the sudden prosperity of Samuel Ball. Born
into slavery in South Carolina in 1764, Ball gained his freedom by serving in the British forces
during the American Revolution. After the war, he resettled in Nova Scotia and purchased a four-acre
lot on Oak Island in 1786, later expanding his holdings to over 100 acres across several lots. Ball
grew cabbages commercially, but the scale of his landholdings and the comfortable estate he left
behind have long fuelled speculation that farming alone could not account for his wealth. Some
researchers believe Ball may have discovered treasure already present on the island, possibly buried
by the same British military personnel who had been there decades earlier. Whether Ball's fortune
derived from the soil above or something hidden below remains one of Oak Island's unanswered
questions. Strengths and Weaknesses The Sack of Havana theory has several things working in its
favour. The timeline fits comfortably within the period of activity suggested by artifacts and
carbon dating on the island, most of which cluster in the late 1600s through the 1700s. The
engineering required to construct the Money Pit and its flood tunnel system is consistent with the
capabilities of 18th-century British military engineers, who were among the most skilled in the
world. The geographic proximity of Oak Island to the Halifax naval base provides a plausible route.
And the documented bitterness over prize money distribution offers a motive for diversion. Its
principal weakness is the absence of any documentary evidence. No ship's log, letter, court martial
record, or Admiralty file has surfaced linking any vessel from the Havana fleet to Oak Island. The
scale of the treasure captured at Havana was enormous, but it was also meticulously inventoried by
British officials, making it difficult (though not impossible) for a significant portion to vanish
unnoticed. The theory also competes with the earlier timeline suggested by other evidence on the
island, including coconut fibre carbon-dated to between 1260 and 1400, the medieval lead cross, and
artifacts pointing to activity centuries before 1762. It is possible, of course, that the Havana
deposit was a later addition to a site that had already been used for centuries, layered on top of
earlier work by different hands. Oak Island's history, if nothing else, seems to be one of multiple
visitors across multiple eras, each leaving their mark in the soil.

### The Secret British Military Bank
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/the-secret-british-military-bank

The Most Dangerous Place in the Empire Between 1710 and 1763, Nova Scotia was the site of six
colonial wars. Control of the territory passed between France and Britain repeatedly, and each
transfer was paid for in blood. Father Rale's War, Father Le Loutre's War, King George's War, the
Seven Years' War: the names have faded from popular memory, but in the 18th century, the Atlantic
coast of Canada was among the most violently contested ground on earth. The British made six
attempts to conquer the Acadian capital before finally succeeding at the Siege of Port Royal in
1710. Over the following fifty years, the French and their Indigenous allies launched six more
campaigns to take it back. Into this arena, the British poured men, ships, and money on a scale that
dwarfed anything else happening in North America. The 40th Regiment of Foot was stationed in Nova
Scotia for 46 consecutive years, from 1717 to 1763, the longest continuous deployment of any British
regiment in the Americas. Halifax was founded in 1749 not as a settlement but as a military
fortress, purpose-built to counterbalance the French stronghold at Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island.
By the 1750s, the Royal Navy maintained a permanent squadron dedicated to the North Atlantic, and
Halifax harbour served as its primary base. Regiments rotated through the garrison. Engineers
fortified the coastline. Payroll, supplies, and captured spoils moved through the region in
quantities that required serious protection. Oak Island sits in Mahone Bay, roughly 80 kilometres
southwest of Halifax. In the mid-18th century it was uninhabited, wooded, and accessible only by
boat. For a military commander looking to secure something valuable away from the main garrison,
away from enemy raids, and away from the civilian population, it would have been a logical choice.
The Engineering Argument The most persistent question in the Oak Island story is not what was
buried, but who had the ability to bury it. The Money Pit, with its oak platforms at regular
intervals, its flood tunnel connecting to the sea, and its layered construction reaching depths
beyond 30 metres, was not the work of a small crew operating in secret. It was an engineered
project. Civil engineers Graham Harris and Les MacPhie spent over a decade analysing the Money Pit
from a professional standpoint. Their conclusion, published across three editions of Oak Island and
Its Lost Treasure, was that construction would have required a labour force of over 100 men,
supplemented by a small team of experienced miners. The work would have taken nearly two years to
complete. In the third edition, Harris and MacPhie presented evidence drawn from British military
records that they believed identified who commanded the force, how it reached Nova Scotia, and when
the construction was carried out. They placed the building of the flood tunnel at approximately
1752. The date is significant. In 1752, Halifax was three years old, the garrison was growing, and
the colony was bracing for the conflict that would become the Seven Years' War. The British had
Royal Engineers on site, military mining specialists, and access to both soldiers and forced labour.
No other group operating in mid-18th-century Nova Scotia could have marshalled the same combination
of engineering knowledge, manpower, and sustained logistical support. What Needed Protecting The
sums moving through Nova Scotia during the colonial wars were substantial. Military payroll for
multiple garrisons had to be stored securely in a region under constant threat. The first fall of
Louisbourg in 1745 yielded captured French military funds. The second and final siege in 1758,
conducted by a massive British force under Amherst and Wolfe, resulted in the systematic demolition
of the fortress and the seizure of everything inside it. The fate of the French garrison's treasury
has never been conclusively accounted for. Then came Havana. In 1762, British forces besieged and
captured the Cuban capital, seizing treasure estimated at £3 million in 18th-century pounds
(equivalent to hundreds of millions today). The prize money was enormous, and the British naval base
at Halifax was the nearest secure port in the Western Atlantic. Some researchers have proposed that
a portion of the Havana spoils was diverted to a secure location near Halifax rather than being
shipped directly to London, where it would be subject to Crown accounting and political dispute. The
threat was not theoretical. In 1746, France had assembled the largest fleet ever sent to the New
World: 64 ships and 11,000 men under the Duc d'Anville, with the explicit mission of recapturing
Halifax and driving the British from Nova Scotia. The expedition ended in disaster, with storms,
disease, and the death of d'Anville himself destroying the fleet before it could attack. But the
message was clear. Halifax was a target. Any commander responsible for securing military funds would
have known that a single enemy fleet could threaten the main garrison. A vault on a nearby
uninhabited island, protected by engineered flood defences, would have provided exactly the kind of
redundancy that military logistics demands. The Artifacts The objects found on Oak Island include
items that fit squarely within an 18th-century British military context. A gold-plated military
officer's button was recovered during metal detection work on the island. A British military uniform
button, dated to approximately 1775 to 1815, was found on Lot 21, near the former home site of
Daniel McGinnis. A King George III cartwheel penny, minted in 1797, turned up on Lot 2. A French
military cap badge, possibly from a grenadier's hat of the 1700s, was also discovered, consistent
with the presence of both British and French military personnel in the Mahone Bay area during the
colonial period. None of these objects are medieval. None point to Templars or ancient
civilisations. They are the kind of items that soldiers lose, drop, or leave behind during extended
operations. Taken individually, each could be explained by casual visits to the island. Taken
together, and considered alongside the engineered structures underground, they suggest sustained
military activity during the period when British forces controlled the region. The Revolution
Changes Everything If the British military built a vault on Oak Island, the American Revolution may
explain why the contents were never recovered. When the Thirteen Colonies declared independence in
1776, Halifax became Britain's most important remaining base in North America. Over 75,000 Loyalists
fled north to Nova Scotia after the war, transforming the colony from a military outpost into a
densely settled province. Land grants were issued across the region, including on Oak Island itself.
The island, which had been uninhabited and controllable throughout the colonial wars, was suddenly
surrounded by settlers. The first recorded land grants on Oak Island date to the Shorham grant of
1759, but significant settlement came in the 1780s and 1790s with the Loyalist influx. By the time
Daniel McGinnis reportedly discovered the Money Pit depression in 1795, the island had been
privately owned for decades. Any military operation to recover the vault's contents would have
required digging on privately held land, in full view of civilian residents, an operation that would
have been difficult to conduct in secret and politically impossible to justify. The theory suggests
that the vault was simply abandoned: too difficult to access, too risky to expose, and eventually
forgotten as the officers who knew its location died or were reassigned. The treasure, if treasure
it was, remained underground because the circumstances that created it had been overtaken by
history. The Samuel Ball Question One figure complicates any straightforward reading of the island's
history. Samuel Ball was born into slavery in South Carolina in 1764. He gained his freedom by
fighting for the British during the American Revolution, and after the war he migrated to Nova
Scotia with tens of thousands of other Black Loyalists. In 1786, Ball purchased a four-acre lot on
Oak Island at what was described as a premium price for a relatively small parcel. He eventually
acquired several more lots and became one of the wealthiest landowners in the Mahone Bay area, a
remarkable outcome for a formerly enslaved man in late 18th-century Nova Scotia. Researchers have
long debated the source of Ball's wealth. His official livelihood was farming, particularly
cabbages, which he sold to the Halifax garrison. But land records and tax assessments suggest
resources beyond what cabbage farming could reasonably produce. Near Ball's former home on the
island, the team discovered what appeared to be a man-made stone tunnel, and metal detection surveys
have recovered coins, buttons, and other artefacts from the area. If the British military had
constructed a vault on Oak Island, a Loyalist veteran who had served the Crown and settled on the
island would have been exactly the kind of person who might be trusted with partial knowledge of
what lay beneath. Whether Ball discovered the vault independently, was guided to it, or simply
benefited from proximity to buried wealth remains an open question. But his presence on the island,
his military service, and his unexplained prosperity all fit within the framework of the British
military theory. A Theory Built on Logic The British Military Bank theory does not require ancient
orders, religious relics, or transatlantic voyages predating Columbus. It asks only that the Money
Pit be understood as a product of the era in which Nova Scotia was most heavily militarised: the mid
to late 18th century. It proposes that the people best equipped to build such a structure, British
Royal Engineers with access to military miners and hundreds of soldiers, were the ones who built it.
And it suggests that the contents, whether military payroll, captured spoils from Louisbourg or
Havana, or strategic reserves held against the ongoing French threat, were the kind of assets that
empires routinely protect with exactly this level of effort. The theory also accounts for one of the
deepest puzzles of the Oak Island story: why no one ever came back for the treasure. If the
depositors were a military operation rather than a private venture, the knowledge of the vault's
existence would have been restricted to a small number of officers. Death, reassignment, the chaos
of the Revolution, and the settlement of the island by civilians would have severed the chain of
custody within a single generation. Unlike a pirate who buries gold with the intention of returning,
a military bureaucracy can lose track of assets when the officers who managed them are no longer
available to report. Harris and MacPhie's engineering analysis remains one of the few attempts to
approach the Money Pit from the perspective of the people who actually built underground structures
for a living. Their conclusion that only a military-scale operation could account for the pit's
construction has never been convincingly refuted. Whether the vault held military payroll, captured
French treasury, Havana prize money, or some combination, the British Military Bank theory offers an
explanation that requires no leaps of faith, only the recognition that the 18th century's most
powerful military empire was operating, building, and storing assets within a day's sail of Oak
Island for the better part of a century.

### Spanish Galleons full of Inca Gold
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/spanish-galleons-full-of-inca-gold

The Gold of the New World Between 1500 and 1650, Spain extracted an estimated 181 tons of gold and
16,000 tons of silver from the Americas. The wealth flowed from two principal sources: the Aztec
Empire of central Mexico, conquered by Hernan Cortes between 1519 and 1521, and the Inca Empire of
Peru and Ecuador, conquered by Francisco Pizarro beginning in 1532. The scale of the plunder was
without precedent. Gold and silver objects accumulated over centuries by indigenous civilisations
were systematically melted down into ingots and loaded onto treasure fleets bound for Seville. The
Spanish Crown claimed a fifth of everything, the famous quinto real, but the quantities were so vast
and the distances so great that controlling the flow proved impossible. Not all of the treasure
reached Spain. Hurricanes sank entire fleets. Pirates intercepted individual galleons. Corrupt
captains skimmed cargo. Ships blown off course sought shelter in unfamiliar harbours and sometimes
never returned to their routes. The Atlantic seabed from the Caribbean to the Azores is littered
with wrecks carrying New World gold. Against this backdrop, the idea that a portion of Spanish
treasure ended up buried on a small island off the coast of Nova Scotia is not as far-fetched as it
might first appear. It is a premise shared, in different forms, by several of the theories proposed
to explain Oak Island, including those involving Sir William Phips and the Sack of Havana.
[article:william-phips-the-treasure-of-the-concepcion][article:the-sack-of-havana] The Ransom of
Atahualpa The most dramatic single act of plunder in the conquest of the Americas took place at
Cajamarca, in the highlands of Peru, in November 1532. Francisco Pizarro arrived at the Inca city
with approximately 168 soldiers and two small cannons. Atahualpa, the Inca emperor, had just won a
bloody civil war against his half-brother Huascar and commanded an army of nearly 80,000 men camped
in the hills around the town. Confident in his overwhelming numerical superiority, Atahualpa
accepted an invitation to meet the Spanish in Cajamarca's central plaza. He arrived on November 16
with several thousand unarmed retainers. What followed was a massacre. After a Dominican friar named
Vicente de Valverde demanded that Atahualpa accept Christianity and the sovereignty of the Spanish
king, Atahualpa refused. Pizarro gave the signal. Hidden cavalry and infantry charged from
surrounding buildings, artillery fired into the crowd, and within hours the emperor was a prisoner.
Perceiving the avarice of his captors, Atahualpa offered to buy his freedom. He would fill the room
in which he was held, a chamber measuring roughly 22 feet long by 17 feet wide, with gold to the
height of his outstretched arm, approximately nine feet. He would fill two additional rooms with
silver. Pizarro agreed. Over the following months, gold and silver poured into Cajamarca from across
the empire. Temple ornaments, ceremonial objects, statues, jewellery, and sacred vessels were
stripped from shrines as far away as Cusco. Spanish blacksmiths melted the objects into standard
ingots, destroying their cultural and artistic value in the process. By July 1533, the ransom had
been delivered in full: nearly 6,000 kilograms of gold and more than 11,000 kilograms of silver. The
total was valued at 1,326,539 pesos de oro, a sum worth hundreds of millions of dollars in modern
terms. It remains one of the largest ransoms ever paid. Pizarro did not honour the bargain. On
August 29, 1533, after a sham trial on charges of rebellion and fratricide, Atahualpa was executed
by garrotte. The Spanish entered Cusco in November 1533 and completed the conquest of the Inca
Empire. But the full extent of Inca wealth was never accounted for. Atahualpa had ordered the
execution of his rival Huascar during captivity, and with Huascar died knowledge of treasure stores
that had not yet been surrendered. Inca generals in the provinces held back gold intended for the
ransom. The sacred treasures of temples in outlying regions were hidden or moved before the Spanish
could reach them. The question of what happened to the Inca wealth that never reached Cajamarca has
occupied treasure hunters for five centuries. The Lost Treasure of Tumbes One variant of the Spanish
Connection theory traces a specific path from South America to Oak Island. In 1528, four years
before the events at Cajamarca, Pizarro made his first contact with the Inca Empire at the coastal
city of Tumbes in northern Peru. He and his crew were welcomed by the local Tumpis people, who
called the light-skinned visitors Children of the Sun. The Spanish observed that Tumbes was rich
with gold, silver, and precious objects. Pizarro left two of his men behind to learn the language
and customs, then sailed to Spain to petition the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V for ships and
soldiers to conquer the city. When Pizarro returned to Tumbes in 1532 with a full complement of
conquistadors, he found the city in ruins and its wealth gone. The Inca civil war between Atahualpa
and Huascar had reached Tumbes, and the city had been sacked by Huascar's forces. The treasure had
been carried away. According to the theory, one of the Spaniards Pizarro had left behind warned the
Tumpis of his patron's true intentions. Heeding the warning, the citizens of Tumbes gathered their
most precious objects, transported them overland to the Caribbean coast, built a fleet, and set
sail. Swept north by storms, they were eventually shipwrecked on Oak Island, where they buried their
treasure. This version of the theory was championed by veteran treasure hunter Dan Blankenship, who
discussed it at length on the show. It received an unusual form of support in the 1930s, when Oak
Island searchers Frederick Blair and Mel Chappell travelled to Saginaw, Michigan, to meet with a man
named John Wicks who claimed to channel spirits. According to Wicks, the spirits of a Spanish priest
named Menzies and an Inca priest named Circle described how Inca workers arrived on Oak Island in
the 1520s and constructed the underground workings to conceal the treasure of Tumbes. The story is
colourful but unsupported by archaeological evidence. There is no documented record of Inca
seafaring beyond coastal trade, and no evidence that South American peoples possessed the
navigational capability to reach Nova Scotia. The Evidence Several artifacts recovered on Oak Island
have been cited in support of a Spanish or South American connection. In Season 9, the team
recovered small fragments of gold-bearing metal from the Money Pit area. Analysis by geoscientist
Dr. Christa Brosseau revealed a composition of approximately 65 percent gold and 26 percent copper,
with a small amount of silver. While Brosseau identified the alloy as consistent with rose gold,
Marty Lagina observed that the chemical composition also matched tumbaga, the gold-copper alloy
widely used by the Inca and Aztec civilisations and later melted down by Spanish conquistadors into
bars. Tumbaga was not a single standardised alloy but an umbrella term for a range of gold-copper
compositions, with gold content varying from as little as 3 percent to as much as 97 percent. The
presence of a gold-copper alloy in the Money Pit does not confirm a South American origin, as
copper-gold alloys also occur naturally and were produced in medieval Europe, but it is consistent
with the theory. [artifact:gold-copper-alloy-tumbaga] The swamp has yielded its own Spanish-era
artifacts. In Season 4, metal detection expert Gary Drayton discovered a large iron nail in the
north end of the swamp. Although it initially resembled a railroad spike, antiquities expert Dr.
Lori Verderame identified it as a wrought iron barrote nail of the type used in the construction of
Spanish galleon decks, dated to between 1575 and 1600. In Season 1, the team recovered a copper 8
maravedis coin dated to 1652 from the swamp, placing Spanish-associated currency on Oak Island more
than a century before the Money Pit's official discovery in 1795. A pair of wrought iron scissors
found at Smith's Cove in 1967 was identified as a Spanish-American design predating the mid-1800s.
[artifact:barrote-nail-spanish-galleon][artifact:spanish-8-maravedis-coin] Seismic testing conducted
by Eagle Canada in the swamp during Seasons 6 and 7 revealed a 200-foot-long anomaly beneath the
surface whose shape bears some resemblance to a sailing vessel. The late Fred Nolan, who owned land
on Oak Island for decades, had long maintained that the triangular swamp was man-made and concealed
a buried ship. He recovered what he identified as a ship's mast and scuppers from the swamp in the
1980s. Wood recovered from the swamp has been carbon dated to as early as the late 1400s, and a
piece of ship's railing found during Season 8 was dated to between 660 and 770 AD, though this
earlier date suggests a possible Viking rather than Spanish origin. [artifact:wooden-ship-s-railing]
The coconut fibre found in vast quantities at Smith's Cove and within the Money Pit itself
represents perhaps the most enduring physical link to tropical latitudes. The Smithsonian
Institution confirmed in 1916 that the material was genuine Cocos nucifera. Coconuts do not grow
anywhere near Nova Scotia; the nearest source in the colonial era would have been the Caribbean,
over 2,000 miles to the south. Carbon dating of the fibre has returned dates ranging from the 13th
to 14th century, though the reliability of these dates has been questioned due to potential
contamination from the marine environment. If the dating is accurate, the coconut fibre predates any
known European activity in Nova Scotia by centuries and remains one of the most difficult facts to
explain about Oak Island. [artifact:coconut-fibre-smith-s-cove] The Theory The Spanish Connection is
not a single theory but a spectrum of related propositions, all rooted in the same historical
reality: Spain extracted a staggering quantity of precious metal from the Americas, and a
significant portion of it was lost, stolen, or diverted before reaching its intended destination.
The Tumbes variant, with its account of Inca refugees sailing to Nova Scotia, stretches the limits
of plausibility. More grounded versions of the theory focus on Spanish galleons lost or captured in
the Atlantic, treasure diverted by corrupt officials, or pirate raids on colonial ports. The
recovery of the Concepcion treasure by Sir William Phips in 1687 demonstrates that Spanish gold did
reach Nova Scotian waters through indirect channels, and the British seizure of Havana in 1762
placed a fortune in captured Spanish wealth within a single voyage of Oak Island. The theory also
accounts for the scale and sophistication of the Money Pit's construction. The Spanish Crown
employed military engineers and possessed the organisational capability to design complex
underground works. A treasure fleet captain or a well-funded privateer would have had access to the
labour, materials, and expertise required to construct the flood tunnel system and the layered
shaft. The coconut fibre points to the Caribbean. The tumbaga points to South America. The barrote
nail and the maravedis coin point to Spanish ships. Whether the treasure originated from Inca
temples, a sunken galleon, or a combination of both, the Spanish Connection remains one of the few
theories that provides a plausible source of wealth large enough to justify the extraordinary
engineering that went into hiding it. For a broader view of French and British military operations
in the same waters during the same century, see the account of the Duc d'Anville expedition of 1746.
[article:the-doomed-expedition-of-the-duc-d-anville]

### The Treasure of Louisbourg
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/the-treasure-of-louisbourg

On a fog-wrapped headland at the eastern tip of Cape Breton Island, France built the most expensive
fortification in the New World. Construction began in 1719 and continued for over twenty-five years,
consuming more than thirty million livres against an original budget of four million. By the
mid-1740s, the Fortress of Louisbourg enclosed over fifty acres behind walls thirty feet high and a
ditch eighty feet across, defended by more than 150 cannons and mortars, and garrisoned by some
2,000 soldiers. It was the commercial heart of French Atlantic Canada, a thriving port through which
an average of 150 vessels passed each year, trading in cod, manufactured goods, sugar, and rum with
partners in France, Quebec, the West Indies, and even New England. And then, in a matter of weeks,
it was gone. Twice besieged and twice captured by the British, Louisbourg was systematically
demolished stone by stone between 1760 and 1768 so that France could never use it again. But one
question has lingered for nearly three centuries: what happened to the treasury? The Fortress and
Its Wealth Louisbourg was established in 1713 after the Treaty of Utrecht stripped France of its
claims to Newfoundland and mainland Nova Scotia, leaving only Cape Breton Island (then called Ile
Royale) and Prince Edward Island (Ile Saint-Jean) as French possessions in Atlantic Canada. The
engineer Jean-Francois du Vergery de Verville chose the site for its natural harbour and its
strategic position guarding the entrance to the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the sea route to Quebec.
The fortifications that rose between 1720 and 1745 were European-style masonry on a scale rarely
seen in North America: the King's Bastion alone required over 500,000 cubic feet of cut stone.
Benjamin Franklin, writing on the eve of its first siege, called it a "tough nut to crack."
Sustaining this outpost required a constant flow of money from France. The Royal Treasury regularly
dispatched pay-ships to Louisbourg carrying wages for soldiers, contractors, and the hundreds of
labourers employed in its construction and maintenance. These shipments, combined with the tax
revenues generated by Louisbourg's lucrative cod fishery and its role as a trading hub, meant that
significant sums of gold and silver were held at the fortress at any given time. It was this wealth,
along with the military stores, provisions, and personal fortunes of its merchant class, that would
become the subject of one of Oak Island's most persistent theories. The Fall of Louisbourg The first
siege came in the spring of 1745, during King George's War. A force of New England colonists backed
by a Royal Navy squadron laid siege to the fortress, whose garrison was poorly supplied, underpaid,
and on the verge of mutiny. Troops had actually revolted the previous December over wages months
overdue and conditions so poor that fishermen refused to put to sea. After forty-six days of
bombardment and assault, the fortress capitulated on June 16, 1745. The capture stunned the French
establishment and enraged the court of Louis XV, who immediately began planning a counterattack. The
result was the Duc d'Anville Expedition of 1746, the largest French military force ever dispatched
to the New World prior to the American Revolution. Admiral Jean-Baptiste Louis Frederic de La
Rochefoucauld de Roye, Duc d'Anville, sailed from France on June 22, 1746, with a fleet variously
reported as 64 to 73 ships carrying between 11,000 and 13,000 men, 800 cannons, and orders from King
Louis XV to recapture Louisbourg, retake Acadia, and "consign Boston to flames." The expedition was
a catastrophe. Storms in the Bay of Biscay, dead calms off the Azores, lightning strikes that
detonated a magazine, and epidemics of typhus and scurvy ravaged the fleet across a three-month
Atlantic crossing. By the time the remnants limped into Chebucto Bay (present-day Halifax Harbour),
thousands were dead or dying. D'Anville himself died of a stroke on September 27, 1746, six days
after arriving. His replacement, Vice-Admiral d'Estourmel, attempted suicide two days later. The
expedition collapsed without ever reaching Louisbourg. Louisbourg was returned to France by the
Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748, but its reprieve was short. During the Seven Years' War, a second
British force of over 12,000 troops and 150 ships under General Jeffrey Amherst besieged the
fortress in 1758. After seven weeks, during which a lucky mortar shot detonated a French ammunition
dump, the garrison surrendered on July 26. This time there would be no return. The British used
Louisbourg as a staging point for the 1759 Siege of Quebec and the Battle of the Plains of Abraham,
and then spent eight years reducing the fortress to rubble. The Oak Island Theory The Louisbourg
theory exists in several variants, but all share a central premise: that French military personnel,
anticipating the loss of their fortress, concealed its treasury on Oak Island rather than allow it
to fall into British hands. The best-known version was articulated by author John Godwin, who argued
that the apparent size and complexity of the Money Pit pointed to French Army engineers as its
builders. In Godwin's scenario, engineers who had spent decades constructing Louisbourg's elaborate
fortifications, including underground tunnels, drainage systems, and bomb-proof casements, applied
those same skills to building a concealed vault on an island roughly 200 miles down the Nova Scotian
coast. The theory gained modern traction when naval historian Chipp Reid presented it to the Oak
Island team in Season 7, Episode 5 ("Tunnel Visions"). Using an 18th-century military map of
Cartagena, Colombia, drawn by English engineer John Thomas the Elder in 1741, Reid demonstrated that
several structures uncovered at Smith's Cove, including the U-shaped structure, the L-shaped
structure, and the slipway, bore a striking resemblance to the components of a "water battery," a
beachside artillery fortification of a type commonly built by French military forces. Reid proposed
that the French military had used Oak Island as a defensive outpost in the early 1700s and hidden
the Louisbourg treasury there before the first siege in 1745. A second variant centres on the
pay-ships. France dispatched regular shipments of gold and silver to Louisbourg to fund the fortress
and pay its garrison. If one of these vessels was blown off course by an Atlantic storm, the crew
might have been forced to conceal its cargo on a nearby island rather than risk capture. The same
fate could have befallen a supply ship attached to the Duc d'Anville Expedition, whose fleet was
scattered across the ocean by weeks of violent weather. In either case, Oak Island's location in
Mahone Bay, sheltered and relatively close to the shipping lanes between France and Cape Breton,
makes it a plausible emergency cache. The Duc d'Anville Connection The Duc d'Anville Expedition has
generated some of the most intriguing documentary evidence on the show. In Season 5, Episode 10
("The Signs of a Cross"), researcher Doug Crowell presented an eight-page document he had discovered
in the Nova Scotia Archives in Halifax: what appeared to be an English translation of a French
ship's log from a vessel that served as the vanguard of the d'Anville fleet. The log's author
described sailing southwest from Chebucto Bay down the Acadian coast to what was either Mahone Bay
or St. Margaret's Bay, where the crew reportedly dug a deep pit and constructed a "secret entrance"
by tunnel from the shore, descriptions that evoke the Money Pit and the Smith's Cove flood tunnel
with uncomfortable precision. In Season 10, Episode 5, researcher Corjan Mol expanded on this thread
by presenting 18th-century French documents from the French National Archives. These records
revealed that during the d'Anville Expedition, two advance scouting ships, l'Aurore and le Castor,
were sent ahead of the main fleet on orders given directly by King Louis XV. The ships carried
unusually large crews: 250 men aboard l'Aurore and 180 aboard le Castor. According to the documents,
the two frigates arrived on the Acadian coast on June 4, 1746, in Mahone Bay. Official records
indicate they accomplished nothing during their visit, a curious outcome for two heavily crewed
warships dispatched on royal orders. More striking still was a passage from the log of Commander
Duvigneau, submitted to the Admiralty upon return to France: "I will not speak to anyone about this
place, but I am obliged to warn you that it is difficult to hide it from the quantity of people who
have knowledge of it. I send my journal of navigation." Whatever Duvigneau's mission was, he
considered it sensitive enough to warrant silence and his own acknowledgement that secrecy might not
hold. Engineering Parallels One of the Louisbourg theory's most compelling elements is not financial
but structural. In Season 7, Episode 12 ("Fortified"), Rick Lagina and Doug Crowell visited the
Fortress of Louisbourg, now a Parks Canada living history museum reconstructed from the original
plans. There, historian Sarah MacInnes showed them the fortress's original bomb-proof casements,
among the only French structures to survive Britain's eight-year demolition campaign. Inside one
casement was a stone drainage system that Crowell immediately noted resembled Oak Island's reported
flood tunnels. MacInnes then took them to the countermine tunnel, an underground passage with stone
walls and a vaulted stone roof, built through marshy terrain by engineers who had to manipulate the
surrounding water during construction. The parallel to the conditions described in the swamp and at
Smith's Cove was difficult to ignore. This visit followed a key piece of dendrochronological
evidence. Earlier that season, Dr. Colin Laroque had dated the wooden wharf at Smith's Cove to 1741,
based on red spruce felled that year. The date placed its construction squarely in the period of
French military activity on the Nova Scotian coast and just four years before the first siege of
Louisbourg. Combined with the water battery hypothesis advanced by Chipp Reid, the structural
evidence suggests that whoever built the Smith's Cove workings had access to French military
engineering techniques and was active on the island during the precise period when Louisbourg's fate
hung in the balance. The La Rochefoucauld Thread The Duc d'Anville's family name, La Rochefoucauld,
carries its own weight in Oak Island research. The family was one of the oldest and most powerful
noble houses in France, and its connections extend in several directions that intersect with the
island's history. D'Anville's son, Louis-Alexandre de La Rochefoucauld, survived the expedition's
aftermath and became a prominent figure in French intellectual life, eventually serving as a deputy
in the States-General of 1789. He maintained connections with both Benjamin Franklin and Thomas
Jefferson, raising the question of whether knowledge of any concealed treasure might have circulated
among the same transatlantic networks that financed the American Revolution. The La Rochefoucauld
name also appeared on the Zena Halpern map, a controversial document presented on the show that
purported to connect the family to earlier activity on Oak Island.
[site:chateau-de-la-rochefoucauld] Strengths and Weaknesses The Louisbourg theory draws strength
from several overlapping lines of evidence. The timeline aligns well with dendrochronological dating
of structures at Smith's Cove to the early 1740s. The French military demonstrably possessed the
engineering expertise to construct underground tunnels, drainage systems, and fortified structures
in marshy coastal terrain, as the surviving works at Louisbourg itself confirm. The geographic logic
is sound: Oak Island sits roughly 200 miles southwest of Louisbourg along the Nova Scotian coast,
close enough to reach by ship but remote enough to serve as a hidden cache. The documentary record
includes tantalizing fragments: Duvigneau's cryptic letter, the ship's log describing a pit and
tunnel dug in Mahone Bay, and the unexplained presence of two heavily crewed French frigates in the
area in 1746. And the artifacts recovered on the island, including French-era buttons, tools, ox
shoes matching those at Louisbourg, and construction materials consistent with 18th-century military
practice, place French activity on Oak Island within the correct period. The weaknesses are real but
not fatal. No documentary evidence has been found in French archives explicitly stating that the
Louisbourg treasury was removed to Oak Island or anywhere else. The fortress's accounts were
maintained by French bureaucracy, and while records are incomplete, there is no gap in the ledgers
that clearly corresponds to a missing treasury. The theory also competes with evidence of much
earlier activity on the island: wood samples and artifacts dating to the 1600s and even the medieval
period suggest that whatever happened on Oak Island may have begun centuries before Louisbourg was
built. The Duc d'Anville ship's log, while suggestive, exists only as a later English translation
whose provenance remains uncertain. And the various timelines (before the 1745 siege, during the
1746 expedition, after the 1758 capture) offer three different scenarios that, while not mutually
exclusive, resist consolidation into a single coherent narrative. What the theory does offer,
perhaps more than any other, is a documented explanation for how the Money Pit could have been
built. The question that haunts every Oak Island theory is not just who buried treasure on the
island, but who had the manpower, the engineering skill, and the institutional resources to
construct a shaft over a hundred feet deep, complete with flood protection and tunnel systems, on a
remote island in the North Atlantic. The French Royal Army, fresh from building the most ambitious
fortification in the Western Hemisphere, is one of the few candidates that does not require a leap
of faith to answer that question.

### The Jewels of Marie Antoinette
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/the-jewels-of-marie-antoinette

Of all the theories attached to Oak Island, the one involving the jewels of Marie Antoinette may be
the most romantic and the most problematic in equal measure. It involves a doomed queen, a secret
chest of diamonds and pearls, a loyal servant's flight across the Atlantic, and a sitting president
of the United States who believed every word of it. The story has circulated in one form or another
since at least the early 20th century, and it gained its most famous advocate in Franklin D.
Roosevelt, who followed the Oak Island mystery from his twenties until his death in office.
[article:the-roosevelt-connection] A Queen and Her Jewels Marie Antoinette arrived at the court of
Versailles in 1770 as a fourteen-year-old Austrian archduchess, betrothed to the future Louis XVI.
On the day of her wedding, she was presented with the traditional jewels of a French dauphine: an
elaborate diamond necklace that had belonged to Anne of Austria, along with pieces once worn by Mary
Queen of Scots and Catherine de' Medici, all valued at roughly two million livres. Over the
following two decades, she added substantially to her collection, amassing diamonds, rubies,
emeralds, sapphires, and natural pearls that made her one of the most lavishly adorned women in
Europe. Her spending habits, combined with the dire state of French finances after the Seven Years'
War and France's costly support of the American Revolution, earned her the nickname "Madame Deficit"
and helped fuel the public fury that would eventually consume the monarchy. In 1785, the Affair of
the Diamond Necklace, a fraud orchestrated by the Comtesse de la Motte involving a 2,800-carat
necklace worth 1.6 million livres, further damaged the queen's reputation even though Marie
Antoinette had no involvement in the scheme. By 1789, when revolutionaries stormed the Bastille and
forced the royal family from Versailles to the Tuileries Palace in Paris, the queen's name had
become synonymous with royal excess. What happened to her vast personal jewel collection in the
chaos that followed is a question with more than one answer, and it lies at the heart of the Oak
Island connection. The Flight to Varennes By early 1791, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were
effectively prisoners in the Tuileries, surrounded by revolutionary guards and a hostile public. The
couple planned a desperate escape to Montmedy, a royalist stronghold near the Austrian border, where
they hoped to rally loyal troops and negotiate from a position of strength. Before the flight,
according to accounts written by her lady-in-waiting Madame Campan, Marie Antoinette spent an entire
evening wrapping her diamonds, rubies, and pearls in cotton and placing them in a wooden chest. The
jewels were sent ahead to Brussels, then under the control of the queen's sister Archduchess
Marie-Christine, and into the care of Count Mercy-Argenteau, the former Austrian ambassador to Paris
and one of the few men the queen still trusted. Mercy forwarded the chest to Vienna and the
safekeeping of the Austrian Emperor, Marie Antoinette's nephew. On the night of June 20, 1791, the
royal family slipped out of the Tuileries in disguise. They were recognised and arrested at
Varennes, barely 30 miles from safety. No jewels were found on them. Louis and Marie Antoinette were
returned to Paris under guard, and both were executed by guillotine in 1793. Meanwhile, the official
Crown Jewels of France, a separate collection kept at the Garde-Meuble (Royal Treasury), were stolen
in a brazen multi-night burglary in September 1792. Most were eventually recovered, though notable
pieces vanished permanently, among them the Royal French Blue, which resurfaced decades later in
London, recut into what is now known as the Hope Diamond. The Legend of the Lady-in-Waiting The Oak
Island version of events diverges sharply from the documented historical record. According to this
theory, Marie Antoinette did not send her jewels to Austria at all. Instead, she entrusted them to a
lady-in-waiting (whose identity has never been established) who fled Paris with the gems and made
her way to London. From there, the faithful servant crossed the Atlantic to the former French
fortress of Louisbourg in Nova Scotia. Accompanied by loyalist French soldiers, she then buried the
jewels in a secure underground vault, possibly the very shaft that would become known as the Money
Pit when it was discovered in 1795. The theory gained its most prominent endorsement from Franklin
D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States. Roosevelt's connection to Oak Island ran in
the family: his maternal grandfather, Warren Delano Jr., a wealthy trader who had made his fortune
in the China trade, was a shareholder in the Truro Company, the second major treasure-hunting
syndicate to work the island, which operated from 1849 to 1851. The young Roosevelt, stirred by
family stories of buried treasure, invested in the Old Gold Salvage and Wrecking Company in 1909 and
visited Oak Island that summer. He retained his interest in the mystery for the rest of his life,
corresponding with landowners and treasure hunters through his presidency and even planning a visit
to the island during a trip to Halifax in 1939, though fog and the approaching war prevented it.
Documents uncovered at the FDR Presidential Library in Hyde Park, New York, by researcher Paul
Troutman and shown to Rick Lagina and Alex Lagina in Season 4, Episode 12 ("Hyde Park and Seek"),
confirmed that Roosevelt believed Oak Island's treasure consisted of the lost jewels of Louis XVI
and Marie Antoinette. A transcript of an interview with Duncan Harris, a schoolmate and confidant of
Roosevelt, recorded by biographer Joseph P. Lash, specifically names the French crown jewels as the
treasure FDR believed was buried on the island. Evidence on the Island While no artifact recovered
on Oak Island has been definitively linked to Marie Antoinette or the French court, a discovery in
Season 5 briefly reignited interest in the theory. In Episode 16 ("Seeing Red"), metal detection
expert Gary Drayton and Rick Lagina were working on Lot 8 when Drayton unearthed a metal brooch with
an empty socket at its centre. Moments later, probing the same hole, he recovered a red gemstone
enclosed in a metal ring, the brooch's missing centrepiece. A gemologist later identified the stone
as a rhodolite garnet, cut to fit the brooch approximately 400 to 500 years ago. While the dating
placed the piece well before the French Revolution, the discovery of a genuine jeweled artifact on
the island lent a certain weight to theories involving buried gems of any origin. Beyond the brooch,
the broader pattern of 18th-century artifacts found across the island, including coins, buttons, and
military hardware from the 1700s, confirms that people were active on Oak Island during the period
in question. The theory does not require that the Money Pit itself was built by Marie Antoinette's
agents; some proponents suggest the jewels could have been deposited in an existing structure or
hidden elsewhere on the island entirely. [artifact:jewelled-brooch-rhodolite-garnet] The Problems
The Marie Antoinette theory faces serious historical objections, several of which were identified as
early as 1958 by R.V. Harris, a Nova Scotian lawyer and Freemason closely associated with the Oak
Island treasure hunt, in his book The Oak Island Mystery. The most damaging is the documented fate
of Marie Antoinette's personal jewels. History records, through Madame Campan's own accounts and the
paper trail left by Count Mercy-Argenteau, that the queen's private collection was sent to Vienna in
the spring of 1791, months before the Flight to Varennes. The jewels passed through the hands of the
queen's surviving daughter, Marie-Therese de France, to the Duchess of Parma, and down through the
royal House of Bourbon-Parma. In November 2018, ten pieces from this collection, unseen in public
for over 200 years, were sold at Sotheby's in Geneva. Among them were Marie Antoinette's natural
pearl and diamond earrings, a diamond brooch, a pearl necklace, and a diamond ring containing a lock
of the queen's hair. Their provenance was meticulously documented. Separately, a set of 21 natural
pearls given by Marie Antoinette to Lady Sutherland, the wife of the British ambassador, before the
flight were auctioned by Christie's in 2007. As for the official Crown Jewels, they were stolen from
the Garde-Meuble in September 1792, more than a year after the Flight to Varennes, by common thieves
rather than royal agents. Most of the stolen pieces were eventually recovered by French authorities.
Harris also noted a geographic problem: the Fortress of Louisbourg, where the lady-in-waiting
supposedly made landfall, had been in British hands since 1758, captured during the Seven Years' War
more than three decades before the Revolution. A French loyalist fleeing revolutionary Paris would
have found the fortress garrisoned by British troops, not the sympathetic French soldiers the legend
requires. Finally, the timeline is extremely compressed. The jewels would have had to cross the
Atlantic, reach Nova Scotia, and be buried in an elaborately engineered underground vault sometime
between mid-1791 and the summer of 1795, when the Money Pit was first discovered. By that period,
Oak Island and the surrounding communities along the Mahone Bay shore were inhabited by
English-speaking settlers, making a large, secret construction project difficult to carry out
unnoticed. [site:fortress-louisbourg] A Theory That Endures Despite these objections, the Marie
Antoinette theory has proven remarkably durable. It benefits from a story too dramatic to easily
dismiss: a queen facing the guillotine, a secret chest of diamonds, a loyal servant's flight to the
New World. It also carries the weight of Roosevelt's endorsement, a detail that lends it a gravity
that more obscure theories lack. The Sotheby's auction of 2018 may have accounted for the queen's
personal collection, but it did not account for every jewel that passed through the French court
during the revolutionary period. Gems disappeared into private hands, were broken from their
settings and recut, or simply vanished in the chaos. Whether any of them reached Nova Scotia
remains, like so much about Oak Island, a question that the evidence has yet to answer.
[article:the-versailles-alignment-to-oak-island]

### The Inscribed Marker Stones of Seborga
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/the-inscribed-marker-stones-of-seborga

High in the hills above the Italian Riviera, a few miles from the French border and within sight of
Monaco, sits the village of Seborga. It is a tiny place, home to around 320 people, perched on a
hilltop surrounded by olive groves and flower farms. To the casual visitor it looks like any number
of picturesque Ligurian hill towns. But Seborga has a story it tells about itself, one involving
Knights Templar, sacred relics, and a secret so profound that a vow of silence was sworn to protect
it. That story, as we will see, is largely a modern invention. What is not an invention are the 34
inscribed stones scattered across the hills surrounding the village, stones that mark the boundaries
of what was once an independent territory. In August 2023, I hiked the trails around Seborga to
document these stones. What I found carved into them stopped me in my tracks. Seborga and Its Claims
To understand Seborga, you have to separate what is documented from what is claimed. What is
documented is this: in 954 AD, Marquis Guido, Count of Ventimiglia, donated the territory known as
Castrum Sepulchri and the church of San Michele di Ventimiglia to the Abbey of Saint-Honorat on the
island of Lerins, off the coast of Cannes. From that point forward, the abbots of Lerins governed
Seborga as a principality. In 1079, Pope Gregory VII authorized the abbots to claim the title of
Prince-Abbot. The territory was small, remote, and largely left to its own devices for centuries.
This much is in the historical record. What is claimed is far more dramatic. According to a
narrative promoted heavily within the village, the nine founding Knights Templar traveled from
Jerusalem to Seborga in 1127, where Bernard of Clairvaux ordained Hugues de Payns as the first Grand
Master of the Order. The Templars then allegedly managed the Principality from 1159 onward, using it
as a repository for relics and treasures brought from the Holy Land, including items recovered from
beneath the Temple Mount. Fifteen of the twenty-three Templar Grand Masters were supposedly also
Princes of Seborga. The village was, in this telling, the secret heart of the Templar world.
[article:the-knights-templar] It is a compelling story. It is also, according to the available
evidence, not true. Elena Bellomo, an expert on Templar orders in northwest Italy at Cardiff
University, has stated plainly that there is "no medieval evidence that there were Templars in the
area of Seborga." The Templar narrative was largely constructed in the 1960s by Giorgio Carbone, a
local floriculturist who proclaimed himself Prince of Seborga in 1963 and built the village's
identity around Occitan and Cathar-Templar traditions that have no documented connection to the
place. The Order of the Temple was founded in Jerusalem in 1118, not in Seborga, and Bernard of
Clairvaux's involvement with the Templars is well documented through the Council of Troyes in 1129,
not through any ceremony on a Ligurian hilltop. Today Seborga operates as a self-declared
micronation, complete with its own currency, elected princess, and competing chivalric orders, none
of which are recognized by the Catholic Church or the Italian state. None of this should be taken as
a dismissal of Seborga's genuine historical interest. The Lerins Abbey connection is real and
documented. The territory's status as a semi-independent ecclesiastical principality is real. The
name Castrum Sepulchri, meaning "Castle of the Sepulchre," is attested in medieval documents and
raises legitimate questions about what was kept there and why it bore that name. But the specific
Templar claims that have made Seborga famous, and that connect it to Oak Island through Zena
Halpern's Cremona Document, rest on a foundation that academic historians do not accept.
[article:zena-halpern-and-the-templar-map-of-oak-island] The Boundary Stones What is unquestionably
real, and what no one disputes, are the stones. Thirty-four inscribed boundary stones surround the
territory of Seborga, marking the limits of the former Principality. They are carved into boulders
and rock faces along the ridgelines and footpaths in the hills above the village, reachable by hikes
ranging from ten minutes to over an hour from the town square. Some are easily visible from the
trail. Others require local knowledge to find. Local historian Stefano Albertieri has studied these
stones extensively and dates them to the 12th through 15th centuries, with most likely carved in the
14th century. The numbers visible on some of the stones were probably added later, possibly after
the Congress of Vienna in 1817 when European borders were being redrawn. The stones themselves,
however, are medieval. They served a practical purpose: marking where the jurisdiction of the
Prince-Abbot of Seborga ended and the territory of neighboring communities such as Coldirodi,
Ospedaletti, and Vallebona began. One of the Marker Stones around Seborga These are not decorative
objects. They are administrative markers, carved by people who needed other people to know where one
authority stopped and another started. That is what makes them interesting. The symbols and
letterforms carved into them were not chosen for artistic effect. They were chosen to communicate,
using the visual language of the institution that governed the territory. The H+O Stone Connection
The H+O stone is one of Oak Island's most enigmatic artifacts. It is a fragment salvaged by Gilbert
Hedden in 1936 from a large inscribed boulder on the island's northern shore that earlier searchers
had dynamited in 1921. The surviving piece bears the letters H and O, or possibly H and a cross,
carved in a distinctive serif style. Its meaning has been debated for nearly a century. One of the
Seborga boundary stones immediately caught my attention. Located on the path marking the territorial
limit between Seborga and Coldirodi, it bears a carved cross that functions as a boundary marker:
the "+" symbol indicating the dividing line between jurisdictions. The typography of the carving is
what matters here. The style of the serifs, the weight of the strokes, and the proportions of the
letterforms are strikingly similar to what we see on the H+O stone fragment from Oak Island. This is
not a vague resemblance. The carving technique and letter style are close enough to suggest a shared
tradition. The Seborga stone does not have the four dots that appear on the H+O stone, and the
inscription is simpler. But the question it raises is direct: if the institution that governed
Seborga marked its territorial boundaries using this typographic style, and a stone with the same
typographic style was found on Oak Island, does that suggest a connection between the two places?
Or, more precisely, does it suggest that the people who carved boundary markers in one place also
carved them in the other? [artifact:h-o-stone] The "8-Stone" and the Lead Cross Another stone in the
Seborga boundary system is known locally as the "8-stone" because its inscription appears at first
glance to depict the number 8. On closer inspection, the carving is not an 8 at all. It consists of
two circles that touch in the middle, one above the other, with an uneven-armed cross carved below
them. If you isolate the bottom circle and the cross beneath it, the combined symbol bears a
remarkable resemblance to the lead cross found at Smith's Cove on Oak Island in 2017. The lead
cross, which has been dated through metallurgical analysis to between the 13th and 17th centuries,
features an uneven-armed cross with what some researchers have interpreted as a human figure and
others as a representation of the Phoenician goddess Tanit. The proportions of the Seborga carving,
the unevenness of the arms, and the relationship between the circular element and the cross below it
mirror what we see in the Oak Island artifact. The 8 Stone, one of the Marker Stones around Seborga
A similar inscription has been documented at the Templar prison in Chinon, France, where Knights
Templar were held after the arrests of 1307. The Chinon carvings were made by imprisoned Templars
and represent some of the most direct physical evidence we have of Templar symbolic language. The
presence of a comparable symbol on a boundary stone in Seborga, a territory governed by the Lerins
Abbey during the same period, is at minimum a coincidence worth examining. The top circle on the
"8-stone" may have been added later, possibly to convert the original symbol into a number when the
stones were catalogued. This would be consistent with Albertieri's observation that the numbering
system on the boundary stones postdates the original carvings. [artifact:lead-cross] Assessment The
Templar claims that surround Seborga are not substantiated by medieval sources, and the village's
modern identity as a Templar stronghold was largely constructed in the second half of the 20th
century. This article makes no argument based on those claims. The Cremona Document that routes
Templar relics through Castrum Sepulchri is, as detailed in our article on Zena Halpern, a modern
forgery. But the boundary stones are not forgeries. They are in the ground, they have been there for
centuries, and they are independently dated to the 12th through 15th centuries by a local historian
with no connection to Oak Island or its theories. What I documented in August 2023 are typographic
and symbolic parallels between these stones and two of the most discussed artifacts found on Oak
Island: the H+O stone and the lead cross. The connection does not require the Templar narrative that
Seborga promotes about itself. It requires only what is documented: that Seborga was governed for
centuries by the Abbey of Lerins, that the Cistercians were closely affiliated with the Knights
Templar through their shared founder Bernard of Clairvaux, and that the boundary stones were carved
during a period when both orders were active across the Mediterranean and beyond. If the people who
marked territorial boundaries in Seborga used a typographic tradition that also appears on Oak
Island, the question is not whether Seborga was a Templar state. The question is whether the
tradition traveled, and if so, who carried it. The stones do not answer that question. But they ask
it in a way that no forged document can: silently, in carved rock, exactly where they have been for
seven hundred years.

### Mi'kmaq, the First Nation
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/mi-kmaq-the-first-nation

Long before Daniel McGinnis found a depression in the earth in 1795, long before the first French
fishermen built cabins near Chester in the 1750s, and long before any European ship entered Mahone
Bay, the land that includes Oak Island belonged to the Mi'kmaq. The L'Nu'k, as they call themselves,
meaning simply "the people," have lived in what is now Nova Scotia for at least 10,000 years. The
area encompassing Oak Island falls within the Mi'kmaq district once known as Segepenegatig, part of
a vast territory they call Mi'kma'ki, stretching from the Gaspe Peninsula to Newfoundland. Whatever
was built on Oak Island was built on their land. Megumaagee The Mi'kmaq understood their land as a
living body. In the old tradition recorded by Marion Robertson in Red Earth, the Micmacs imagined
Nova Scotia as a mighty giant with one foot at Yarmouth, the other at Gaspe, and his head the island
of Cape Breton. They called the territory Megumaagee, derived from megakumegek, meaning "red earth
country." This was not empty wilderness. It was a carefully governed landscape divided into hunting
districts, each overseen by a chief who assigned territories to families each spring and fall. No
hunter was permitted to overstep the bounds of his land, and each killed only what was needed. The
preservation of fish and game was a matter of collective survival. The Mi'kmaq lived close to the
sea in summer, fishing for salmon and sturgeon by torchlight and spearing eels through wooden fences
built across narrow rivers. In winter they moved inland to hunt moose and beaver in the forest. They
navigated the coastline and its islands by birchbark canoe, following routes that had been travelled
for thousands of years. Mahone Bay, with its roughly 360 islands, was part of this network. The
Mahone Bay Museum records that the Mi'kmaq occupied the area for over 13,500 years, and the 1725
Peace and Friendship Treaty between the Mi'kmaq and the British Crown confirmed their continuing
presence and rights in the region. The Petroglyphs The Mi'kmaq recorded their world in stone. At
Kejimkujik National Park in southwestern Nova Scotia, over 500 petroglyphs have been carved into
glacially polished slate outcrops along the shores of Kejimkujik Lake and George Lake, forming one
of the largest collections of rock art in eastern North America. The oldest carvings are estimated
at 800 to 1,000 years old. The images include caribou, bears, peaked caps traditionally worn by
Mi'kmaw women, geometric patterns of double-curve design, and, from the period of European contact,
detailed renderings of sailing ships, a French soldier, and a compass pointing in the four cardinal
directions. Parks Canada identifies these petroglyphs as the Mi'kmaq history books, carved into rock
because the culture relied on oral tradition rather than written language before European contact.
The illustrations reproduced in Robertson's Red Earth were traced from Kejimkujik petroglyphs by
George Creed in 1887-1888, the first person to document rock art in Nova Scotia. Among the most
significant carvings are detailed representations of Mi'kmaw clothing, canoes, hunting scenes, and
spiritual symbols including the eight-pointed star. The Mi'kmaq also developed a hieroglyphic
writing system, adapted in the late 1600s by French missionary Chrestien Le Clercq from symbols he
observed Mi'kmaq children using on birchbark. This system, later expanded by Abbe Pierre Maillard,
is considered the oldest writing system for an Indigenous language in North America north of Mexico.
Glooscap's Farewell The figure at the centre of Mi'kmaq oral tradition is Glooscap (also written
Glous'gap or Kluskap), the embodiment of the Great Spirit who walked among the people as a teacher,
warrior, and healer. According to the tradition recorded by both Robertson and RunningWolf,
Glooscap's departure from Mi'kma'ki took place on the shores of the Minas Basin in the Bay of Fundy,
less than 150 kilometres northeast of Oak Island. In Robertson's account, Glooscap held his farewell
feast at Cape d'Or, then travelled to Spencer's Island where he ate his last meal, overturning his
cooking kettle and transforming it into a small round island. His two dogs, still sitting on their
haunches, he turned to stone. From Spencer's Island he stepped across the water to Blomidon, where
he called a great whale to carry him across the ocean to the far land in the west. In RunningWolf's
telling, Glooscap gathered the people and animals on a beach of the Sunrise Ocean and delivered a
prophecy. He foresaw three invasions: warriors from the south, raiders from the northwest, and
finally, arriving in enormous canoes from across the Great Waters of the Sunrise, bearded white men
who would take the land away. He promised to return and to raise the people from their burial
mounds. The assembled crowd listened carefully, knowing they must remember every word, and then
Glooscap paddled north in his white canoe, which sometimes appeared as an ordinary canoe and
sometimes took the form of a whole island. The whale Bootup swam alongside him for a time, then fell
back, and Glooscap disappeared over the horizon. Oak Island and the Mi'kmaq Record The question of
whether the Mi'kmaq used or visited Oak Island itself remains open. One source, a Clio heritage
review, states plainly that there has been no evidence of Indigenous activity on the island and no
myths about it in Mi'kmaq culture. The island was apparently left untouched before European
settlement. Yet in Season 9 of The Curse of Oak Island, archaeologist Laird Niven recovered a
fragment of pottery from the swamp area that he identified as Mi'kmaq in origin, potentially 500 to
2,500 years old. The discovery triggered an immediate halt to excavation under Nova Scotia heritage
regulations, and the Acadia First Nation Council sent representatives to review the site. Work in
that section of the swamp was suspended until the matter was resolved. The pottery find raised a
possibility the team had not previously considered in a serious way: that the island's history may
extend further back than European contact. If the Mi'kmaq were present on Oak Island centuries
before 1795, they may have witnessed or recorded activities on the island that predate any European
arrival. The Mi'kmaq oral tradition is vast and ancient, and much of it remains within the community
rather than published in academic sources. Whether stories exist that relate specifically to Oak
Island, to unusual activity in Mahone Bay, or to structures built by unknown visitors on the islands
of the southern shore is a question that only the Mi'kmaq themselves can answer. Jimmy Kaizer One
Mi'kmaq name does appear directly in the Oak Island story. Jimmy Kaizer, a local Mi'kmaq man, worked
as a labourer for Robert Restall during his ill-fated treasure hunt in the early 1960s. When the
Restall tragedy struck in August 1965, killing Robert Restall, his son Bobby, Cyril Hiltz, and Carl
Graeser in a shaft filled with carbon monoxide or hydrogen sulphide gas, it was Jimmy Kaizer who
retrieved the bodies. He subsequently worked as a night watchman for Robert Dunfield. In late 1965,
while sleeping in the Restalls' old cabin, Kaizer reported waking to the sound of the cabin shaking
violently. He felt a heavy weight pressing on his chest and saw a pair of red eyes staring down at
him. A voice told him to leave the island and never return. In the morning, he found himself covered
in bruises, one pattern resembling the impression of a hand. The story is typically presented on the
show as a ghost story, part of the island's curse lore. But it sits within a broader Mi'kmaq
spiritual tradition in which the land itself communicates with those who listen. Glooscap's world
was one in which animals spoke, stones held power, and the boundary between the physical and the
spiritual was thin. The petroglyphs at Kejimkujik were carved at sites the Mi'kmaq considered places
of power. In the oral tradition, fairies called megumoowesoo lived in the rocks near water and were
said to be the creators of the carvings. Whether one interprets Jimmy Kaizer's experience as a
paranormal event, a Mi'kmaw spiritual encounter, or the lingering trauma of a man who had just
pulled four dead bodies from a hole in the ground, it connects Oak Island to the Mi'kmaq world in a
way that the treasure narrative rarely acknowledges. The Land Before the Treasure The Mi'kmaq did
not need Oak Island to contain treasure for it to hold meaning. Their relationship with the land was
not extractive but reciprocal, governed by customs that had been refined over hundreds of
generations. They buried their dead in round holes four or five feet deep, lined with fir and cedar,
accompanied by bows, arrows, snowshoes, and beads, so that the spirits of these things might travel
with the departed into the land of souls. They read the stars as stories: the four stars of the Big
Dipper were Mooin the Bear, fleeing across the northern sky each summer, pursued by seven hunters,
three of whom (Robin, Chickadee, and Moose Bird) always kept the trail while the other four dropped
away as autumn arrived. When Robin finally caught the Bear, her blood stained his breast red, and
the falling drops coloured the autumn leaves below. For over two centuries, the story of Oak Island
has been told exclusively as a European story: pirates, Templars, Freemasons, Bacon, the French
Crown. The Mi'kmaq, when they appear at all, are a footnote. But they were there first, and they
were there for 10,000 years before anyone dug a pit or built a flood tunnel. Whatever Oak Island's
secret turns out to be, it exists within a landscape that the Mi'kmaq shaped, named, governed, and
held sacred long before the first European set foot on its shores. Their story is not a footnote. It
is the first chapter.

### The Natural Formation Theory
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/the-natural-formation-theory

Every theory about Oak Island begins with an assumption: that somebody built the Money Pit. Pirates,
Templars, the British Navy, agents of the French Crown; the candidates differ, but the premise is
the same. A deep, engineered shaft was constructed on a small island in Mahone Bay, booby-trapped
with flood tunnels, and sealed with platforms of oak logs at regular intervals. The natural
formation theory starts from the opposite premise. What if nobody built the Money Pit at all? What
if the most famous treasure shaft in the world is simply a hole in the ground, shaped not by human
hands but by water, time, and the slow dissolution of rock? The Geology Beneath Oak Island was first
mapped geologically in 1924 by J.W. Goldthwait of the Geological Survey of Canada, who identified
the island as a composite of four drumlins, elongated hills of till (a mixture of sand, silt, clay,
gravel, and boulders) deposited by retreating glaciers roughly 12,000 years ago as the last ice age
ended. These glacial deposits rest on two distinct types of bedrock. The northwestern portion of the
island is underlain by Cambro-Ordovician Halifax Formation slate, a hard and relatively impermeable
rock. The southeastern portion, where the Money Pit is located, sits on Mississippian Windsor Group
limestone and gypsum, and it is this distinction that forms the foundation of the natural formation
theory. Limestone and gypsum are among the most soluble rocks on Earth. When acidic groundwater,
charged with carbon dioxide absorbed from the atmosphere and the soil, comes into contact with these
minerals over centuries or millennia, it dissolves them. The process, known as karstification,
creates an underground landscape of widening fractures, channels, caves, and voids. Eventually, when
a cavity grows large enough or the material above it loses its support, the surface collapses. The
result is a sinkhole: a circular or oval depression that can range from a few feet across to
hundreds of metres wide, with soft, disturbed fill that differs markedly from the undisturbed ground
around it. Nova Scotia has hundreds of documented sinkholes, many of them in areas underlain by the
same Windsor Group formations that sit beneath the eastern end of Oak Island. A Pit That Explains
Itself The natural formation theory proposes that the depression Daniel McGinnis discovered in 1795
was not evidence of a buried treasure but the surface expression of a collapsed karst cavity. If the
Money Pit began as a sinkhole, several of the features reported by early treasure hunters can be
reinterpreted without invoking human engineering. The soft, loose fill that gave the impression the
ground had been previously excavated would be a natural characteristic of a sinkhole, where
collapsed material settles unevenly and remains less compacted than the surrounding glacial till.
The "platforms" of logs reported at regular ten-foot intervals could be explained by trees toppled
into the depression over the years by storms, blowdowns, or natural decay, their trunks accumulating
at different levels as sediment continued to fill the void beneath them. The layers of charcoal,
putty, and coconut fibre described at various depths could represent accumulated organic debris,
including material washed in by tidal action or deposited by earlier, non-treasure-related human
activity on the island. The persistent flooding that defeated every early excavation attempt need
not be the work of ingenious flood tunnels at all; it could simply be groundwater entering through
the natural fractures and channels in the karst bedrock, rising and falling with the tides as
seawater communicates freely through the porous glacial gravels and dissolved limestone beneath the
island. [map:money-pit] The Cave-in Pit and Other Precedents The strongest single piece of evidence
for natural subsidence on Oak Island appeared in 1878, more than eighty years after the Money Pit's
discovery, when a farmer named Sophia Sellers was ploughing a field roughly 350 feet east of the
Money Pit. Without warning, the ground collapsed beneath her oxen, opening a well-like hole that
became known as the Cave-in Pit. Later investigation by the Oak Island Treasure Company suggested
the pit sat directly above the path of the supposed flood tunnel from Smith's Cove, leading treasure
hunters to interpret it as an air shaft used during construction of the tunnel system. But the
Cave-in Pit also fits comfortably within a geological explanation: a separate karst collapse in the
same belt of soluble bedrock that runs beneath the island's eastern end. [map:cave-in-pit] The
phenomenon is not isolated. In 1875, during the construction of a sewage-disposal system on the
mainland roughly 3,000 feet north of Oak Island, heavy excavating machinery broke through a rock
layer and exposed a natural cavern 52 feet deep. In 1949, a natural pit was discovered on the shore
of Mahone Bay, five miles south of Oak Island, when workers digging a well broke into a void below.
The surrounding region offers numerous examples of karst-related subsidence in Windsor Group
formations, suggesting that Oak Island's celebrated underground features may be part of a broader
geological pattern rather than a unique feat of engineering. The Scientific Studies Three
professional geological assessments form the backbone of the modern natural formation argument. In
the late 1960s and early 1970s, consulting firms Warnock Hersey and Golder Associates conducted
reports on the island's subsurface conditions. Both documented the presence of anhydrite and gypsum
in the bedrock beneath the Money Pit area, materials highly susceptible to dissolution by
groundwater. The most significant study came in 1995, when the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution,
one of the world's premier marine research bodies, conducted a two-week survey of Oak Island at the
invitation of businessman David Mugar. After running dye tests in boreholes, the Woods Hole team
concluded that the flooding of the pit was caused by natural interaction between the island's
freshwater lens and tidal pressures in the underlying geology, directly refuting the man-made flood
tunnel hypothesis. The Woods Hole scientists also reviewed the murky underwater footage captured
during a 1971 camera descent into Borehole 10-X and concluded that nothing definitive could be
determined from the images. In 2020, retired geologist Steven Aitken synthesized these earlier
reports in a widely discussed analysis presented to CBC News. Drawing on decades of experience in
the oil industry, Aitken argued that the geological evidence pointed unambiguously to a sinkhole.
The limestone and gypsum beneath the Money Pit area are, in his words, "prone to dissolution" under
the right conditions of temperature, pressure, and pore fluid composition, and the resulting cavity
would produce exactly the kind of surface depression and underground void that treasure hunters have
spent two centuries trying to explain through engineering. Aitken also noted the proximity of other
sinkholes on and near the island, reinforcing the pattern of natural karst collapse. His conclusion
was blunt: "There is no treasure at the money pit." The Skeptic's Toolkit The natural formation
theory draws additional support from a broader skeptical tradition surrounding Oak Island. In a
widely cited 2000 article for Skeptical Inquirer, investigator Joe Nickell argued that the Money Pit
legend had grown through a process of gradual embellishment. Nickell noted that the earliest
published accounts of the discovery did not appear until 1857, more than sixty years after the
supposed events of 1795, and that subsequent retellings added increasingly dramatic details: the
regularity of the log platforms, the inscribed stone at ninety feet, the sophistication of the flood
tunnel system. He suggested that some details may have been exaggerated or fabricated by
treasure-hunting syndicates seeking to attract investors, and that the log platforms and other
supposedly engineered features could be naturally occurring debris accumulated in a sinkhole or
geological fault. Captain Henry L. Bowdoin, an engineer who conducted borings on the island in 1909
and 1911 (in an expedition partly financed by the young Franklin Roosevelt), reached a similar
conclusion, stating publicly that the treasure was fictitious. His findings were largely dismissed
at the time but anticipated the geological arguments that would be made a century later. What
Geology Cannot Explain The natural formation theory is the most parsimonious explanation for the
Money Pit itself, but it struggles with the broader body of evidence accumulated on Oak Island,
particularly in recent seasons of the show. Geology can account for a depression in the ground,
underground voids, and persistent flooding. It cannot easily account for coconut fibre, a material
not native to Nova Scotia, found at depth in the pit and at Smith's Cove. It does not explain the
hundreds of artifacts recovered across the island: coins dating from the 1600s and 1700s,
hand-forged iron tools, lead crosses, garnet brooches, military buttons, pieces of bookbinding
leather, human bone fragments carbon-dated to the medieval period, and wood samples with dates
spanning several centuries. It does not address the construction features documented at Smith's
Cove, including the box drains, the U-shaped structure, and the slipway, which show clear evidence
of deliberate human construction regardless of whether they are connected to the Money Pit's
flooding. Nor does the theory account for the concentration of activity on the island. A single
sinkhole on an uninhabited island in Mahone Bay would not, by itself, generate two centuries of
investigation. Something drew people to Oak Island before 1795, and the archaeological record
confirms that human activity on the island extends back centuries before Daniel McGinnis arrived.
The question posed by the natural formation theory is not whether people were present on Oak Island,
which the evidence now overwhelmingly confirms, but whether the specific feature called the Money
Pit was their handiwork or simply a geological accident that inspired a legend. It is worth noting
that the two possibilities are not entirely exclusive. Oak Island's karst geology may well have
created natural voids and depressions that earlier visitors discovered and exploited, using existing
cavities as ready-made storage or burial sites rather than engineering an entire shaft from scratch.
In that scenario, the geology and the human activity are not competing explanations but
complementary ones, each necessary to account for part of what has been found on the island. The
truth about the Money Pit may lie not in choosing between nature and design, but in understanding
how one might have served the other.

### Black Gold: The Tar Kiln Theory
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/black-gold-the-tar-kiln-theory

The Most Dangerous Commodity In the early 18th century, the substance that kept the British Empire
afloat was not gold or silver but a thick, black, foul-smelling liquid extracted from burning pine
trees. Tar, and its concentrated derivative pitch, were as essential to the Royal Navy as gunpowder.
Every rope on every warship was dressed in tar to prevent rot. Every hull was sealed with pitch to
keep the sea out. Every mast, every spar, every plank on every deck depended on these products for
preservation against salt water, sun, and the relentless biological assault of the open ocean. A
single first-rate ship of the line consumed between 30 and 40 barrels of tar and pitch per year just
for maintenance, and Britain in this period maintained the largest navy in the world. The problem
was supply. For centuries, Britain had purchased virtually all of its tar and pitch from Sweden and
the Baltic states, a dependency that left the entire fleet hostage to Scandinavian politics and the
whims of foreign merchants. When the Great Northern War disrupted Baltic shipping routes after 1700,
the Admiralty faced a genuine strategic crisis. Parliament responded with the Naval Stores Act of
1705, offering generous bounties to anyone who could produce tar, pitch, turpentine, and ship masts
in the American colonies. The race to find new sources of naval stores became one of the defining
economic imperatives of early colonial America, and it would eventually reach a small island in
Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, or so one theory contends. A Kiln in the Ground Joy A. Steele, a freelance
researcher based in Sydney, Nova Scotia, spent nearly two decades investigating Oak Island's history
through primary and secondary archival sources before publishing The Oak Island Mystery, Solved in
2015 through Cape Breton University Press. Her conclusion was unlike anything proposed before: the
Money Pit was not a treasure vault, a Templar repository, or a pirate cache. It was, she argued, the
collapsed remains of a pine tar kiln. To understand the argument, it helps to understand how
colonial tar kilns actually worked. The process was described in detail by Jonathan Bridger, the
Surveyor General of the Woods in America, who was sent to New England in the 1690s to organize
colonial naval stores production (his 1706 kiln-building instructions appear as an appendix in
Steele's book). A tar kiln was not a surface structure. Workers began by excavating a shallow,
bowl-shaped depression in the ground, typically 15 to 25 feet in diameter, sloping inward toward a
central drain. They lined the bottom with a channel, often made from a split and hollowed pine log,
which led outward to a collection point where barrels could catch the liquid tar as it flowed. The
pit was then filled with carefully stacked pine logs, branches, and stumps, rich in resin. The
entire mound was covered with earth and turf to restrict airflow, and the wood was set alight. Over
the course of several days, the slow, oxygen-starved burn drove tar out of the pine, and gravity
carried it down through the stacked wood to the drainage channel below. A kiln 20 feet across and 14
feet high could produce roughly 200 barrels of tar, a single cord of good pitch pine yielding
between 40 and 60 gallons. The parallels to the Money Pit, as described by early treasure hunters,
are what caught Steele's attention. The layered oak log platforms found at approximately ten-foot
intervals during the original 1795 and 1803 excavations resemble the stacked fuel layers of a kiln.
The charcoal discovered at 40 feet, the putty at 50 feet, and the coconut fibre at 60 feet all have
functional equivalents in kiln construction and maritime caulking. The underground channels
interpreted since the 19th century as ingeniously engineered flood tunnels could, in this reading,
be the drainage infrastructure through which liquid tar once flowed to collection barrels. Even the
depression in the ground that reportedly first attracted Daniel McGinnis and his companions in 1795
is consistent with the subsidence pattern of a spent and collapsed kiln. Steele further proposed
that the Cave-in Pit, discovered approximately 350 feet east of the Money Pit in 1878, represents a
second kiln, and that the structures at Smith's Cove may have functioned as a ship repair and
careening facility rather than as the inlet for an artificial flooding system. The South Sea Company
and the Bubble If Oak Island was a tar manufacturing site, who operated it, and why did they stop?
Steele's answer centres on the South Sea Company, one of the most notorious enterprises in British
financial history. Founded in 1711 by an Act of Parliament, the South Sea Company was established as
a public-private partnership to consolidate Britain's mounting national debt while exploiting trade
monopolies with Spanish colonies in South America. Under the Treaty of Utrecht (1713), Britain
secured the asiento, a contract granting exclusive rights to supply enslaved Africans to the Spanish
Empire, and the Company became the vehicle for that trade. Its operations extended beyond slave
trafficking to encompass a wide range of colonial commercial ventures, including, Steele argues, the
production of naval stores at remote coastal sites in Nova Scotia. The Company's ambitions collapsed
spectacularly in September 1720 when its massively inflated stock price crashed from a peak of
roughly 1,000 pounds per share to under 200 by December. The South Sea Bubble, as the event became
known, ruined investors across Britain (Isaac Newton reportedly lost the equivalent of 40 million
pounds in modern currency), brought down government ministers, and triggered what many historians
consider the first international stock market crash. Subsidiary operations, including any colonial
manufacturing ventures, would have been abandoned virtually overnight as the Company's financial
structure disintegrated. Steele proposes that this timeline explains one of Oak Island's enduring
puzzles: why the site shows evidence of significant industrial activity that was suddenly and
permanently abandoned. If a South Sea Company operation was producing tar on Oak Island around 1720,
the Bubble's collapse provides a clean economic motive for walking away. It also aligns with one of
the oldest elements of Oak Island folklore, the accounts from mainland settlers who reported seeing
mysterious fires burning on the island at night during this period, fires that abruptly ceased. Tar
kilns, which burned continuously for days and flared unpredictably, would produce exactly this kind
of nocturnal glow. The Geological Framework The 2019 expanded edition, The Oak Island Mystery,
Solved: The Final Chapter, brought a significant new voice to the argument. Gordon Fader, a
professional marine geologist registered in Nova Scotia and former Emeritus Scientist at the
Geological Survey of Canada (Atlantic) at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography, contributed a
chapter on the island's geological framework that addressed one of the treasure narrative's central
pillars: the supposed flood tunnel system. Fader's geological analysis begins with the bedrock. The
southeastern half of Oak Island, where the Money Pit is located, sits on Mississippian Windsor Group
limestone and gypsum, while the northwestern portion rests on older Cambro-Ordovician Halifax
Formation slate. Gypsum is roughly 150 times more soluble than ordinary limestone, meaning that
groundwater moving through the substrate naturally dissolves voids, channels, and cavities over
time. This process produces exactly the kind of water intrusion that treasure hunters have
attributed to elaborate man-made flood tunnels since the 19th century. In Fader's analysis, the
water that has defeated every excavation attempt for over two centuries is not evidence of
engineering genius but of basic hydrology: tidal pressure pushing seawater through naturally
dissolved channels in soluble bedrock. Fader also documented the presence of sinkholes in the waters
surrounding Oak Island through multibeam bathymetric surveys conducted for the Geological Survey of
Canada. Small circular depressions visible on the seabed southwest of the island may represent
pockmarks or sinkholes formed by the same dissolution processes at work beneath the Money Pit area.
The implication is that the original depression discovered in 1795 may not have been the surface
expression of an excavated shaft at all, but rather the natural subsidence of material into an
underground void, a sinkhole that was subsequently misinterpreted through the lens of
treasure-hunting expectation. Evidence on the Ground The theory received a tangible boost during
Season 8 of The Curse of Oak Island (2020) when archaeologists excavated a stone structure on Lot
15, not far from the Money Pit area. Archaeologist David MacInnes, a direct descendant of Daniel
McGinnis who discovered the original pit in 1795, led the excavation alongside Aaron Taylor. The
team identified the feature as the remains of a pine tar kiln, noting extensive charcoal deposits
indicating repetitive and continuous burning over time. Laird Niven, the project's senior
archaeologist, observed that while tar kilns were typically associated with ship maintenance, this
one could also have been used in construction of the Money Pit itself, a statement that acknowledged
the Steele thesis without fully endorsing it. The discovery prompted further investigation. Metal
detection expert Gary Drayton and Jack Begley recovered a string of ox shoes along a line running
from the swamp toward Lot 15 and onward to the Money Pit. Blacksmith expert Carmen Legge dated the
shoes to approximately 1650 to 1750 and identified them as British military pattern, suggesting
heavy cargo was being hauled along a consistent route during the period Steele's theory describes.
The ox shoes were found in terrain unsuitable for farming, which pointed to industrial transport
rather than agricultural activity. Later excavation beneath the tar kiln revealed a layer of
deliberately placed stones, raising the question of whether the structure concealed something more
complex, possibly a backfilled tunnel entrance matching Fred Nolan's survey data. What the Theory
Explains The tar kiln theory's principal strength is its ability to reinterpret a large number of
Oak Island's features through a single, historically documented framework. The oak platforms become
fuel layers. The charcoal becomes combustion residue. The coconut fibre, which has puzzled
researchers since its discovery (coconut palms do not grow in Nova Scotia), becomes caulking
material imported from tropical ports for ship maintenance at the Smith's Cove careening facility.
The underground channels become tar drainage infrastructure. The flooding becomes natural hydrology.
The mysterious nocturnal fires become kilns burning through the night. The sudden abandonment of the
site becomes a consequence of financial collapse. Each element that treasure theorists have cited as
evidence of elaborate construction, Steele reinterprets as a standard component of 18th-century
naval stores manufacturing. The theory is also grounded in documented history rather than
speculation about lost relics or secret societies. Britain's desperate need for colonial naval
stores is a matter of parliamentary record. The Naval Stores Act, the bounty system, the appointment
of surveyors general, the South Sea Company's commercial activities, and the Bubble's collapse are
all thoroughly documented. Tar kilns of exactly the type Steele describes were built by the
thousands across colonial New England and the Carolinas; North Carolina earned the nickname "Tarheel
State" from the industry. The question is not whether such operations existed in colonial America
but whether one existed on this particular island. What It Struggles to Explain For all its archival
rigour, the theory faces several challenges. The most significant is the island's growing body of
evidence for activity well outside the proposed 1720 time frame. Carbon dating of wood samples from
the Money Pit area has returned dates ranging from the late 1500s to the early 1600s, a century or
more before the naval stores period. Artifacts recovered across the island span over two thousand
years, including items with apparent medieval European, Roman-era, and even earlier provenance. The
theory's tight chronological window, essentially the first two decades of the 18th century, cannot
comfortably accommodate these findings. The precious metals present a second difficulty. Soil
samples from deep boreholes in the Money Pit area have repeatedly shown elevated concentrations of
gold and silver at depths well below what any surface-level kiln operation would produce. The
solution channel beneath the island has yielded silver concentrations that geochemists have called
anomalous. If the site was only ever a tar manufacturing facility, the presence of precious metals
at depth requires an alternative explanation, and natural geological deposition, while possible, has
not been convincingly demonstrated for gold and silver at these concentrations in this specific
geological context. The scale and complexity of the underground workings also pose questions. While
a tar kiln requires drainage channels, critics have argued that the scope of tunnelling documented
beneath Oak Island, multiple intersecting shafts at depths exceeding 100 feet, flooding mechanisms
that defeated industrial-scale pumping operations throughout the 19th century, far exceeds what any
kiln or cluster of kilns would require. The U-shaped structure at Smith's Cove,
dendrochronologically dated to 1741, also falls outside the pre-1720 window Steele proposes, though
it could represent a later, unrelated phase of activity. Finally, there is the "pretty island"
question. Steele's connection of the operation to the South Sea Company rests in part on archival
references to a "pretty island" associated with Company activities in the region. As reviewers have
noted, Mahone Bay alone contains 365 islands, and colonial-era Nova Scotia encompassed a much larger
territory with thousands more. The identification of that island as Oak Island specifically requires
a degree of inference that not all readers have found persuasive. A Theory That Will Not Be Ignored
Joy Steele and Gordon Fader did something that few Oak Island theorists have attempted: they built
their case primarily from archival evidence and geological science rather than from the allure of
hidden treasure. The result is a theory that functions less as a treasure hypothesis and more as an
industrial history, one that places Oak Island firmly within the documented economic activity of
early 18th-century colonial Nova Scotia. Whether or not the theory accounts for everything found on
and beneath the island, it almost certainly accounts for part of it. The tar kiln on Lot 15 is real.
The ox shoes are real. The charcoal is real. The geological conditions Fader describes are
measurable and verifiable. The question that divides Oak Island researchers is not whether
industrial activity occurred on the island, the evidence for that is now beyond reasonable dispute,
but whether industrial activity is all that occurred there. Steele's title declares the mystery
"solved." The Lagina brothers and their team, digging ever deeper into bedrock that continues to
yield anomalous metals and artifacts from centuries that tar kilns cannot explain, are not yet ready
to agree. The tension between these two positions, the archivist's confidence and the excavator's
stubborn hope, may be the most honest summary of where Oak Island stands today.

### The Treasure
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/theories/the-treasure

Since 1795, the question has never changed: what is down there? The Money Pit's layered
construction, its flood tunnel defences, and the sheer scale of engineering all point to something
worth extraordinary effort to conceal. But the theories about what that something might be vary
enormously, from chests of pirate coins to the most sacred objects in religious history. What
follows is not a ranking. It is an inventory. Each entry describes the object itself: what it looks
like, what it is made of, what it weighs, and why someone might have buried it on a small island off
the coast of Nova Scotia. The Menorah The golden Menorah of the Temple of Solomon was a
seven-branched candelabrum hammered from a single block of pure gold. According to the Book of
Exodus, it weighed one talent, roughly 34 to 45 kilograms of solid 24-karat gold. The Talmud records
its height as 18 handbreadths, placing it at approximately five feet tall. Its central shaft and six
curving branches were decorated with 22 cups shaped like almond blossoms, 11 ornamental knobs, and
nine flowers, all beaten from the same piece of metal. Seven oil lamps sat atop the branches,
burning pure olive oil from evening to morning. When Solomon built the First Temple in Jerusalem
around 970 BC, he commissioned ten such candelabra, five along each wall of the inner sanctuary. The
Second Temple, rebuilt after the Babylonian exile, held a single Menorah. In 70 AD, Roman legions
under Titus sacked Jerusalem and carried the Menorah to Rome. The Arch of Titus, still standing in
the Forum, depicts Roman soldiers bearing it in triumph. After that, the Menorah vanishes from the
historical record. Some traditions hold it never left Rome and remains in the Vatican cellars.
Others believe the Vandals took it when they sacked Rome in 455 AD. The Templar theory proposes a
different path. The Knights Templar, headquartered on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem from 1119 to
1291, are said to have excavated beneath the ruins of Solomon's Temple. If they recovered the
Menorah or learned its location, they possessed both the means and the motive to transport it far
from any power that might seize it. The case for the Menorah's journey from Jerusalem through
medieval Europe to North America is explored in detail in The Jerusalem Files (Watkins / Penguin
Random House). On Oak Island itself, the [artifact:lead-cross] found at Smith's Cove has been traced
through lead isotope analysis to medieval mines in southern France, and
[artifact:coconut-fibre-money-pit] from the Money Pit returns radiocarbon dates squarely in the
Templar era. Norwegian researcher Petter Amundsen has argued that Shakespeare's First Folio contains
steganographic ciphers pointing to Oak Island, with the Menorah as the ultimate prize. The Ark of
the Covenant The Ark of the Covenant was a rectangular chest built from acacia wood, measuring two
and a half cubits long by one and a half cubits wide and high, roughly 130 by 80 by 80 centimetres,
or about four feet by two and a quarter feet. The wood was overlaid inside and out with pure gold.
Four gold rings were fixed near its feet, through which gold-covered acacia poles were inserted for
carrying. The poles were never to be removed. On top of the chest sat the mercy seat, a slab of
solid gold the same dimensions as the Ark. At each end, a golden cherub was hammered from the same
piece as the cover, their wings stretching toward each other, forming a throne. God was said to
speak to Moses from the space between the cherubim. Inside the Ark rested the stone tablets of the
Ten Commandments, a golden pot of manna, and Aaron's rod that had miraculously budded. Estimates of
the Ark's total weight range from 150 to nearly 300 kilograms, depending on the thickness of the
gold overlay. Four men carried it on poles. The Ark disappeared around 586 BC when Nebuchadnezzar's
Babylonian army destroyed Solomon's Temple. The Bible records that Babylon carried away the Temple's
vessels, but the Ark is never mentioned among them. Ethiopian tradition claims it rests in the
Church of Our Lady Mary of Zion in Axum, guarded by a single monk. Templar legend proposes that the
knights found it beneath the Temple Mount during the Crusades. If the Templars did possess the Ark,
Oak Island, remote, defensible, and protected by an ingenious flood system, would represent exactly
the kind of vault required for the most sacred object in Judeo-Christian tradition. Bacon's
Manuscripts and Tomb Sir Francis Bacon (1561 to 1626) was a philosopher, statesman, scientist, and,
according to his devotees, the true author of Shakespeare's plays. Baconians contend that his
original manuscripts have never been found because they were deliberately hidden. Bacon himself
wrote about exactly how to do it. In his Sylva Sylvarum, published posthumously in 1627, Bacon
described the preservation of documents in quicksilver. Experiment 100, placed on page 33, reads:
thin materials like paper or parchment submerged in mercury would "never change, though they be in
their nature never so perishable or mutable." The numbering was itself a cipher to Baconians: 100 is
the simple cipher value of FRANCIS BACON, and 33 corresponds to BACON and the highest degree of
Freemasonry. The theory proposes that Bacon's original Shakespeare manuscripts were sealed in a lead
box filled with mercury and buried on Oak Island. The supporting evidence is circumstantial but
persistent. In 1610, King James I granted Bacon land in Newfoundland. Bacon's servant Thomas Bushell
was an expert in recovering flooded mines using Cornish miners, managed a Royal Mint, and defended
the island of Lundy before disappearing from public life for several years. Mercury residue was
reportedly found in flasks on Oak Island in 1937, though this has never been independently verified.
Mercury was detected in swamp soil samples during Season 7 of the television series. And a
[artifact:parchment-fragment] with ink markings was recovered from the Money Pit at a depth of 153
feet in 1897, with [artifact:leather-book-binding-fragments] found during later drilling. The most
extreme version of the theory goes further than manuscripts. Some researchers believe that Bacon's
body itself was preserved in mercury and entombed on the island, a Rosicrucian vault for the man his
followers consider the secret father of the modern age. Bacon reportedly stated that he would be
"known for who he really is long after his death." Shakespeare's First Folio If the Baconian theory
is correct, the physical evidence would take a specific form. Shakespeare's First Folio was
published in 1623, seven years after the Stratford actor's death. It is a large folio-format volume,
roughly 33 by 22 centimetres, running to nearly 900 pages, and contains 36 plays, 18 of which had
never appeared in print before. Of the approximately 750 copies originally printed, around 235
survive today. Individual copies have sold at auction for over ten million dollars. But the Folio
itself is the printed version. What Baconians believe lies beneath Oak Island are the handwritten
originals: manuscripts in Bacon's own hand proving he wrote Hamlet, Macbeth, The Tempest, and the
rest. Annotated drafts, private correspondence, possibly an autobiographical confession revealing
the greatest literary deception in history. If such documents were preserved in mercury inside a
sealed lead container, they could theoretically survive centuries underground. Their discovery would
overturn more than four centuries of literary scholarship and rewrite the cultural history of the
English-speaking world. The Treasure of St Andrew's Cathedral St Andrew's Cathedral on the east
coast of Scotland was once the largest church in the country and the seat of Scottish Catholicism.
When the Reformation swept Scotland in 1559 and 1560, Protestant reformers sacked the cathedral,
destroying relics, smashing altarpieces, and burning what they could reach. The ruins still stand
today. But the clergy had warning. The theory proposes that before or during the upheaval, the
cathedral's most valuable possessions were removed for safekeeping: gold and silver ceremonial
plates, gem-encrusted reliquaries, chalices, crucifixes, vestments embroidered with gold thread, and
sacred vessels accumulated over centuries of worship. Scotland's Catholic establishment had
connections to France, and France had connections to Nova Scotia. The timeline aligns with several
artifact dates on the island. Whether these treasures were smuggled to the New World by sympathetic
clergy or through French naval operations active in the region during the 16th century remains
speculative, but the scale of what went missing from St Andrew's has never been fully accounted for.
Sacred Relics of the Crusades The Knights Templar were not merely soldiers. They were the
self-appointed guardians of Christendom's holiest objects. During the Crusades, an extraordinary
number of sacred relics circulated through the Christian world: fragments of the True Cross on which
Christ was crucified, the Crown of Thorns, the Holy Lance that pierced his side, the Shroud said to
bear his image, and countless lesser relics including bones of saints, vials of holy blood, and
pieces of the Virgin's veil. The Templars were specifically accused during their trials between 1307
and 1312 of possessing and worshipping mysterious objects, including a bearded head known as
Baphomet. Whether these accusations were fabricated by Philip IV of France to justify seizing
Templar wealth, or whether the order did possess sacred objects they refused to surrender, remains
one of the central questions of medieval history. What is certain is that when the mass arrests came
on Friday, 13 October 1307, the Templar fleet vanished from the port of La Rochelle and was never
seen again. On Oak Island, [artifact:human-bone-fragments-2-individuals] recovered from the Money
Pit in 2017 included remains of two individuals: one of European descent, one of Middle Eastern
origin, both centuries old. Whose bones required burial in the most elaborate tomb ever constructed
in the New World? A Templar knight returned from the Holy Land? A saint whose relics demanded
protection? The bones do not answer. But their presence, at a depth of 190 feet in a shaft protected
by flood tunnels, suggests that whoever was buried there was considered worth protecting at
extraordinary cost. The Holy Grail The Grail has no single physical form. In the earliest accounts,
by Chrétien de Troyes in the 1180s, it is simply a serving dish. Robert de Boron, writing a
decade later, transformed it into the cup used by Christ at the Last Supper and later used by Joseph
of Arimathea to collect his blood at the crucifixion. Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival, composed
around 1210, reimagined it as a stone fallen from heaven with the power to sustain life. Later
traditions settled on the image most familiar today: an ornate golden chalice, sometimes studded
with jewels, radiating divine light. Whatever its form, the Grail legend and the Templar story are
inseparable. The Grail romances emerged at exactly the same time the Templars were at the height of
their power, and Wolfram explicitly connected his Grail guardians to a knightly order modelled on
the Templars. The fortress of Montségur in southern France, a Cathar stronghold that fell in
1244, carries its own legend: that treasure was smuggled out the night before the garrison
surrendered. Some believe that treasure was the Grail itself, passed into Templar hands and
eventually carried beyond the reach of any European monarch. Marie Antoinette's Jewels When the
French Revolution erupted in 1789, the French Crown Jewels became targets of both revolutionary fury
and opportunistic theft. Marie Antoinette is known to have sent jewels and personal valuables to
trusted allies for safekeeping before her imprisonment. Among her collection were diamonds of
extraordinary size and quality, sapphires, rubies, pearls, and the accumulated treasures of the
Bourbon dynasty. The theory proposes that jewels smuggled out of France were transported to Nova
Scotia, which had deep French colonial ties stretching back to the early 1600s. French naval
officers loyal to the crown would have known the coastline. The timing presents a challenge: 1789 is
late for the Money Pit's original construction, which the [artifact:coconut-fibre-money-pit] dates
to between 1036 and 1374 AD. But if the Pit had been opened and resealed across centuries, as the
layered platforms suggest, a late-18th-century deposit is not impossible. The
[artifact:gold-chain-links-3] recovered from the Money Pit in 1849 remain the only gold ever brought
up from below. Pirate Gold Captain William Kidd, born around 1654 in Scotland, began his career as a
licensed privateer before being accused of piracy and hanged in London in 1701. Before his arrest,
Kidd buried a portion of his treasure on Gardiners Island off Long Island, New York. It was
recovered and used as evidence against him at trial. But Kidd claimed to have buried far more than
was found, and he offered to lead authorities to the rest in exchange for his life. The offer was
refused. The pirate theory proposes that Kidd, or other pirates operating in the waters between the
Caribbean and Nova Scotia, used Oak Island to cache plunder: Spanish pieces of eight, gold
doubloons, silver bars, and jewels stripped from captured ships. The [artifact:gold-chain-links-3]
found in 1849, three small links resembling those of a watch chain, are consistent with this theory
but prove little on their own. The Money Pit's engineering, however, seems vastly disproportionate
to a pirate hoard. Pirates buried treasure to retrieve it quickly. They did not construct flood
tunnels, layered platforms of oak and coconut fibre, and stone drainage systems spanning hundreds of
feet. Whoever built the Money Pit intended something far more permanent than a temporary cache.
Multiple Depositors Perhaps the most compelling possibility is that no single theory is correct
because no single group was responsible. The Money Pit's layered construction, with platforms at
regular ten-foot intervals, is consistent with a vault that was opened and resealed multiple times
across centuries. The [artifact:coconut-fibre-money-pit] returns medieval dates. The
[artifact:parchment-fragment] suggests documents buried in the 19th century or earlier. The
[artifact:human-bone-fragments-2-individuals] point to a deliberate burial. The
[artifact:lead-cross] and the [artifact:lead-decorative-piece] share identical lead isotope
signatures from pre-15th-century French mines, found on opposite sides of the island. Perhaps the
Templars built the original vault. Perhaps later visitors, Rosicrucians, French military engineers,
or others who inherited knowledge of the site, added their own deposits. Perhaps pirates stumbled
upon the island without understanding what lay below. The
[artifact:hand-wrought-iron-spike-12th-13th-century] dates to the 1100s. The
[artifact:portuguese-torn-s-coin-pitblado-coin] dates to 1369. The
[artifact:iron-swages-2-blacksmith-tools] date to the 1300s. The [artifact:barrel-of-a-hand-cannon]
dates to the 1200s through the 1500s. Someone was on Oak Island during the medieval period. Someone
was working metal, carrying weapons, and building structures. And someone buried something they
considered worth protecting with one of the most elaborate engineering projects ever constructed in
the New World. The evidence points in many directions. The theories compete. But the island keeps
its secrets still.

## The Show
About the History Channel series and the Lagina brothers' quest to solve the mystery.

### The Modern Quest
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/show

From Readers Digest to Reality TV Phenomenon In January 1965, a small article appeared in Reader's
Digest. "The Mystery of Oak Island" introduced millions of readers to a 170-year-old treasure hunt
on a tiny island in Nova Scotia. Among those readers were two young brothers from Michigan: Rick and
Marty Lagina. That article ignited an obsession that would last a lifetime.   The author
holding his original copy of the 1965 Reader's Digest article   The Lagina Brothers Rick
Lagina, a retired postal worker, never let go of his childhood dream. His younger brother Marty
built a successful career in energy exploration, founding Terra Energy Ltd. and developing expertise
in the kind of large-scale excavation Oak Island would require. For decades, they followed the Oak
Island story from afar. They watched as Dan Blankenship and David Tobias formed Triton Alliance and
drilled Borehole 10-X. They read about the discoveries and the setbacks. And they waited. In 2006,
their patience paid off. The Oak Island Tourism Society, which controlled the treasure hunting
rights, was looking for new partners. The Laginas made their move. By 2007, they had acquired a
controlling interest in Oak Island Tours Inc., becoming the latest in a 200-year line of treasure
hunters. The History Channel Takes Notice The brothers spent years conducting surveys, building
relationships with researchers, and planning their approach. Their methodical, scientific strategy
caught the attention of television producers at Prometheus Entertainment. On January 5, 2014, "The
Curse of Oak Island" premiered on the History Channel. The first episode drew over 3 million
viewers, a massive debut for a cable documentary series. Audiences were hooked. Unlike previous
treasure hunting shows, this wasn't staged drama. The Laginas brought genuine expertise, real
investment, and authentic emotion to their search. When Rick tears up discussing the island's
history, it's real. When Marty expresses frustration at another setback, viewers feel it. The Team
The show assembled a remarkable cast of experts and personalities: Craig Tester is Marty's business
partner and friend since college. An engineer who brings technical expertise and dry humor to the
team. Dan Blankenship was the legendary treasure hunter who dedicated over 50 years to Oak Island.
His encyclopedic knowledge and unwavering belief inspired the Laginas. Dan passed away in March 2019
at age 95, but his presence still guides the search. Dave Blankenship is Dan's son, who grew up on
the island and continues his father's legacy. His intimate knowledge of Oak Island's geography and
history proves invaluable. Gary Drayton is a world-renowned metal detectorist from England. Gary's
expertise has led to some of the show's most significant finds, including the medieval lead cross
that may connect Oak Island to the Knights Templar. Jack Begley is Craig's stepson, who brings
youthful energy and genuine enthusiasm. His willingness to climb into any hole or handle any
artifact makes him a fan favorite. Alex Lagina is Marty's son, representing the next generation. A
civil engineer, Alex brings both technical skills and fresh perspective to the investigation. Corjan
Mol is a Dutch researcher and historical investigator with deep expertise in medieval European
history. His research connects Oak Island to early travel from Europe to North America. Corjan
serves as the tourguide for the team on their research trips in Europe. Technology and Investment
What sets the Lagina operation apart is scale. Previous treasure hunters worked with pick axes and
hope. The Laginas brought millions of dollars and cutting-edge technology. The team has employed
seismic scanning to map underground anomalies, LiDAR surveys to reveal hidden structures on the
surface, industrial excavation equipment capable of digging massive shafts, diving teams to explore
flooded tunnels, and laboratory analysis of every significant find. In 2019, they sunk a massive
steel caisson (essentially a giant steel tube) into the Money Pit area, allowing excavation below
the water table for the first time in Oak Island history. The "Garden Shaft" and subsequent digs
have reached depths previous searchers could only dream of. The Discoveries The show has documented
genuinely significant finds. Season after season, the evidence mounts: A medieval lead cross,
potentially linked to the Templar prison at Domme, France. Human bones from two individuals, one of
European descent and one of Middle Eastern origin, carbon dated to the 1600s and 1700s. An elaborate
underground tunnel system beneath Smith's Cove. The remains of a massive wooden ship in the swamp.
Coins, pottery, and artifacts spanning several centuries. And most recently, evidence of early
European presence that may rewrite North American history. Perhaps most importantly, the show has
proven that Oak Island's mysteries are real. The artificial beach, the flood tunnels, the Money Pit
itself: these aren't legends. They're engineering projects that someone built centuries ago. The
question remains: why? [artifact:lead-cross][map:money-pit] A Global Phenomenon Now in its 12th
season, "The Curse of Oak Island" has become one of the longest-running and most successful
documentary series in cable television history. The show broadcasts in 79 countries, reaching tens
of millions of viewers worldwide who tune in each week to follow the hunt. It has spawned spin-offs
including "The Curse of Oak Island: Drilling Down" and "Beyond Oak Island." It has inspired
countless YouTube investigators and introduced a new generation to this 230-year-old mystery. The
show has also transformed Oak Island itself. Tourism to the tiny Nova Scotia island has exploded.
The local economy has been revitalized. And researchers and historians from around the world have
been drawn into the investigation. The Search Continues After more than a decade of filming, the
Laginas have spent more money, employed more technology, and conducted more systematic research than
all previous treasure hunters combined. They've made discoveries that would have been front-page
news in any previous era. And yet the central mystery remains unsolved. What lies at the bottom of
the Money Pit? Who built the elaborate tunnel system? What were they protecting? Rick Lagina, now in
his seventies, has said he'll search until he physically can't continue. His brother Marty, despite
occasional skepticism, keeps funding the operation. The next generation (Alex, Jack, and others)
stands ready to continue. The curse says seven must die before the treasure is found. Six already
have. The Laginas are betting everything that they'll be the ones to finally solve the mystery and
live to tell about it. Every Tuesday night, tens of millions of viewers tune in to see if this will
be the episode where everything changes. The Oak Island Lab One of the most significant additions to
the Oak Island operation is OIMAS - Oak Island Materials and Archaeological Services. Located right
on the island at 5 Oak Island Drive, this state-of-the-art laboratory is the only facility in
Atlantic Canada offering combined XRD, XRF, and XRM analysis capabilities. Run by
archaeometallurgist Emma Culligan and an all-female team of scientists, OIMAS uses advanced Bruker
equipment to analyze every artifact pulled from Oak Island's soil. CT scanning reveals the internal
structure of objects without damaging them. X-ray fluorescence identifies elemental composition,
helping date artifacts and trace their origins. X-ray diffraction analyzes mineral structures to
understand how objects were made. This on-site capability means the team no longer waits weeks for
lab results from distant facilities. When Gary Drayton pulls a mysterious coin from the ground, Emma
can have it under the scanner within hours, providing answers that drive the investigation forward
in real time. [map:the-lab] Visit Oak Island For fans who want to experience Oak Island firsthand,
the island is open to visitors through the official tourism operation at oakislandlegend.com. The
Oak Island Archives and Research Organization (OIARO) has partnered with Cerca Trova Ltd., the
majority owners of Oak Island, to welcome visitors to this legendary destination. Tours run
seasonally aboard the "Money Pit Express," a guided 2-hour adventure that takes visitors past
legendary landmarks, shares untold tales, and traces the footsteps of treasure hunters past and
present. It's a chance to walk the same ground where 230 years of searchers have dug, drilled, and
dreamed. The island also features the Oak Island Treasure Shop and offers special experiences like
the Amos Pewter Artisan Experience, where visitors can cast their own pewter keepsake. For tour
dates and bookings, visit oakislandlegend.com.

## The Evidence
Artifacts found, carbon dating results, and discoveries that prove something extraordinary lies below.

### Fact Finding
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/evidence

Skeptics dismiss Oak Island as a sinkhole, a natural phenomenon dressed up with wishful thinking and
showmanship. Believers point to over two centuries of physical evidence suggesting deliberate human
engineering on a massive scale. The artifacts tell their own stories. The Oak Platforms When Daniel
McGinnis and his friends began digging in 1795, they discovered layers of oak logs at ten foot
intervals. These platforms continued downward as far as they could dig: at 10 feet, 20 feet, 30
feet. Later expeditions found the pattern continuing to 90 feet and beyond. Oak does not grow in
horizontal layers underground. Someone placed those logs deliberately, filling the spaces between
them with clay, coconut fiber, charcoal, and putty. Pick marks on the clay walls of the shaft
confirmed human excavation. Whatever the Money Pit contains, it was buried with extraordinary care.
[artifact:coconut-fibre-money-pit][artifact:oak-log-platforms-multiple] The Inscribed Stone At
approximately 90 feet, the Onslow Company reportedly recovered a flat stone unlike anything found
naturally on the island. Reports describe it as two to three feet long, resembling dark Swedish
granite with an olive tinge. Strange symbols supposedly covered its surface. The stone's existence
is highly disputed. No photographs, rubbings, or contemporary drawings survive. The first detailed
description of the symbols did not appear until 1949, nearly 150 years after the stone was allegedly
found. The stone itself reportedly passed through several hands: John Smith used it as a fireback in
his chimney, then it appeared in a Halifax bookbinder's shop before vanishing entirely by 1919. The
translation offered by Reverend A.T. Kempton, "Forty feet below, two million pounds are buried," may
be a later fabrication designed to attract investors. Some researchers believe the stone never
existed at all, or that its markings were natural rather than inscribed. The inscribed stone remains
one of Oak Island's most controversial pieces of evidence. [artifact:inscribed-stone-90-foot-stone]
The Gold Chain Links In 1849, the Truro Company lowered a pod auger to 98 feet and struck something
remarkable. The drill passed through spruce, then oak, then encountered 22 inches of what felt like
loose metal. When the auger was pulled up, three small gold links, resembling those of an old watch
chain, clung to the drill bit. These three links remain the only gold ever recovered from the Money
Pit. They suggest that whatever lies below contains precious metal, but the quantity and form remain
unknown. The Artificial Beach at Smith's Cove In 1850, workers investigating why the Money Pit kept
flooding made a discovery that changed everything. At Smith's Cove, beneath the natural beach, they
found an artificial construction: a layer of coconut fiber and eel grass covering five stone box
drains arranged in a fan pattern. The drains converged at a single point near the high water mark,
feeding into a tunnel that ran 500 feet inland to the Money Pit at the 111 foot level. Someone had
engineered a sophisticated flood system, using the Atlantic tide itself to protect whatever lay
below. The engineering was remarkable. The box drains filtered seawater to prevent clogging. The
coconut fiber resisted rot in salt water. A second flood tunnel, discovered in 1898, provided
redundant protection from the south shore. Block one tunnel, and the other continued flooding the
shaft. [artifact:smiths-cove-timber-structures-blankenship-1969-70] The Coconut Fiber Tons of
coconut fiber were recovered from Smith's Cove and from within the Money Pit itself. Workers stacked
it like hay on the beach. Tourists carried it away as souvenirs. The Smithsonian Institution
confirmed in 1916 that it was genuine Cocos nucifera. Coconuts do not grow anywhere near Nova
Scotia. The nearest source in the 1700s would have been the Caribbean, over 2,000 miles away. Carbon
dating of the fiber suggests an age of approximately 700 years, placing it in the 13th or 14th
century, well before Columbus reached the Americas. If the dating is accurate, the coconut fiber
predates any known European activity in Nova Scotia by centuries. Someone brought tons of tropical
material to a remote island in the North Atlantic, centuries before the Money Pit's official
discovery. [artifact:coconut-fibre-smith-s-cove] The Parchment In 1897, Frederick Blair's drilling
crew struck something at 153 feet that would tantalize researchers for the next century. Dr. A.E.
Porter of Amherst, carefully examining the auger borings, noticed a tiny ball no larger than a grain
of rice. Using a magnifying glass, he flattened it and discovered parchment with letters written in
India ink. The scrap was sheepskin, the traditional material for important documents. The letters
appeared to be "vi" or "ui" or possibly "wi" in flowing script. A fragment of a word, torn from a
larger document buried at extraordinary depth. Parchment does not occur naturally 153 feet
underground. Someone buried a document, or documents, in the Money Pit. The Baconian theorists point
to this as evidence of manuscripts. Others suggest ship's logs, maps, or records of deposit.
[artifact:parchment-scrap-h8] The Stone Triangle In 1937, workers discovered a perfect equilateral
triangle made of beach stones on the island's surface. Each side measured ten feet. A medial line
pointed true north, directly toward the Money Pit. Two drilled rocks were found 415 feet apart on an
east-west line, possibly serving as additional survey markers. Together with the triangle, they
suggested the original depositors left a system for relocating their treasure. The stone triangle
was destroyed in 1965 when Robert Dunfield's careless excavation caused erosion that scattered the
carefully placed stones. It exists now only in survey notes and photographs.
[artifact:stone-triangle] The U-Shaped Structure In 1970, excavation at Smith's Cove revealed
massive logs buried below the low tide line. The timbers measured two feet thick and ranged from 30
to 65 feet in length. They were arranged in a U formation and notched with Roman numerals. Carbon
dating placed the structure around 1720, seventy-five years before the Money Pit's official
discovery. The Roman numerals suggest European builders using a standardized marking system. The
scale of the logs indicates serious engineering, not casual construction.
[artifact:u-shaped-wooden-structure] The 1704 Stone In 1960, the Restall family found a rock at
Smith's Cove inscribed with the date 1704. If authentic, it proves activity on Oak Island nearly a
century before Daniel McGinnis arrived. The stone provided the first concrete date for pre-discovery
construction. [artifact:1704-stone] The Medieval Cross In 2017, metal detectorist Gary Drayton
discovered a lead cross at Smith's Cove that may be the most significant artifact found on Oak
Island. Testing dated it between 900 and 1300 AD, making it medieval. The cross bears a striking
resemblance to carvings made by imprisoned Knights Templar on the walls of Domme Prison in France,
where members of the order were held following the suppression of 1307. The similarity is close
enough that researchers traveled to Domme to compare the artifacts directly. If the cross is
genuinely medieval, it suggests a connection between Oak Island and the Templar period. It would be
evidence of European presence in Nova Scotia centuries before any documented voyages.
[artifact:lead-cross] The Human Bones In 2017, drilling at borehole H8 recovered human bone
fragments from 190 feet underground. DNA analysis at St. Mary's University in Halifax revealed
something remarkable: the bones came from two different individuals. One was of European descent.
The other was of Middle Eastern origin. Carbon dating placed both sets of remains between 1682 and
1764. Someone buried at least two people, from different parts of the world, deep in the Money Pit
area during the late 17th or early 18th century. Who were they? Workers who died during
construction? Guardians deliberately interred to watch over the treasure? Victims of something
darker? The bones raise more questions than they answer.
[artifact:human-bone-fragments-2-individuals] The Cement At various depths, drilling has encountered
layers of cement that laboratory analysis confirms as man-made. In 1866, cement was found at 146 to
149 feet. In 1971, cement from 165 feet was analyzed by Canada Cement Lafarge, which concluded it
"reflects human activity." Portland cement of the type found at depth was not manufactured in North
America until the 19th century. Either the cement was imported from Europe, or the deposits were
made more recently than some theories suggest. What the Evidence Tells Us Taken individually, each
artifact might be explained away. Taken together, they paint a picture of deliberate, sophisticated
engineering spanning centuries. The oak platforms prove someone dug a deep shaft and filled it
methodically. The flood tunnels prove they wanted to protect it. The coconut fiber proves they had
resources and connections beyond Nova Scotia. The parchment proves they buried documents. The gold
links prove they buried something valuable. The medieval cross and Middle Eastern bones prove the
story involves more than pirates or colonial settlers. After 230 years of searching, the evidence
indicates that Oak Island holds something worth protecting with one of the most elaborate
engineering projects ever constructed in the New World. The question is no longer whether something
is buried there. The question is what, and why.

## Site
Information about this website and its creator.

### About
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/site

TheCurseOfOakIsland.com documents the complete story of Oak Island, from the 1795 discovery of the
Money Pit through 230 years of excavation, investigation, and debate. The site brings together rare
resources that don't exist anywhere else online: a lot-by-lot ownership history spanning 275 years,
a searchable database of almost 200 documented artifacts, an interactive map of the key locations, a
timeline covering 2,300 years of connected history, and episode guides for all thirteen seasons of
the television series. This is an independent research project. It is not affiliated with, endorsed
by, or connected to the History Channel, Prometheus Entertainment, or any television production. The
research, writing, and development are entirely independent.   About the Creator This site is
built and maintained by Corjan Mol, a Dutch author, TV presenter and historical researcher who has
spent eight years as a recurring cast member and researcher on The Curse of Oak Island, the History
Channel series broadcast in 79 countries. His on-screen investigations focus on tracing the European
origins of whatever was brought to Oak Island, work that has taken him on research expeditions
across Portugal, Italy, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, and Malta. Corjan's fascination with
historical mysteries goes back thirty years, to a copy of Holy Blood, Holy Grail and annual
treasure-hunting trips through the French Pyrenees with his father, following the trail of
Rennes-le-Château, the mystery that inspired Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. He built one of
the earliest and most comprehensive online archives on that subject at renneslechateau.nl, and his
research led to appearances on BBC's Forbidden History. Together with his American research partner
Christopher Morford, Corjan is the author of The Jerusalem Files (Watkins / Penguin Random House),
which traces the journey of the Menorah from Solomon's Temple through medieval Europe under the
Knights Templar, presenting evidence that the sacred relic reached North America.
TheCurseOfOakIsland.com grew out of a simple conviction: that after years of research and
investigation, there should be one well-organized, accurate, and comprehensive place for everyone
interested in Oak Island, whether you've followed the story for decades or are just discovering it
now.   Collaboration Oak Island has never been a solo endeavour. Every chapter of this story -
from the Onslow Company in 1804 to the Lagina brothers today - has depended on people pooling
knowledge, resources, and persistence. The mystery is too large and too old for any one person to
unravel alone. This site exists in that same spirit. Many of the resources you find here were made
possible by people who generously shared their research, expertise, and time. Thank you so much.
  Get in Touch Have a question or something to share? Contact Other Projects The Jerusalem
Files Rennes-le-Château corjanmol.com

---

# EPISODE GUIDE

## The Curse of Oak Island TV Series
Network: History Channel
Premiere Date: January 5, 2014
Production: Prometheus Entertainment
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes

## Main Cast
- Rick Lagina - Co-owner, Oak Island Tours Inc.
- Marty Lagina - Co-owner, engineer and entrepreneur
- Craig Tester - Partner, Oak Island Tours Inc.
- Gary Drayton - Metal detection expert
- Alex Lagina - Marty's son
- Jack Begley - Craig Tester's stepson

Total Seasons: 14
Total Episodes: 255+
Status: Season 14 completed

## Season Overview

| Season | Year | Episodes | Premiere |
|--------|------|----------|----------|
| 1 | 2014 | 5 | Jan 5, 2014 |
| 2 | 2014 | 10 | Nov 4, 2014 |
| 3 | 2015 | 13 | Nov 10, 2015 |
| 4 | 2016 | 15 | Nov 15, 2016 |
| 5 | 2017 | 18 | Nov 7, 2017 |
| 6 | 2018 | 22 | Nov 6, 2018 |
| 7 | 2019 | 23 | Nov 5, 2019 |
| 8 | 2020 | 25 | Nov 10, 2020 |
| 9 | 2021 | 25 | Nov 2, 2021 |
| 10 | 2022 | 25 | Nov 15, 2022 |
| 11 | 2023 | 25 | Nov 7, 2023 |
| 12 | 2024 | 25 | Nov 12, 2024 |
| 13 | 2025 | 24 | Nov 4, 2025 |
| 14 | 2026 | 0 | - |

### Season 1 (2014)
Premiere: January 5, 2014
Episodes: 5

A journey begins as Michigan brothers Rick and Marty Lagina fulfill a childhood dream by arriving on
Oak Island to search for its legendary treasure. This inaugural season introduces viewers to the
220-year mystery and the modern team assembled to solve it. The brothers explore Borehole 10-X,
investigate Smith's Cove, and make their first startling discovery: coconut fiber carbon-dated to
1260-1400 AD, centuries before Columbus reached the Americas. The season establishes the show's
documentary style and introduces key locations including the Money Pit, the swamp, and the War Room.
At the end of the season when they start to lose hope, they find a Spanish coin in the swamp.

**S1E1: What Lies Below** (Jan 5, 2014) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-1/episode-1-what-lies-below
In February 2013, brothers Rick and Marty Lagina travel from Michigan to Oak Island, Nova Scotia, to launch the most extensive exploration of the island in over two hundred years.

**S1E2: The Mystery of Smith's Cove** (Jan 12, 2014) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-1/episode-2-the-mystery-of-smith-s-cove
At the 10-X shaft, Dave Blankenship, Jack Begley, and Dan Henskee sift through debris brought to the surface by the airlift operation.

**S1E3: Voices from the Grave** (Jan 19, 2014) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-1/episode-3-voices-from-the-grave
In the War Room, the team turns its attention to the Oak Island swamp.

**S1E4: The Secret of Solomon's Temple** (Jan 26, 2014) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-1/episode-4-the-secret-of-solomon-s-temple
The draining of the Oak Island swamp continues, though progress is slower than expected and one of the two pumps fails shortly after starting.

**S1E5: The Find** (Feb 9, 2014) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-1/episode-5-the-find
Following the strong metal detector signals at the Mercy point in the previous episode, the team returns to the swamp with a Deepmax X6, a far more sophisticated detection unit capable of scanning ...

### Season 2 (2014)
Premiere: November 4, 2014
Episodes: 10

With their first season behind them, Rick and Marty Lagina mount a serious assault on the Money Pit,
bringing in heavy drilling rigs capable of grinding through the layers of wood, stone, and debris
that defeated earlier equipment. Core samples from deep underground return fragments of wood and
metal, and the team believes it has contacted the legendary Chappell Vault. The Templar theory takes
center stage as researcher J. Hutton Pulitzer presents evidence linking Oak Island to the Knights
Templar and the Ark of the Covenant. A massive dye test attempts to trace the flood tunnels, and the
season culminates with preparations for the first manned dive into the mysterious Borehole 10-X,
where sonar has detected objects at 235 feet underground.

**S2E1: Once In, Forever In** (Nov 4, 2014) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-2/episode-1-once-in-forever-in
Rick and Marty Lagina travel with Craig Tester to Tampa, Florida, to visit Global Marine Exploration, a company specializing in shipwreck artifact salvage.

**S2E2: Return to the Money Pit** (Nov 11, 2014) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-2/episode-2-return-to-the-money-pit
Rick and Marty Lagina begin their first serious attempt to locate and drill into the original Money Pit.

**S2E3: The Eight-Pointed Star** (Nov 18, 2014) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-2/episode-3-the-eight-pointed-star
J.

**S2E4: The Breakthrough** (Nov 25, 2014) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-2/episode-4-the-breakthrough
After two weeks of drilling, the team has brought in a 30-ton rig capable of grinding through the layers of wood, stone, and debris that defeated the smaller quarry drill.

**S2E5: The 90-Foot Stone** (Dec 2, 2014) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-2/episode-5-the-90-foot-stone
Drilling in the Money Pit area resumes as the team retrieves more core samples from the depth where they believe they have contacted the Chappell vault.

**S2E6: Seven Must Dye** (Dec 9, 2014) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-2/episode-6-seven-must-dye
Rick Lagina, Dan and Dave Blankenship, and Divemaster Tony Sampson scout the island's coastline for potential flood tunnel exit points in preparation for a major dye test.

**S2E7: The Trail of the Templars** (Dec 16, 2014) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-2/episode-7-the-trail-of-the-templars
On Oak Island, Rick Lagina restarts the effort to drain the triangle-shaped swamp.

**S2E8: X Marks the Spot** (Dec 23, 2014) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-2/episode-8-x-marks-the-spot
For the second consecutive year, the team attempts to drain the triangle-shaped swamp.

**S2E9: A Dangerous Dive** (Jan 6, 2014) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-2/episode-9-a-dangerous-dive
Rick Lagina continues clearing Borehole 10-X for the upcoming dive.

**S2E10: The Big Reveal** (Jan 13, 2015) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-2/episode-10-the-big-reveal
With the diving platform complete and all safety protocols in place, professional divers Dan Misiaszek and his wife Kathy, known as Frog and Flash, begin their descent into Borehole 10-X.

### Season 3 (2015)
Premiere: November 10, 2015
Episodes: 13

Declaring this the season of answers, Rick and Marty Lagina invest in heavy excavation equipment for
the first time, marking a shift from data gathering to active digging. A historic partnership with
rival treasure hunter Fred Nolan grants access to his land and the mysterious Nolan's Cross stone
formation. The team recruits world-renowned diver John Chatterton, who makes a harrowing descent to
the bottom of Borehole 10-X at 235 feet, the deepest anyone has gone beneath Oak Island in decades.
His findings are inconclusive but prove the chamber is real. Meanwhile, excavation of the Hedden
shaft in the Money Pit area reveals old searcher tunnels, and analysis of a purported Roman sword
sparks international debate about pre-Columbian visitors to Nova Scotia.

**S3E1: The Hole Truth** (Nov 10, 2015) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-3/episode-1-the-hole-truth
Fifty years after reading the 1965 Reader's Digest article that ignited their lifelong obsession, Rick and Marty Lagina return to Oak Island for a season they declare will be about getting answers.

**S3E2: Pipe Down** (Nov 17, 2015) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-3/episode-2-pipe-down
Before a diver can safely descend Borehole 10-X, three corroded riser pipes, each roughly 180 feet long, must be removed from the shaft.

**S3E3: Time to Dig** (Nov 24, 2015) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-3/episode-3-time-to-dig
Rick and Marty Lagina travel nearly 60 miles to Halifax to shop for heavy excavation equipment, marking a pivotal shift from data gathering to active digging.

**S3E4: The Overton Stone** (Dec 1, 2015) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-3/episode-4-the-overton-stone
Excavation at the Money Pit area continues as Marty Lagina operates the backhoe to uncover more of the Hedden shaft, the 12-by-24-foot searcher tunnel dug to 125 feet by treasure hunter Gilbert Hed...

**S3E5: Disappearing Act** (Dec 8, 2015) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-3/episode-5-disappearing-act
Rick and Marty Lagina, along with dive expert John Tapper, meet with certified saturation diver Brad Stabenow, who has worked in over 20 countries and dived to depths of 800 feet using trimix breat...

**S3E6: Carved in Stone** (Dec 15, 2015) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-3/episode-6-carved-in-stone
Rick Lagina turns his attention to the mysterious carved stones scattered across the island, beginning with a conversation with Dan Blankenship about the HO stone.

**S3E7: The Missing Peace** (Dec 22, 2015) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-3/episode-7-the-missing-peace
After decades of rivalry between Dan Blankenship and fellow treasure hunter Fred Nolan, Rick and Marty Lagina broker a historic agreement to work together.

**S3E8: Phantoms of the Deep** (Dec 29, 2015) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-3/episode-8-phantoms-of-the-deep
In Traverse City, Michigan, Marty Lagina, Alex Lagina, and Craig Tester meet with side-scan sonar experts and commercial divers Mike Roberts and Dave Delaney, who have over 50 years of combined exp...

**S3E9: Columbus Day** (Jan 5, 2016) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-3/episode-9-columbus-day
After weeks of searching for a qualified diver, the team recruits Harvey Morash, a certified deep wreck diver from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, with nearly 25 years of experience in dangerous confined...

**S3E10: Silence in the Dark** (Jan 12, 2016) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-3/episode-10-silence-in-the-dark
The first dive attempt into 10-X begins with Harvey Morash descending in the cage while safety diver Michael Gerhartz follows.

**S3E11: Sword Play** (Jan 19, 2016) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-3/episode-11-sword-play
Rick and Marty Lagina, Alex Lagina, Craig Tester, and Dave Blankenship travel to St.

**S3E12: Voices from Below** (Jan 26, 2016) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-3/episode-12-voices-from-below
With time running short in the season, Rick Lagina pushes forward on multiple fronts while Marty and Craig Tester attend to business.

**S3E13: Secrets and Revelations** (Feb 2, 2016) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-3/episode-13-secrets-and-revelations
World-renowned diver John Chatterton completes his historic descent to the bottom of 10-X, entering the underground chamber 235 feet below ground while Marty Lagina and Craig Tester, grounded in Mi...

### Season 4 (2016)
Premiere: November 15, 2016
Episodes: 15

Armed with a two-million-dollar budget, the team launches its most ambitious Money Pit excavation to
date, sinking massive five-foot-wide steel caissons deep into the earth. The C-1 shaft punches into
a 21-foot void at 171 feet, where divers encounter murky water and tantalizing metal detector hits.
Meanwhile, the team visits the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library, uncovering documents that
prove the future president was personally invested in the Oak Island mystery. Research into former
landowner Samuel Ball, an enslaved man who became a wealthy citizen after settling on the island,
raises questions about what he may have found. The season ends with four shafts drilled but the
treasure still just out of reach.

**S4E1: Going for Broke** (Nov 15, 2016) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-4/episode-1-going-for-broke
Rick and Marty Lagina return to Oak Island with a two-million-dollar budget and a mandate to excavate the Money Pit.

**S4E2: Always Forward** (Nov 22, 2016) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-4/episode-2-always-forward
Jack Begley continues excavating the rectangular depression near Dave Blankenship's property on Lot 22, the site that aligns with the so-called hatch marked on Zena Halpern's 1347 French map of Oak...

**S4E3: Swamp Things** (Nov 29, 2016) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-4/episode-3-swamp-things
Rick Lagina, Dave Blankenship, and Charles Barkhouse return from Fred Nolan's funeral, where roughly 100 people gathered to honour the veteran surveyor who first came to Oak Island in 1958 and was ...

**S4E4: No Stone Unturned** (Dec 6, 2016) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-4/episode-4-no-stone-unturned
The first pieces of the massive drilling equipment arrive at Oak Island as preparations for the Money Pit excavation enter their final phase.

**S4E5: Bullseye** (Dec 13, 2016) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-4/episode-5-bullseye
The first of several five-foot-wide, 30,000-pound steel caissons begins grinding into the earth above the Valley 3 target, the site where Rick Lagina and Craig Tester believe the Chappell Vault lie...

**S4E6: Circles in Wood** (Dec 20, 2016) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-4/episode-6-circles-in-wood
With the Valley 3 caisson sitting on what appears to be a wooden structure at roughly 143 feet, Rick and Marty Lagina must decide how to proceed without destroying whatever lies inside.

**S4E7: All That Glitters** (Dec 27, 2016) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-4/episode-7-all-that-glitters
With Valley 3 now confirmed as Mel Chappell's 1930s searcher tunnel rather than the Chappell Vault, the team shifts its full attention to Borehole C-1, located 20 feet northwest.

**S4E8: The Mystery of Samuel Ball** (Jan 3, 2017) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-4/episode-8-the-mystery-of-samuel-ball
A high-resolution camera descends the C-1 shaft for the first time since the caisson broke through into the 21-foot void at 171 feet.

**S4E9: Echoes from the Deep** (Jan 10, 2017) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-4/episode-9-echoes-from-the-deep
Geophysicist and sonar expert Brian Abbott returns to Oak Island to conduct a new scan of the chamber at the bottom of Borehole 10-X, the 235-foot shaft northeast of the Money Pit.

**S4E10: About Face** (Jan 17, 2017) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-4/episode-10-about-face
John Chatterton returns to the C-1 shaft for a third dive into the cavity at 170 feet, carrying an underwater metal detector to replicate the hits reported by Mike Huntley.

**S4E11: Presidential Secrets** (Jan 24, 2017) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-4/episode-11-presidential-secrets
The airlift operation at Borehole 10-X begins in earnest, with Irving Equipment pumping compressed air down a pipe to the bottom of the 235-foot shaft to force water, sediment, and any objects up t...

**S4E12: Hyde Park & Seek** (Jan 31, 2017) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-4/episode-12-hyde-park-seek
At the Franklin D.

**S4E13: One of Seven** (Feb 7, 2017) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-4/episode-13-one-of-seven
Drilling begins on the T-1 shaft, the team's third and final Money Pit excavation for the season, at a location chosen by Craig Tester based on historical records placing the Chappell shaft south o...

**S4E14: Of Sticks and Stones** (Feb 14, 2017) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-4/episode-14-of-sticks-and-stones
At the T-1 shaft, the hammer grab continues bringing up material from depths beyond 100 feet.

**S4E15: Blood Is Thicker** (Feb 21, 2017) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-4/episode-15-blood-is-thicker
The GAL-1 shaft, named after Rick and Marty's parents George and Ann Lagina, is the team's fourth and final exploration hole of the season.

### Season 5 (2017)
Premiere: November 7, 2017
Episodes: 18

A devastating winter storm washes away the South Shore Road and cuts off vehicle access to the Money
Pit, but the team regroups and launches an unprecedented Geotech drilling operation: 38 six-inch
boreholes arranged in a grid pattern to map the underground at depths up to 200 feet. Borehole H-8
produces the season's most dramatic finds, including pottery fragments, old book bindings, and two
fragments of human bone, one carbon-dated to the Middle East. At Smith's Cove, Gary Drayton and Rick
Lagina recover a hand-carved lead cross that Templar researchers connect to the 14th-century prison
at Domme, France, where imprisoned knights carved nearly identical symbols into the dungeon walls.
Rick travels to France to see the carvings firsthand, deepening the Templar connection that will
drive future seasons.

**S5E1: Forever Family** (Nov 7, 2017) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-5/episode-1-forever-family
Season five opens under a cloud of tragedy and destruction.

**S5E2: Dead Man's Chest** (Nov 14, 2017) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-5/episode-2-dead-man-s-chest
The Geotech drilling operation begins in the Money Pit area, with the team planning to drill 38 six-inch boreholes in a grid pattern to depths of up to 200 feet, using the GAL-1 shaft as a center p...

**S5E3: Obstruction** (Nov 21, 2017) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-5/episode-3-obstruction
The Geotech drilling operation advances through the Money Pit grid, with geologist Terry Matheson logging the cuttings every five feet while Craig Tester and Jack Begley monitor progress on the sur...

**S5E4: Close Call** (Nov 28, 2017) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-5/episode-4-close-call
With 16 Geotech boreholes completed, Rick Lagina, Dave Blankenship, and island historian Charles Barkhouse oversee the drill as it advances into the area of the Chappell Shaft, where M.R.

**S5E5: Bone Dry** (Dec 5, 2017) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-5/episode-5-bone-dry
Geophysical engineer John Wonnacott, who helped design the Geotech grid with his partner Les MacPhie, joins the team at the Money Pit to review progress after 16 completed boreholes.

**S5E6: Remains of the Day** (Dec 12, 2017) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-5/episode-6-remains-of-the-day
Jack Begley and Dan Henskee spend days washing and sorting the Borehole H-8 spoils from the Money Pit area.

**S5E7: The Lot Thickens** (Dec 19, 2017) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-5/episode-7-the-lot-thickens
With 44 Geotech boreholes completed and Borehole H-8 confirmed as the primary target, representatives from Irving Equipment Limited return to Oak Island to inspect the drilling pad and begin delive...

**S5E8: Dan's Breakthrough** (Jan 2, 2018) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-5/episode-8-dan-s-breakthrough
In the War Room, Craig Tester delivers the carbon-14 results from Beta Analytical on the two human bone fragments recovered from Borehole H-8.

**S5E9: The French Connection** (Jan 9, 2018) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-5/episode-9-the-french-connection
While the Irving Equipment crew continues advancing the H-8 shaft toward its 150-foot target depth at the Money Pit, Rick Lagina travels to France with nephews Alex Lagina and Peter Fornetti.

**S5E10: The Signs of a Cross** (Jan 16, 2018) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-5/episode-10-the-signs-of-a-cross
The 60-inch caisson in Borehole H-8 grinds through thick wood that Rick Lagina and Charles Barkhouse identify as remains of the Chappell Shaft, the searcher tunnel M.R.

**S5E11: Moving Targets** (Jan 23, 2018) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-5/episode-11-moving-targets
In the War Room, archaeologist Laird Niven examines the lead cross Rick Lagina and Gary Drayton recovered from Smith's Cove.

**S5E12: A Key to the Mystery** (Jan 30, 2018) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-5/episode-12-a-key-to-the-mystery
In the War Room, the team connects by phone with Jerry Glover, the Templar expert who guided Rick Lagina, Alex Lagina, and Peter Fornetti through the 14th-century prison at Domme, France.

**S5E13: Unhinged** (Feb 6, 2018) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-5/episode-13-unhinged
The DMT shaft advances quickly through undisturbed ground, with project manager Vanessa reporting 32 feet of casing and no wood from previous searcher activity.

**S5E14: The Templar Connection** (Feb 13, 2018) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-5/episode-14-the-templar-connection
The episode features an extended examination of the Knights Templar theory and its connection to Oak Island.

**S5E15: Steel Trapped** (Feb 20, 2018) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-5/episode-15-steel-trapped
Author and Templar researcher Kathleen McGowan Coppens visits Oak Island at the invitation of Rick and Marty Lagina to examine the lead cross in person.

**S5E16: Seeing Red** (Feb 27, 2018) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-5/episode-16-seeing-red
With the DMT shaft stalled on a mysterious obstruction at 77 feet, Rick Lagina and the team arrange a video call with veteran diver Mike Huntley.

**S5E17: A Family Album** (Feb 27, 2018) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-5/episode-17-a-family-album
This special documentary episode chronicles the multigenerational family bonds that define the Oak Island treasure hunt.

**S5E18: Amazing Discoveries** (Mar 6, 2018) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-5/episode-18-amazing-discoveries
Gary Drayton reports to the War Room that the deep red gemstone discovered on Lot 8 has been identified by a certified gemologist in Halifax as a rhodolite garnet, not a ruby.

### Season 6 (2018)
Premiere: November 6, 2018
Episodes: 22

The team builds an enormous cofferdam at Smith's Cove, pumping out the Atlantic to excavate the
beach for the first time in modern history. The results are extraordinary: a U-shaped wooden
structure with Roman numerals carved into its timbers, a mysterious underground wall, a stone-lined
drainage system, and what appears to be a slipway leading into the ocean. Each discovery suggests
large-scale construction activity centuries before the Money Pit was found in 1795. A bejeweled
brooch recovered on Lot 21 and a possible crossbow bolt on Lot 26 push the artifact record further
back in time. At the Money Pit, the team sinks exploratory boreholes and confirms the presence of a
flood tunnel through a positive dye test, connecting Smith's Cove to the Money Pit for the first
time with physical evidence.

**S6E1: Rick's Big Bang Theory** (Nov 13, 2018) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-6/episode-1-rick-s-big-bang-theory
Rick and Marty Lagina gather their team, including Craig Tester, Dave Blankenship, Dan Blankenship, Charles Barkhouse, Jack Begley, Doug Crowell, and metal detection expert Gary Drayton, in a newly...

**S6E2: Gold Rush** (Nov 20, 2018) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-6/episode-2-gold-rush
Rick Lagina and metal detection expert Gary Drayton bring the bejeweled brooch they discovered on Lot 21 to the home of veteran treasure hunter Dan Blankenship, where they show it to Dan and Marty ...

**S6E3: Depth Perception** (Nov 27, 2018) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-6/episode-3-depth-perception
Rick and Marty Lagina, Craig Tester, Dave Blankenship, and Charles Barkhouse travel to Eagle Canada's headquarters in Calgary, Alberta, to receive the results of their seismic survey.

**S6E4: A Legacy Revealed** (Dec 4, 2018) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-6/episode-4-a-legacy-revealed
Rick Lagina presents metal detection expert Gary Drayton's latest find to the team and archaeologist Laird Niven: a metal object resembling a crossbow bolt, discovered roughly ten inches below the ...

**S6E5: Homecoming** (Dec 11, 2018) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-6/episode-5-homecoming
The team drills borehole HI-4 at the Money Pit, targeting a network of tunnels detected by seismic imaging at roughly 100 feet.

**S6E6: Precious Metal** (Dec 18, 2018) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-6/episode-6-precious-metal
Construction of the 525-foot steel cofferdam at Smith's Cove continues as the Irving Equipment crew, led by Mike Jardine, drives the final interlocking steel sheets into the seabed.

**S6E7: Rock Solid** (Jan 1, 2019) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-6/episode-7-rock-solid
The 525-foot steel cofferdam surrounding Smith's Cove reaches completion as Irving Equipment Limited drives the last of 117 interlocking steel sheets some 25 feet into the seabed.

**S6E8: Unearthed** (Jan 8, 2019) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-6/episode-8-unearthed
With the 525-foot steel cofferdam now complete, Rick and Marty Lagina begin the massive excavation of Smith's Cove, a nearly 12,000-square-foot area that has never been fully explored.

**S6E9: As Above, So Below** (Jan 15, 2019) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-6/episode-9-as-above-so-below
At Smith's Cove, the team finishes exposing the U-shaped structure first discovered by Dan Blankenship in 1971.

**S6E10: Fingers Made of Stone** (Jan 22, 2019) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-6/episode-10-fingers-made-of-stone
Alex Lagina, Doug Crowell, and Paul Troutman travel ten miles northeast to the Lordly House in Chester, Nova Scotia, where the Chester Municipal Heritage Society maintains an extensive archive of O...

**S6E11: Wharfs and All** (Jan 29, 2019) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-6/episode-11-wharfs-and-all
At Smith's Cove, Rick Lagina, Craig Tester, and geologist Terry Matheson continue excavating a newly discovered wooden structure that appears to parallel the U-shaped structure found by Dan Blanken...

**S6E12: Slipway When Wet** (Feb 5, 2019) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-6/episode-12-slipway-when-wet
At the Money Pit, Marty Lagina and Craig Tester supervise as the Irving Equipment crew, including Vanessa Lucido and Danny, fires up the oscillator to break through the compacted plug at the bottom...

**S6E13: The Paper Chase** (Feb 12, 2019) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-6/episode-13-the-paper-chase
At Smith's Cove, while excavating the area around the slipway, archaeologist Laird Niven makes a surprising discovery: a concrete wall buried approximately three feet below the ocean floor.

**S6E14: Voyage to the Bottom of the Cenote** (Feb 26, 2019) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-6/episode-14-voyage-to-the-bottom-of-the-cenote
Craig Tester and Jack Begley meet the Centre of Geographic Sciences team at the Oak Island marina to conduct a marine survey of the waters off the island's southern shore.

**S6E15: Dye Harder** (Mar 5, 2019) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-6/episode-15-dye-harder
The H-8 sinkhole that formed two days earlier remains a serious concern as Rick Lagina and Craig Tester survey the damage at the Money Pit.

**S6E16: Detour** (Mar 12, 2019) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-6/episode-16-detour
In the War Room, Rick and Marty Lagina and Craig Tester discuss the results of the dye test conducted at the Money Pit.

**S6E17: Clue or False?** (Mar 19, 2019) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-6/episode-17-clue-or-false
In the War Room, Rick and Marty Lagina and members of the team meet with professional surveyor Steve Guptill, who has compiled roughly a dozen historical survey plans into a single master map of th...

**S6E18: Heavy Metal** (Mar 26, 2019) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-6/episode-18-heavy-metal
At the Money Pit, Rick Lagina, geologist Terry Matheson, and the team continue excavating borehole S-6, which three days earlier penetrated what they believe to be the Shaft Six tunnel at 101 feet,...

**S6E19: Striking Distance** (Apr 2, 2019) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-6/episode-19-striking-distance
At the Money Pit, historians Doug Crowell and Paul Troutman, geologist Terry Matheson, and crane operator Danny monitor the excavation of the 60-inch borehole GG-1.

**S6E20: Short Days and Tall Knights** (Apr 9, 2019) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-6/episode-20-short-days-and-tall-knights
A strike by unionized Nova Scotia crane operators brings Money Pit drilling to an abrupt halt, with the walkout potentially lasting three weeks.

**S6E21: Seismic Matters** (Apr 16, 2019) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-6/episode-21-seismic-matters
Craig Tester, Rick Lagina, and Marty Lagina discuss strategy as the workers' strike continues, expected to last the full 21 days.

**S6E22: Lost and Founding** (Apr 30, 2019) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-6/episode-22-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...

### Season 7 (2019)
Premiere: November 5, 2019
Episodes: 23

The season opens with the passing of legendary treasure hunter Dan Blankenship at age 95, a man who
devoted more than 50 years of his life to Oak Island. Honoring his legacy, the team turns to the
swamp he always believed held secrets, uncovering a paved stone wharf on the swamp floor and a stack
of boulders forming what becomes known as the Eye of the Swamp. Historical researchers Corjan Mol
and Christopher Morford make their first War Room appearance, presenting a theory linking Nicolas
Poussin's Shepherds of Arcadia painting to Oak Island through geometric analysis, demonstrating that
a pentagram derived from the painting aligns precisely with Nolan's Cross when overlaid on a map of
the island. A seismic survey of the Money Pit reveals a 13-by-13-foot anomaly at its centre, and the
team deploys massive eight-foot-wide caissons for the first time, targeting the so-called Teardrop
feature. Old timbers inscribed with Roman numerals emerge from deep underground, echoing the
U-shaped structure at Smith's Cove. The season ends with the team convinced they are closer than
ever, with a clear target for the years ahead.

**S7E1: The Torch Is Passed** (Nov 5, 2019) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-7/episode-1-the-torch-is-passed
Season seven opens with the team gathering in the War Room for their first meeting without veteran treasure hunter Dan Blankenship, who passed away during the off-season after devoting more than ha...

**S7E2: Core Values** (Nov 12, 2019) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-7/episode-2-core-values
Choice Drilling begins retrieving core samples from the swamp ship anomaly, operating a five-ton sonic rig staged on an 800-square-foot floating barge.

**S7E3: Eye of the Swamp** (Nov 19, 2019) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-7/episode-3-eye-of-the-swamp
Geoscientist Dr.

**S7E4: The Lucky Thirteen** (Nov 26, 2019) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-7/episode-4-the-lucky-thirteen
At the Smith's Cove Upper Beach, Choice Drilling sinks exploratory hole OITC-6 ten feet northwest of a previous hole that revealed evidence of the Oak Island Treasure Company's 1897 dynamiting oper...

**S7E5: Tunnel Visions** (Dec 3, 2019) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-7/episode-5-tunnel-visions
Choice Drilling sinks an exploratory borehole near the Cave-In Pit to investigate underground anomalies detected by ground-penetrating radar.

**S7E6: Closing In** (Dec 10, 2019) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-7/episode-6-closing-in
The search for Shaft 9 reaches its conclusion as the team traces the 1863 sluiceway, originally identified with help from veteran treasure hunter Dan Henskee, back to its source.

**S7E7: Things That Go Bump-out** (Dec 17, 2019) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-7/episode-7-things-that-go-bump-out
At the Oak Island Research Centre, surveyor Steve Guptill shows Rick Lagina and historian Doug Crowell a diagram plotting the recently confirmed location of Shaft 9, built roughly 100 feet southwes...

**S7E8: Triptych** (Jan 7, 2020) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-7/episode-8-triptych
At Smith's Cove, the team examines the tarpapered wooden wall and cobblestone structure discovered in the bump out area.

**S7E9: An Eye for an Eye** (Jan 14, 2020) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-7/episode-9-an-eye-for-an-eye
In the War Room, the team reviews the discovery of Shaft Two and plans additional drilling to determine the orientation of the tunnel that extends from it toward the original Money Pit.

**S7E10: Gary Strikes Again** (Jan 21, 2020) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-7/episode-10-gary-strikes-again
At Smith's Cove, Rick Lagina, Peter Fornetti, and Gary Drayton investigate the massive wooden structure exposed in the bump-out area during the cofferdam extension.

**S7E11: The Eye of the Storm** (Jan 28, 2020) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-7/episode-11-the-eye-of-the-storm
With Hurricane Dorian, a powerful storm that has already caused catastrophic damage in the Bahamas with 185-mile-per-hour winds, approaching the Atlantic coast, the team races to make progress befo...

**S7E12: Fortified** (Feb 4, 2020) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-7/episode-12-fortified
Following Hurricane Dorian, which battered Oak Island with nearly 100-mile-per-hour winds and reflooded the swamp with ocean water, Rick Lagina and Scott Barlow estimate two to three days of pumpin...

**S7E13: Bromancing the Stones** (Feb 11, 2020) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-7/episode-13-bromancing-the-stones
Rick Lagina shows fellow landowner Tom Nolan the paved stone walkway uncovered in the swamp, a feature Tom's late father Fred Nolan never had the means to expose during his five decades investigati...

**S7E14: Burnt Offering** (Feb 25, 2020) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-7/episode-14-burnt-offering
In the War Room, the team reviews carbon dating results from borehole FG-12 in the Money Pit area: a wood sample recovered at 106 feet has been dated to as early as 1626, more than 150 years before...

**S7E15: Surely Templar** (Mar 3, 2020) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-7/episode-15-surely-templar
At the Oak Island swamp, Rick Lagina, Alex Lagina, Jack Begley, and Gary Drayton investigate the shallow northern end of a 200-foot ship-shaped anomaly identified earlier in the season by seismic s...

**S7E16: Water Logged** (Mar 10, 2020) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-7/episode-16-water-logged
In the Uplands near Smith's Cove, Billy Gerhardt continues excavating what the team believes to be Shaft Five, built by the Truro Company in 1850.

**S7E17: To Boulderly Go** (Mar 17, 2020) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-7/episode-17-to-boulderly-go
Rick Lagina brings geoscientist Dr.

**S7E18: The Turning Point** (Mar 24, 2020) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-7/episode-18-the-turning-point
Irving Equipment Limited and ROC Equipment deliver the heavy equipment for the season's most ambitious Money Pit excavation: eight-foot-wide steel caissons, a custom-built 110,000-pound oscillator ...

**S7E19: Lords of the Ring** (Mar 31, 2020) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-7/episode-19-lords-of-the-ring
At the Money Pit, the eight-foot-wide caisson at borehole OC-1 pushes past 50 feet, grinding through the remains of the Hedden Shaft, the 12-by-24-foot wood-cribbed structure built by treasure hunt...

**S7E20: Springing the Trap** (Apr 7, 2020) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-7/episode-20-springing-the-trap
At the Money Pit, the eight-foot-wide caisson at borehole 8-A pushes past 78 feet, targeting the Shaft Six tunnel, which according to archival records connects directly to the original Money Pit.

**S7E21: A Leaf of Faith** (Apr 14, 2020) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-7/episode-21-a-leaf-of-faith
In the War Room, geophysicist Jeremy Church of Eagle Canada presents the results of the seismic scanning conducted earlier in the season using 18,000 dynamite charges across the island's eastern half.

**S7E22: Marks X the Spot** (Apr 21, 2020) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-7/episode-22-marks-x-the-spot
At the Money Pit, the excavation of borehole RF-1 continues to yield significant material.

**S7E23: Timeline** (Apr 28, 2020) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-7/episode-23-timeline
At the Money Pit, the team returns to RF-1 after leaving the 26-ton hammergrab resting on the obstruction at 170 feet overnight.

### Season 8 (2020)
Premiere: November 10, 2020
Episodes: 25

With the COVID-19 pandemic closing the US-Canada border, the American team members coordinate
remotely while the Canadian crew pushes forward. The swamp delivers the season's biggest revelation:
a massive stone road stretching over 460 feet along the eastern border, built with cobblestones laid
over wooden cribbing in a style consistent with medieval European construction. An iron ringbolt
pulled from between the stones and ox shoe nails found along the pathway suggest heavy cargo was
once hauled across the island. On Lot 15, archaeologists uncover a stone structure that predates
known colonial activity. At the Money Pit, water samples from deep boreholes reveal the presence of
silver, giving the team a chemical trail to follow into the earth for the first time.

**S8E1: Remote Control** (Nov 10, 2020) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-8/episode-1-remote-control
The two-hour Season 8 premiere opens with the COVID-19 pandemic having shut down the US-Canada border, forcing the American treasure hunters to coordinate operations remotely.

**S8E2: The Boys Are Back** (Nov 17, 2020) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-8/episode-2-the-boys-are-back
With the American team members still completing their mandatory 14-day COVID-19 quarantine on the Nova Scotia mainland, work on Oak Island continues under the Canadian crew.

**S8E3: If the Ox Shoes Fit** (Nov 24, 2020) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-8/episode-3-if-the-ox-shoes-fit
In the War Room, the fellowship reviews plans following the Lagina brothers' return to Oak Island.

**S8E4: Alignment** (Dec 1, 2020) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-8/episode-4-alignment
On Lot 15, the Lagina brothers and Doug Crowell meet with archaeologists Laird Niven, David MacInnes, Aaron Taylor, and Liz Michels at the stone structure.

**S8E5: The Master Plan** (Dec 8, 2020) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-8/episode-5-the-master-plan
At the Money Pit area, Choice Drilling arrives on the island and sets up its rig while Steve Guptill and Doug Crowell use GPS equipment and a survey map to locate borehole F6, the first of many hol...

**S8E6: Seaing Is Believing** (Dec 15, 2020) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-8/episode-6-seaing-is-believing
At the Money Pit area, Choice Drilling continues its pattern drilling operation while Terry Matheson, Charles Barkhouse, and Rick Lagina inspect a core sample extracted from borehole H5.5.

**S8E7: Mounding Evidence** (Dec 22, 2020) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-8/episode-7-mounding-evidence
At the Money Pit, Rick Lagina, Charles Barkhouse, and Terry Matheson oversee a drilling operation that yields a striking result: 28 feet of loose material from 179 down to 207 feet in depth.

**S8E8: High on the Bog** (Dec 29, 2020) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-8/episode-8-high-on-the-bog
In a War Room video conference, GIS expert Erin Helton presents a new theory built on the La Formule cipher, the coded document Zena Halpern shared with the team in Season 4.

**S8E9: Rock, Paper, Serpents** (Jan 5, 2021) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-8/episode-9-rock-paper-serpents
The team launches its first excavation of the triangle-shaped swamp after receiving government permits to drain and dig in the southeastern corner.

**S8E10: Connecting the Lots** (Jan 12, 2021) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-8/episode-10-connecting-the-lots
Excavation of the stone-paved pathway in the southeastern corner of the swamp reveals wooden cribbing beneath the massive stone surface.

**S8E11: Rocky Road** (Jan 19, 2021) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-8/episode-11-rocky-road
In the triangle-shaped swamp, excavation of the stone pathway continues under the supervision of archaeologists Dr.

**S8E12: Digging Their Heels In** (Jan 26, 2021) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-8/episode-12-digging-their-heels-in
At the wash table near the Money Pit, team members Alex Lagina, Peter Fornetti, Dan Henskee, and Michael John process spoils from borehole 8-B, located just ten feet from where 1706-dated tunnel wo...

**S8E13: The Fellowship of the Ringbolt** (Feb 9, 2021) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-8/episode-13-the-fellowship-of-the-ringbolt
In the southeastern corner of the swamp, Rick Lagina, Tom Nolan, Scott Barlow, and archaeologist Dr.

**S8E14: A Bend in the Road** (Feb 16, 2021) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-8/episode-14-a-bend-in-the-road
Rick Lagina shares the recently discovered iron ringbolt with Tom Nolan in the swamp, a deeply personal moment given that Tom's father Fred spent decades investigating the triangle-shaped bog.

**S8E15: Cask and You Shall Receive** (Feb 23, 2021) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-8/episode-15-cask-and-you-shall-receive
Along the eastern border of the swamp, metal detection expert Gary Drayton joins Rick Lagina and Craig Tester to sweep the stone pathway, pulling a square ox shoe nail from between the cobblestones.

**S8E16: Leather Bound** (Mar 2, 2021) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-8/episode-16-leather-bound
In the swamp, Rick and Marty Lagina join archaeologists Dr.

**S8E17: Staking Their Claim** (Mar 9, 2021) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-8/episode-17-staking-their-claim
Terry Deveau, former president of the New England Antiquities Research Association, visits the swamp to inspect the massive stone road uncovered along its eastern border.

**S8E18: Cannon Fodder** (Mar 16, 2021) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-8/episode-18-cannon-fodder
In the swamp, Rick Lagina, his nephew David Fornetti, archaeologist Miriam Amirault, and heavy equipment operator Billy Gerhardt investigate whether the stone pathway is beginning to fork in two di...

**S8E19: A Loose Cannonball** (Mar 23, 2021) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-8/episode-19-a-loose-cannonball
Near the eastern border of the swamp, archaeologists Aaron Taylor and Miriam Amirault continue excavating the stone pathway, which now appears to be branching in two directions, one heading toward ...

**S8E20: Fire in the Hole** (Mar 30, 2021) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-8/episode-20-fire-in-the-hole
Rick Lagina gathers the team to report on a stone foundation unearthed near the swamp's northeastern border, adjacent to the stone pathway now estimated by Steve Guptill at 460 feet.

**S8E21: Off the Railing** (Apr 6, 2021) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-8/episode-21-off-the-railing
At Smith's Cove, Rick Lagina, Steve Guptill, Terry Matheson, and Charles Barkhouse oversee the team's effort to drill into targets identified on the Barringer survey, a military-grade VLF scan comm...

**S8E22: Be There or T-square** (Apr 13, 2021) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-8/episode-22-be-there-or-t-square
Rick Lagina calls Marty with news of the possible ship's railing recovered from ten feet below sea level in the swamp.

**S8E23: Old Wharf's Tale** (Apr 20, 2021) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-8/episode-23-old-wharf-s-tale
Along the stone pathway near the northeastern border of the swamp, Rick Lagina, Dr.

**S8E24: Silver Lining** (Apr 27, 2021) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-8/episode-24-silver-lining
With the final week of the season underway, Rick Lagina, Steve Guptill, and geologist Terry Matheson direct the drill rig to borehole C-11.5, positioned north of the OC-1 caisson in an effort to es...

**S8E25: The Silver Spooner** (May 4, 2021) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-8/episode-25-the-silver-spooner
Following the detection of silver in Money Pit water samples, Dr.

### Season 9 (2021)
Premiere: November 2, 2021
Episodes: 25

Dr. Ian Spooner's water analysis detects gold in Money Pit boreholes, and the team organizes its
entire season around tracing the precious metals to their source. Twenty new boreholes are drilled,
and five massive ten-foot-wide caissons are sunk in succession, the largest excavation effort in Oak
Island's history. One of them, TF1, produces wood from tunnel depth along with the chemical
signatures the team has been chasing. But the season's most unexpected discovery comes underground:
the Garden Shaft, initially dismissed as a 19th-century searcher tunnel, returns a carbon date of
1735, predating every known treasure hunt on the island. Rick, Alex, Doug Crowell, and researcher
Corjan Mol travel to Portugal to investigate Templar connections, visiting sites that mirror
features found on Oak Island. The Garden Shaft becomes the team's new obsession.

**S9E1: Going for the Gold** (Nov 2, 2021) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-9/episode-1-going-for-the-gold
The season opens in the War Room with Dr.

**S9E2: The Gold Metal** (Nov 9, 2021) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-9/episode-2-the-gold-metal
Terry Matheson, Steve Guptill, and Charles Barkhouse are at the Money Pit as the team prepares to drill Borehole D-2, positioned eight feet west of C-1 within a fifteen-foot rectangle that Steve de...

**S9E3: Stone Roadblock** (Nov 16, 2021) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-9/episode-3-stone-roadblock
Rick, Craig Tester, and the team gather at the Money Pit to discuss the metal found the previous week in Borehole D-2.

**S9E4: Spoils Alert** (Nov 23, 2021) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-9/episode-4-spoils-alert
Rick, Marty, and the team arrive at the southeast corner of the swamp to discuss the recent work stoppage requested by CCH.

**S9E5: Hatching the Plan** (Nov 30, 2021) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-9/episode-5-hatching-the-plan
Rick, Craig Tester, David Irving, and the team meet in the War Room with Marty and Vanessa Lucido by video conference to plan the placement of ten-foot caissons in the Money Pit.

**S9E6: The Root Cause** (Dec 7, 2021) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-9/episode-6-the-root-cause
Steve Guptill, Terry Matheson, Charles Barkhouse, and Craig Tester are in the Money Pit where the drill rig has moved to Borehole D1.5, one of twenty boreholes the team has laid out in an area wher...

**S9E7: It All Adze Up** (Dec 14, 2021) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-9/episode-7-it-all-adze-up
In the War Room, Laird Niven confirms that a general permit for the swamp has been approved, covering the south side and the paved area.

**S9E8: Deeper Digs, Bigger Stakes** (Dec 21, 2021) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-9/episode-8-deeper-digs-bigger-stakes
Charles Barkhouse and Terry Matheson supervise the drilling of Borehole DE-1.5 in the Money Pit, only eleven feet from C1 and part of the C-1 Cluster where the team has found metal fragments contai...

**S9E9: The Unusual Suspects** (Jan 4, 2021) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-9/episode-9-the-unusual-suspects
Charles Barkhouse and Terry Matheson supervise the drilling of Borehole HI-4, positioned 12.5 feet from G-2 in the search for Shaft 6, which at 118 feet should contain a tunnel leading directly to ...

**S9E10: Chamber of Secrets** (Jan 11, 2022) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-9/episode-10-chamber-of-secrets
The team meets by video conference with geophysicist Jeremy Church, who has used new software to re-evaluate the 2018 seismic surveys of the eastern drumlin.

**S9E11: A Boatload of Clues** (Jan 18, 2022) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-9/episode-11-a-boatload-of-clues
Terry Matheson, Craig Tester, and Charles Barkhouse supervise the drilling of Borehole A13, positioned two and a half feet north of AB13 where an eruption of air at approximately 68 feet last week ...

**S9E12: The Silver Liner** (Jan 25, 2022) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-9/episode-12-the-silver-liner
Terry Matheson and Charles Barkhouse supervise the drilling of Borehole AB13.5, positioned two and a half feet from the east side of the suspected offset chamber.

**S9E13: Go Big or Go Home** (Feb 1, 2022) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-9/episode-13-go-big-or-go-home
The team meets in the War Room to decide where to place the first ten-foot caisson of the year.

**S9E14: Premier of the Dig** (Feb 8, 2022) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-9/episode-14-premier-of-the-dig
Heavy equipment begins arriving at the Money Pit for the ten-foot shaft excavation.

**S9E15: Eyes and Boot in the Ground** (Feb 15, 2022) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-9/episode-15-eyes-and-boot-in-the-ground
Rick and the team arrive at the Money Pit to begin excavating TF1, the first ten-foot shaft of the season.

**S9E16: Gold Diggers** (Mar 1, 2022) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-9/episode-16-gold-diggers
Rick and the team continue work at TF1, where Vanessa Lucido reports the caisson is at 104 feet and the dig has reached 92 feet.

**S9E17: Blast From The Past** (Mar 8, 2022) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-9/episode-17-blast-from-the-past
Rick, Marty, Craig Tester, and Dan Henskee meet the team at the Money Pit to begin the second ten-foot shaft.

**S9E18: Playing the Dunfield** (Mar 15, 2022) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-9/episode-18-playing-the-dunfield
Craig Tester and the team watch as the EC1 shaft nears 150 feet, positioned one foot east of C1 and eight feet northeast of TF1, on course to reach the seven-foot-tall vault first reported at 153 f...

**S9E19: Shoal Me the Money** (Mar 22, 2022) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-9/episode-19-shoal-me-the-money
Rick and members of the team supervise the excavation of DH82 as Terry Matheson reports they are at approximately eighty feet, just ten feet above the depth where water samples revealed gold and si...

**S9E20: The Hedden Truth** (Mar 29, 2022) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-9/episode-20-the-hedden-truth
DH82 reaches a depth of one hundred feet, the level where water samples earlier in the year revealed the presence of gold and silver.

**S9E21: A Lot of Secrets** (Apr 5, 2022) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-9/episode-21-a-lot-of-secrets
Rick and the team continue monitoring the DMT2 shaft, which has reached an excavation depth of 72 to 74 feet.

**S9E22: Yes We Can** (Apr 12, 2022) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-9/episode-22-yes-we-can
Excavation of the DMT2 shaft continues in the Money Pit as Andrew reports the caisson has reached 137 feet.

**S9E23: Follow the Cobblestone Road** (Apr 19, 2022) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-9/episode-23-follow-the-cobblestone-road
Marty and the team watch as excavation begins on B4-C, the fifth ten-foot shaft, positioned five feet north of Borehole C1 where traces of gold and silver and evidence of possible tunnels dating to...

**S9E24: On the Road** (Apr 26, 2022) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-9/episode-24-on-the-road
The team continues to monitor the excavation of B4-C, the fifth ten-foot shaft of the year, located five feet north of Borehole C1 in an area where earlier drilling revealed evidence of tunnels at ...

**S9E25: Treasure Island** (May 3, 2022) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-9/episode-25-treasure-island
Rick and Alex return from a two-week research trip to Portugal alongside Doug Crowell, Peter Fornetti, historical researcher Corjan Mol, and Templar historian Joao Fiandeiro.

### Season 10 (2022)
Premiere: November 15, 2022
Episodes: 25

Dumas Contracting arrives on the island to reconstruct the Garden Shaft, a structure now confirmed
to date to 1735 and sitting just 20 feet from the Money Pit. The project proves grueling: the Nova
Scotia government halts work over permit requirements, months are lost, and the shaft must be
meticulously cribbed and reinforced as the team descends through layers of old timber and unstable
ground. Probe drilling from inside the shaft detects a tunnel at approximately 95 feet heading
westward, directly toward the zone where gold and silver have been found in the water. Meanwhile, a
new drilling program in the Money Pit area identifies what Marty Lagina dubs the Blob, a
concentration of anomalous underground features. In Rome, Rick Lagina, Doug Crowell, Alex Lagina,
Peter Fornetti, and Corjan Mol meet with numismatist Umberto Moruzzi, who confirms that a half coin
from Lot 5 is a 4th-century Roman artifact and identifies a bronze piece from Lot 7 as an ancient
monetary weight matching a golden Byzantine coin. The team then travels to Viterbo, where Templar
investigator Gianluca Di Prosper leads them through the 11th-century church of Santa Maria Nuova,
revealing four-dot crosses and carved symbols that Alex connects to the H+O stone found on Oak
Island. Charles Barkhouse makes the first descent into the reconstructed Garden Shaft as the season
closes, with the tunnel tantalizingly close.

**S10E1: On Their Marks** (Nov 15, 2022) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-10/episode-1-on-their-marks
Rick Lagina, Marty Lagina, Craig Tester, Alex Lagina, and Jack Begley arrive on Oak Island to meet the team in the War Room and lay out the season's priorities.

**S10E2: Across The Pond** (Nov 22, 2022) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-10/episode-2-across-the-pond
Colton brings Terry Deveau and Paul Troutman a core sample from Borehole DN12.5 at 88 feet, but Terry finds nothing out of the ordinary.

**S10E3: Bubbling Over** (Nov 29, 2022) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-10/episode-3-bubbling-over
The team supervises the drilling of Borehole A.5N13.5, chosen based on water testing results and the possibility of tunnels related to the Garden Shaft.

**S10E4: Wharf And Pieces** (Dec 6, 2022) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-10/episode-4-wharf-and-pieces
Dumas Contracting arrives on the island, and Rick Lagina, Billy Gerhardt, and Scott Barlow lead the company to the Garden Shaft.

**S10E5: Duc It Out** (Dec 13, 2022) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-10/episode-5-duc-it-out
Rick Lagina meets with Paul Cote of Dumas Contracting to check on the Garden Shaft reconstruction.

**S10E6: Over The Muon** (Dec 20, 2022) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-10/episode-6-over-the-muon
Rick Lagina meets with Paul Cote and Simon Bedard of Dumas Contracting to discuss the Garden Shaft excavation.

**S10E7: Norsing Around** (Jan 3, 2022) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-10/episode-7-norsing-around
All work on the Garden Shaft comes to a halt after the Nova Scotia government determines the project requires mining permits rather than the rehabilitation authorization Dumas Contracting originall...

**S10E8: A Lot To Be Desired** (Jan 10, 2023) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-10/episode-8-a-lot-to-be-desired
In the War Room, geophysicist Jeremy Church presents results from the geophysical scan of the island performed the previous week with his partner Burton Cosgrove and the help of Tony Sampson.

**S10E9: A Damming Clue** (Jan 17, 2023) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-10/episode-9-a-damming-clue
With the Garden Shaft on hold pending permits, Rick Lagina, Marty Lagina, Craig Tester, and the team plan the next borehole.

**S10E10: The Blob** (Jan 24, 2023) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-10/episode-10-the-blob
With the Garden Shaft rehabilitation on hold pending permits, Rick Lagina, Marty Lagina, and Craig Tester meet with Scott Barlow and Steve Guptill at the Research Center to plan the next project.

**S10E11: Oh, Well!** (Jan 31, 2023) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-10/episode-11-oh-well
Terry Deveau, Alex Lagina, and Charles Barkhouse are at the Money Pit where the team has begun drilling Borehole CN11, positioned 27 feet west of the Garden Shaft and in the center of what Marty La...

**S10E12: Beware the Blob** (Feb 7, 2023) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-10/episode-12-beware-the-blob
Charles Barkhouse and Paul Troutman supervise the drilling of Borehole DN-13.5, located 14 feet west of the Garden Shaft and within the area known as the Blob.

**S10E13: All's Well** (Feb 14, 2023) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-10/episode-13-all-s-well
Six weeks after the provincial government shut down work on the Garden Shaft over safety concerns, Dumas Contracting resumes operations.

**S10E14: Getting the Shaft** (Feb 21, 2023) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-10/episode-14-getting-the-shaft
Rick Lagina and Jack Begley arrive at the Garden Shaft where Roger Fortin reports Dumas has reached a depth of 23 feet and will soon install two more sets of platforms after removing the mucky back...

**S10E15: Wood You Believe It?** (Feb 28, 2023) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-10/episode-15-wood-you-believe-it
Rick Lagina and the team mark the location of Borehole DN11.5 in the Money Pit.

**S10E16: Striking Gold** (Mar 7, 2023) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-10/episode-16-striking-gold
Rick Lagina and Alex Lagina meet Brandon Vanderhoof at the Garden Shaft to watch the start of the probe drilling program.

**S10E17: A Well of Secrets** (Mar 14, 2023) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-10/episode-17-a-well-of-secrets
Marty Lagina arrives at the Garden Shaft where Dumas is installing the set at the 50-foot mark.

**S10E18: A Quadrilateral Move** (Mar 28, 2023) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-10/episode-18-a-quadrilateral-move
Craig Tester and Scott Barlow meet with Paul Cote at the Garden Shaft, where Dumas has cribbed the structure to a depth of 67 feet and is probing 12 feet outside the walls, with the corners probed ...

**S10E19: Ramping Up** (Apr 4, 2023) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-10/episode-19-ramping-up
Craig Tester and Scott Barlow meet with Paul Cote at the Garden Shaft, where Dumas has reached a depth of 65 to 66 feet.

**S10E20: A Barrel Full of Clues** (Apr 11, 2023) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-10/episode-20-a-barrel-full-of-clues
Charles Barkhouse and Scott Barlow meet with Paul Cote for an update on the Garden Shaft reconstruction.

**S10E21: Roman Around** (Apr 18, 2023) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-10/episode-21-roman-around
Scott Barlow and Paul Troutman discuss the Garden Shaft reconstruction with Paul Cote, who reports that the next set will go in once the grouting is finished.

**S10E22: Starry Knights** (Apr 25, 2023) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-10/episode-22-starry-knights
Charles Barkhouse arrives at the Garden Shaft where Roger Fortin reports the final set is being installed but not yet finished.

**S10E23: The Italian Job** (May 2, 2023) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-10/episode-23-the-italian-job
Marty Lagina and Craig Tester arrive at the Money Pit to watch Charles Barkhouse descend into the Garden Shaft, where Dumas Contracting has spent five months reconstructing the structure to a depth...

**S10E24: Down the Hatch** (May 9, 2023) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-10/episode-24-down-the-hatch
Scott Barlow and Charles Barkhouse meet with Roger Fortin of Dumas Contracting to check on the Garden Shaft, where probe drilling is under way to reach the tunnel believed to lie at a depth of 95 f...

**S10E25: And the Hits Keep Coming** (May 16, 2023) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-10/episode-25-and-the-hits-keep-coming
Scott Barlow, Paul Troutman, and Charles Barkhouse meet with Roger Fortin to resume the probe drilling program beneath the Garden Shaft, now using a six-inch bit to reach the tunnel believed to lie...

### Season 11 (2023)
Premiere: November 7, 2023
Episodes: 25

The Garden Shaft reaches 95 feet and the team begins horizontal drilling toward the tunnel, only to
be met by saltwater flooding at nearly 500 gallons per minute, a problem that echoes the flood
tunnel defenses that have defeated searchers for over two centuries. Despite injecting urethane and
Geofoam, the water cannot be stopped, and the horizontal program is abandoned. Hurricane Lee adds
further setbacks, flooding the swamp and delaying operations across the island. The team pivots to a
borehole program targeting the Baby Blob at depths of 80 to 120 feet, while in the swamp, excavation
uncovers wooden structures with dowel construction, axe-cut stumps, and a stone walkway leading to
formations that may connect to Fred Nolan's long-suspected dam. The season also launches the most
ambitious European research campaign in the show's history. In Italy, Rick, Doug, Alex, Peter, and
Emiliano Sacchetti tour Morimondo Abbey and Bianzano Castle, where Professor Adriano Gaspani
demonstrates that both sites encode the same stellar alignments as Nolan's Cross. In the
Netherlands, Corjan Mol leads the team through the Caestert stone quarry and Valkenburg Castle,
where 14th-century Templar inscriptions and four-dot crosses match symbols found on Oak Island. The
trail continues to Denmark, where sites on Bornholm and the Ladby Viking Museum strengthen the
Norse-Templar connection, and to Iceland, where manuscripts at the Arni Magnusson Institute
reference the star Arcturus and a cave carving mirrors the lead cross from Smith's Cove. The season
ends with the treasure still defended by water, but with a web of medieval evidence stretching from
the Mediterranean to the North Atlantic.

**S11E1: On the Money** (Nov 7, 2023) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-11/episode-1-on-the-money
The season opens with the team gathered in the War Room to outline plans for the year.

**S11E2: Heavy Lifting** (Nov 14, 2023) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-11/episode-2-heavy-lifting
Borehole D.5N26.5 is positioned east of the Garden Shaft to search for a tunnel at 95 feet believed to run westward into the Baby Blob.

**S11E3: Taking Their Shot** (Nov 21, 2023) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-11/episode-3-taking-their-shot
With casing pulled from borehole D5N25.5, the rig moves to D5N24.5 to continue tracking the tunnel believed to run beneath the Garden Shaft into the Baby Blob.

**S11E4: Shear Mystery** (Nov 28, 2023) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-11/episode-4-shear-mystery
Borehole D5N27 targets the westward-running tunnel heading toward the Baby Blob.

**S11E5: Muon The Horizon** (Dec 5, 2023) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-11/episode-5-muon-the-horizon
Paul Cote outlines the Garden Shaft plan: six hours of daily pumping, a three-ton hammer grab to clear spoils from the bottom, and new eight-foot sets to extend the shaft toward the tunnel heading ...

**S11E6: The Grand Opening** (Dec 12, 2023) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-11/episode-6-the-grand-opening
Underwater imaging specialist Blaine Carr joins the team at the Money Pit to examine Aladdin's Cave through borehole L14 using a high-definition camera.

**S11E7: The Great Flood** (Dec 19, 2023) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-11/episode-7-the-great-flood
Roger Fortin reports the Garden Shaft has reached 87 feet but water is infiltrating at set 16.

**S11E8: A Void At All Costs** (Jan 2, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-11/episode-8-a-void-at-all-costs
Water continues pouring into the Garden Shaft at a depth of 66 feet, with 700 gallons per hour preventing Dumas from deepening the final 13 feet to the 100-foot target.

**S11E9: Filling Cavities** (Jan 9, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-11/episode-9-filling-cavities
Roger Fortin reports 250 gallons of water per minute flooding the Garden Shaft.

**S11E10: Chain Reaction** (Jan 16, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-11/episode-10-chain-reaction
Rick tells the War Room that an email from Dumas has pushed the Garden Shaft deepening into the fall.

**S11E11: Plugged Up** (Jan 23, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-11/episode-11-plugged-up
Along the swamp's southern edge, Rick notices axe-cut wood in Billy's excavated spoils and observes that the ground is unusually peaty.

**S11E12: Digging Back In** (Jan 30, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-11/episode-12-digging-back-in
Roger Fortin confirms that the Geofoam has worked and Dumas has regained control of the water, allowing the Garden Shaft deepening to resume.

**S11E13: Tea Time** (Feb 6, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-11/episode-13-tea-time
Marty announces in the War Room that caissons will not go in this year.

**S11E14: Rick and Mortar** (Feb 13, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-11/episode-14-rick-and-mortar
Paul Cote reports the first lateral drill hole on the Garden Shaft's north side is deflecting off a wall.

**S11E15: On Target** (Feb 20, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-11/episode-15-on-target
Ian Spooner inspects the stone walkway recently uncovered in the swamp and calls the angularity of the rocks suspicious.

**S11E16: Dark and Stormy** (Feb 27, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-11/episode-16-dark-and-stormy
Rick, Alex, Jack, and Craig meet Ian Spooner in the swamp to examine the large axe-cut stumps uncovered during excavation of the middle area.

**S11E17: Piling On** (Mar 5, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-11/episode-17-piling-on
Rick, Alex, and Jack head to the island to assess damage from Hurricane Lee.

**S11E18: May The Norse Be With You** (Mar 12, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-11/episode-18-may-the-norse-be-with-you
Members of the team gather at the Garden Shaft to examine timbers removed from its bottom.

**S11E19: Hi Ho Silver** (Mar 19, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-11/episode-19-hi-ho-silver
Rick, Jack, Gary, and Billy continue excavating the wooden structure near the swamp's southern border, the same area where Fred Nolan once reported evidence of a dam.

**S11E20: Wet and Wild** (Mar 26, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-11/episode-20-wet-and-wild
Rick and Scott meet with Paul Cote to outline priorities for the probe-drilling program at the bottom of the Garden Shaft: drill the tunnel, report anything unusual, and collect samples every ten f...

**S11E21: Straight as an Arrow** (Apr 2, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-11/episode-21-straight-as-an-arrow
Saltwater is flooding the Garden Shaft tunnel at a rate of 479 gallons per minute.

**S11E22: Abbey Road** (Apr 9, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-11/episode-22-abbey-road
With the Garden Shaft horizontal drilling program abandoned due to flooding, the team launches a new borehole program targeting the Baby Blob at depths of 80 to 120 feet, with locations selected by...

**S11E23: Cone E Island** (Apr 16, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-11/episode-23-cone-e-island
Terry reports that the first borehole, Avanti 1, produced only in situ material.

**S11E24: Hairy Situation** (Apr 23, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-11/episode-24-hairy-situation
Borehole Bravo 1 reaches a depth of 137 feet with plenty of silt and sand but no wood.

**S11E25: Worth the Weight** (Apr 30, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-11/episode-25-worth-the-weight
The team gathers for the final War Room session of the season to review the year's progress and chart a course forward.

### Season 12 (2024)
Premiere: November 12, 2024
Episodes: 25

A new drilling program targets the Golden Egg, the underground zone where Dr. Fred Michel believes
gold and silver concentrations are highest. The team deploys seven-foot caissons with partner
Soletanche Bachy Canada, but when shaft TB1 collapses into a massive underground void, the setback
reveals something unexpected: the solution channel, a natural geological feature running deep
beneath the Money Pit where original depositors may have hidden their treasure. The discovery
reframes the entire search. Three caissons are sunk around the former Shaft 6, producing old wood,
iron, and leather from depths exceeding 150 feet. In Malta, Rick Lagina, Alex Lagina, Peter
Fornetti, and Corjan Mol investigate the fortifications built by the Knights of Malta, where
archaeologist Matthew Balzan identifies a pickaxe from 145 feet below Oak Island as a baqqun, a
standard quarrying tool. Underground tunnels beneath Valletta reveal blue-gray clay waterproofing
identical to material found in the Money Pit. At the Cittadella prison on Gozo, the team discovers
four-dot crosses and symbols matching the 90-foot stone, and Corjan traces the de Villiers bloodline
from 12th-century Jerusalem through the Templars and Hospitallers to Isaac de Razilly, a Knight of
Malta who established the French colony of Acadia, now Nova Scotia, in 1632. The season culminates
with TOT1, "The One Thing," reaching 195 feet before airlifting material from the solution channel
at 300 pounds per square inch, recovering artifacts from deeper than anyone has reached before.

**S12E1: The New Digs** (Nov 12, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-12/episode-1-the-new-digs
At the Interpretive Center, the team maps out the season ahead.

**S12E2: Whistle While You Work** (Nov 19, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-12/episode-2-whistle-while-you-work
At the Research Center, Rick Lagina, Marty Lagina, and Craig Tester review the drilling program with Steve Guptill and Scott.

**S12E3: The Saga Continues** (Nov 26, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-12/episode-3-the-saga-continues
Alex Lagina, Terry, and Charles Barkhouse supervise the drilling of borehole EN14 in the Golden Egg, five feet east of EN13.

**S12E4: Concrete Evidence** (Dec 3, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-12/episode-4-concrete-evidence
Terry, Charles Barkhouse, and Steve Guptill monitor the progress of borehole FN15.5, located in the southern part of the Golden Egg where Dr.

**S12E5: A Flood Of Secrets** (Dec 10, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-12/episode-5-a-flood-of-secrets
Billy Gerhardt continues searching for the flood tunnel at Smith's Cove while Peter Fornetti and Gary Drayton check the spoils.

**S12E6: Hide And Seek** (Dec 17, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-12/episode-6-hide-and-seek
The team begins borehole HN15.5 based on data from Jan Francke, who indicated a possible void or structure at 127 feet the previous week.

**S12E7: It's All Your Vault** (Jan 7, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-12/episode-7-it-s-all-your-vault
At the Research Center, Rick Lagina meets with Scott, Doug Crowell, and Steve Guptill to plan the next borehole.

**S12E8: A Bead On The Target** (Jan 14, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-12/episode-8-a-bead-on-the-target
Alex Lagina, Charles Barkhouse, Steve Guptill, and Jillian Parsons supervise the drilling of borehole D.25-6.76, positioned slightly north of the team's recent drilling area.

**S12E9: Brick By Brick** (Jan 21, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-12/episode-9-brick-by-brick
The team examines a core from borehole D.25-8.25 at a depth of roughly 35 feet.

**S12E10: Graves Concerns** (Jan 28, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-12/episode-10-graves-concerns
In the swamp, Craig Tester, Alex Lagina, Billy Gerhardt, and Dr.

**S12E11: Best Caisson Scenario** (Feb 4, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-12/episode-11-best-caisson-scenario
The previous week's drilling of borehole H.5-10.5 produced wooden evidence at about 150 feet, the same area where Fredrick Blair and William Chappell found signs of a seven-foot-high chest in 1897.

**S12E12: Mapping It Out** (Feb 11, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-12/episode-12-mapping-it-out
The team teleconferences with Vanessa Lucido of ROC Equipment to discuss plans for drilling in the Money Pit area, settling on seven- to eight-foot caissons that can be deployed faster than the lar...

**S12E13: Caissons Ho!** (Feb 25, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-12/episode-13-caissons-ho
The team welcomes Vanessa Lucido and ROC Equipment to the island, where they will work alongside Soletanche Bachy Canada to place seven-foot caissons at several locations to a depth of more than 20...

**S12E14: Sinking In** (Mar 4, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-12/episode-14-sinking-in
As ROC Equipment continues working on TB1, Jared Busby calls Vanessa Lucido over because the oscillator pressure has begun to drop.

**S12E15: Channeling the Solution** (Mar 11, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-12/episode-15-channeling-the-solution
Vanessa Lucido inspects the area around TB1 after the previous day's cave-in.

**S12E16: Open Sesame** (Mar 18, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-12/episode-16-open-sesame
In the War Room, the team meets with Vanessa Lucido from ROC Equipment and Adam Embleton from Soletanche Bachy Canada to plan the next phase of drilling in the Money Pit.

**S12E17: Boots on the Ground** (Mar 25, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-12/episode-17-boots-on-the-ground
Rick Lagina and Steve Guptill meet with ROV specialist Ken Deboer to inspect the cavity known as Aladdin's Cave.

**S12E18: If The Shoe Phips** (Apr 1, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-12/episode-18-if-the-shoe-phips
The team continues searching the spoils of RP1 for evidence of the Money Pit and the two chests the Oak Island Association reportedly drilled through in 1861.

**S12E19: Barreling Forward** (Apr 8, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-12/episode-19-barreling-forward
Rick Lagina and Gary Drayton monitor the excavation of RP2, now at a depth of 82 feet.

**S12E20: Just Bead It** (Apr 15, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-12/episode-20-just-bead-it
Alex Lagina arrives at the Money Pit to check on RP3, positioned just north of RP1 and RP2 and slightly outside Shaft 6.

**S12E21: The Solution Solution** (Apr 22, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-12/episode-21-the-solution-solution
In the War Room, the team takes stock of the Shaft 6 caisson results.

**S12E22: Knight After Knight** (Apr 29, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-12/episode-22-knight-after-knight
In the War Room, Craig Tester says he wants to find an artifact in the swamp that can tell the team who was there and when.

**S12E23: Family Ties** (May 6, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-12/episode-23-family-ties
Repairs to the Money Pit pad continue as more than 50 tons of gravel are laid down to stabilize the area for another seven-foot shaft intended to reach the solution channel.

**S12E24: Into the Void** (May 13, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-12/episode-24-into-the-void
Alex Lagina checks on the progress of TOT1 (The One Thing), positioned less than 10 feet south of the collapsed TB1.

**S12E25: Uplifting Discoveries** (May 20, 2024) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-12/episode-25-uplifting-discoveries
With TOT1 (The One Thing) reaching 195 feet and the caisson unable to advance further, the team shifts to airlifting material from the solution channel, blasting air at 300 pounds per square inch d...

### Season 13 (2025)
Premiere: November 4, 2025
Episodes: 24
Status: Currently airing

The team launches their most ambitious drilling campaign yet, targeting the solution channel at
depths below 200 feet where water testing has revealed elevated concentrations of silver and
precious metals. A drill rod fragment recovered from 174-178 feet correlates to the 1849 Truro
Company operation when James Pitblado reportedly recovered a 14th-century Portuguese coin. On Lot 5,
Gary Drayton discovers a sixth Roman coin (Claudius II, 250-270 AD) whose composition matches trace
metals found in Money Pit water.
On Lot 8, attention turns to a giant boulder held in place by smaller stones arranged evenly around
it. Excavation beneath the formation reveals large voids, a wool textile fragment with red dye dated
by context to the medieval period, and a 700-year-old English bag seal bearing the Leeds sheepskin
symbol. Dr. Ian Spooner's soil analysis shows lead levels of 140 parts per million beneath the
boulder compared to just 12 elsewhere on the island, with the lead migrating through ash and coal
consistent with burning or smelting activity. 
Plans are underway for a massive caisson operation using a telescoping method to reach 230 feet,
deeper than any previous excavation.

**S13E1: The Comeback** (Nov 4, 2025) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-13/episode-1-the-comeback
Rick and Marty Lagina, Craig Tester, and their team gather at the Interpretive Centre to launch a new season with a clear mission: systematic drilling to the bottom of the solution channel, where t...

**S13E2: Billion Dollar Baby** (Nov 11, 2025) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-13/episode-2-billion-dollar-baby
In the Money Pit area, the team continues drilling borehole J-9 into the solution channel, targeting the zone between 150 and 220 feet where they believe the original treasure shaft has collapsed o...

**S13E3: Medieval Intentions** (Nov 18, 2025) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-13/episode-3-medieval-intentions
In the Oak Island lab, Rick and Marty Lagina and members of the team gather to hear Emma Culligan's analysis of a coin that Marty and Katya Drayton discovered on Lot 5 the previous week, in the sam...

**S13E4: The Smoking Gun** (Nov 25, 2025) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-13/episode-4-the-smoking-gun
In the Money Pit area, Rick and Marty Lagina and the team begin drilling borehole F-5.5, located just seven feet from borehole F-4 where the highest levels of gold and silver were previously detect...

**S13E5: Keep On Rockin'** (Dec 2, 2025) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-13/episode-5-keep-on-rockin
In the Money Pit area, Rick and Marty Lagina and the team drill borehole G-4.5, targeting the solution channel between 168 and approximately 212 feet below grade.

**S13E6: The Heat Is On** (Dec 9, 2025) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-13/episode-6-the-heat-is-on
In the Money Pit area, the team recovers a 30-foot core from borehole F-8.5, spanning 178 to 208 feet with bedrock hit at 205, in an area where previous water tests revealed evidence of gold and si...

**S13E7: Walk The Line** (Dec 16, 2025) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-13/episode-7-walk-the-line
In the Money Pit area, the team drills borehole I-9.5 targeting the deepest sections of the solution channel at 210 to 230 feet, an area where new water tests conducted by Dr.

**S13E8: Into The Fold** (Dec 23, 2025) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-13/episode-8-into-the-fold
The team begins drilling borehole H-9.25, located in the southwest corner of the former Chappell Shaft and just five feet south of the H-8 shaft, where in 2017 the five-foot-diameter caisson hit a ...

**S13E9: So Close, Yet Sonar** (Dec 30, 2025) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-13/episode-9-so-close-yet-sonar
Rick and Marty Lagina and their team begin drilling borehole BN-13.5 in the area Marty has dubbed the Peacock, 45 feet northeast of recent drilling locations and in a zone where new water tests hav...

**S13E10: Boulder And Wiser** (Jan 6, 2026) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-13/episode-10-boulder-and-wiser
In the Money Pit area, the team drills borehole DN-13 in the Peacock, a few feet northwest of borehole BN-13.5, where a possible man-made cavity was discovered at 150 feet one week earlier.

**S13E11: A Knight's Journey** (Jan 13, 2026) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-13/episode-11-a-knight-s-journey
In the Money Pit area, Rick and Marty Lagina and their team drill borehole BN-14 in the Peacock, just three feet west of where a ten-foot void was discovered at 148 feet two weeks earlier, an area ...

**S13E12: A Fort Knight** (Jan 20, 2026) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-13/episode-12-a-fort-knight
In the War Room, Rick and Marty Lagina and their team review snake camera footage captured beneath the massive boulder on Lot 8, where archaeologists Laird Niven and Fiona Steele have exposed a voi...

**S13E13: Testing Their Metal** (Jan 27, 2026) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-13/episode-13-testing-their-metal
On Lot 8, Rick and Marty Lagina and Craig Tester join archaeologists Laird Niven and Fiona to continue investigating the massive boulder feature, beneath which a snake camera has revealed voids, a ...

**S13E14: The Shining** (Feb 3, 2026) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-13/episode-14-the-shining
In the War Room, Rick and Marty Lagina, Craig Tester, and their team meet virtually with Vanessa Lucido of ROC Equipment and Adam Embelton of Soletanche Bachy Canada to plan the season's pivotal Mo...

**S13E15: Swamped** (Feb 24, 2026) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-13/episode-15-swamped
Focus returns to the swamp, which has yielded significant discoveries across multiple seasons including the stone road and ship evidence.

**S13E16: Raising the Stakes** (Mar 3, 2026) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-13/episode-16-raising-the-stakes
Excitement abounds as the team is poised to raise the massive boulder on Lot 8.

**S13E17: The Missing Links** (Mar 10, 2026) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-13/episode-17-the-missing-links
Armed with new information about the elusive stakes in the swamp, the team redoubles their search efforts with thrilling results.

**S13E18: Breaking the Seal** (Mar 17, 2026) - https://thecurseofoakisland.com/episodes/season-13/episode-18-breaking-the-seal
To be announced.

**S13E19: To Be Announced** (Mar 24, 2026)
To Be Announced

**S13E20: To Be Announced** (Mar 31, 2026)
To Be Announced

**S13E21: To Be Announced** (Apr 7, 2026)
To Be Announced

**S13E22: To Be Announced** (Apr 14, 2026)
To Be Announced

**S13E23: To Be Announced** (Apr 21, 2026)
To Be Announced

**S13E24: To Be Announced** (Apr 28, 2026)
To Be Announced

### Season 14 (2026)
Episodes: 0

The Curse of Oak Island Season 14: Everything We Know So Far
Will There Be a Season 14 of The Curse of Oak Island?
All signs point to yes. As Season 13 delivers some of the most compelling discoveries in the show's
history, anticipation is already building for what comes next. TV Guide has listed a Season 14
(2026) page, and production sources indicate a multi-year deal between Prometheus Entertainment and
the History Channel covers a fourteenth season.
The History Channel has not yet made a formal announcement, but that's standard, renewals are
typically confirmed after the current season wraps. Given the show's status as one of the History
Channel's flagship series and the extraordinary momentum of Season 13's findings, a return to Oak
Island looks all but certain.
Is Season 14 the Final Season?
Some fan communities have speculated that Season 14 could be the show's last, but there has been no
official confirmation from the History Channel, Prometheus Entertainment, or the Lagina brothers.
The series has defied cancellation predictions for years, and with the breakthroughs being made in
Season 13, the Oak Island story feels like it's accelerating, not winding down.
It's worth noting that while traditional cable viewership numbers have shifted across the entire
television industry, this reflects a massive audience migration to streaming platforms rather than
any decline in interest in Oak Island. The History Channel does not release streaming figures,
meaning the show's total audience is likely significantly larger than cable ratings alone suggest.
Across platforms like the History Channel app, Hulu, and on-demand services, The Curse of Oak Island
continues to reach millions of viewers worldwide.
The show remains one of the History Channel's most recognizable brands, with a passionate global
fanbase that has only grown over thirteen seasons. As long as the mystery endures and the Lagina
brothers remain determined, the search continues.
Season 14 Release Date
No official premiere date has been announced yet. Based on the show's consistent production schedule
across thirteen seasons:

Filming: June through October 2026 on Oak Island, Nova Scotia
Expected premiere: November 2026 on the History Channel
Time slot: Tuesdays at 9/8c
Streaming: Episodes typically available the following day on the History Channel app and website

We will update this page as soon as an official premiere date is confirmed.
What to Expect in Season 14
Season 13 has opened more doors than any recent season, and many of its most exciting threads remain
unresolved - setting the stage for a potentially landmark fourteenth season.
A Possible Second Money Pit
Perhaps the most groundbreaking development of Season 13: evidence found beneath a massive boulder
on Lot 8 suggests a second Money Pit may exist on Oak Island. If confirmed, this would fundamentally
reshape the 230-year treasure hunt and could become the defining storyline of Season 14.
The Knights of Malta and the Portugal Connection
Season 13 traced a link between a Knight of Malta and Oak Island, it is likely this line of inquiry
will be continued as will the Templar narrative.
Deeper Into the Money Pit Than Ever Before
Using advanced auger technology, the team has drilled deeper into the Money Pit area than any
previous expedition, targeting a promising zone they've dubbed "the Peacock." Season 14 could
finally reach the depths that have eluded treasure hunters since the original discovery in 1795.
The Swamp Keeps Delivering
The western side of the Oak Island swamp has produced artifacts dating back at least 500 years,
along with additional manmade structures that continue to challenge assumptions about who visited
the island and when. Expect continued systematic excavation of this increasingly important area.
Lot 5 and Lot 8 - The Western Frontier
Recent seasons have shifted significant attention to the island's western side. Lot 5 has yielded
ancient artifacts and newly discovered structures, while the Lot 8 boulder investigation has opened
an entirely new chapter in the search. Together, these locations may hold answers that two centuries
of Money Pit-focused searching never uncovered.
Season 14 Cast
No official cast announcements have been made, but the core team is expected to return:

Rick Lagina - The driving force behind the operation, whose lifelong passion for Oak Island began
with a 1965 Reader's Digest article
Marty Lagina - Rick's brother, engineer, entrepreneur, and the project's primary financial backer
Craig Tester - Marty's business partner and the team's lead engineer
Alex Lagina - Marty's son, who has taken on an increasingly prominent leadership role in recent
seasons
Gary Drayton - The team's legendary metal detection expert, famous for his "top pocket finds" and
infectious enthusiasm
Jack Begley - Craig Tester's stepson, known for his tireless hands-on approach to excavation
Billy Gerhardt - Heavy equipment operator whose skill and precision have been essential to the
team's biggest digs
Laird Niven - Archaeologist overseeing excavation under Nova Scotia's heritage regulations
Charles Barkhouse - Oak Island historian and longtime guide for Oak Island Tours Inc.

How Many Episodes Will Season 14 Have?
Episode counts have varied across the show's run, ranging from 16 to 25 episodes per season in
recent years. No official episode count has been announced for Season 14.
The Oak Island Story Is Far From Over
Since three boys discovered a mysterious depression on Oak Island in 1795, the search has captivated
the world. Over 230 years, it has drawn everyone from Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Lagina brothers.
Six lives have been lost. Fortunes have been spent. And with each passing season, the team uncovers
more evidence that something extraordinary was hidden on this small island off the coast of Nova
Scotia.
Season 13 has brought the team closer than ever, with deeper drilling, new locations, international
research, and discoveries that continue to rewrite what we thought we knew about Oak Island's past.
If Season 14 builds on that momentum, we may finally be approaching the answers that treasure
hunters have chased for more than two centuries.

This page is updated regularly as new information about The Curse of Oak Island Season 14 becomes
available. Last updated: February 2026.

## Episode Guide FAQ

Q: How many episodes of The Curse of Oak Island are there?
A: As of 2026, there are 255+ episodes across 14 seasons.

Q: When did The Curse of Oak Island first air?
A: The series premiered on January 5, 2014 on the History Channel.

Q: Is The Curse of Oak Island still on?
A: The show has completed 14 seasons.

---

# TIMELINE

Complete chronological history of Oak Island exploration.

**c. 985-986** - Bjarni Herjolfsson sights North America
Icelandic merchant Bjarni Herjolfsson becomes the first European to sight the North American mainland when blown off course sailing to Greenland. He observes three lands (likely Newfoundland, Labrador, and Baffin Island) but does not land.

**c. 1000** - Basques begin Atlantic whaling expeditions
Basque fishermen begin chasing whales into northern summer grounds off Norway, Iceland, and the Hebrides. This marks the beginning of Basque maritime expertise that would eventually extend to the North American coast, including Nova Scotia waters.

**c. 1000** - Leif Eriksson explores Vinland
Norse explorer Leif Eriksson sails from Greenland with 35 men, following Bjarnis route. He names three lands: Helluland (Baffin Island), Markland (Labrador), and Vinland (Newfoundland). He establishes a camp and winters there.

**c. 1002-1004** - Thorvald Eriksson killed in Vinland
Leifs brother Thorvald leads an expedition to Vinland. After two years of exploration, he is killed by an arrow during conflict with indigenous people (Skraelings) - the first European death in North America.

**c. 1004-1010** - Thorfinn Karlsefni attempts Vinland colonization
Icelandic merchant Thorfinn Karlsefni leads the largest Norse expedition to Vinland: three ships with 130-160 settlers including women and livestock. His son Snorri becomes the first European born in North America. After three years, conflicts with Skraelings force them to abandon the settlement.

**1021** - Norse activity at LAns aux Meadows scientifically dated
Tree-ring analysis of wood cut with metal tools at the LAns aux Meadows site in Newfoundland confirms Norse presence in exactly this year. This represents the earliest precisely dated European activity in North America, nearly 500 years before Columbus.

**1118** - Creation of the Knights Templar in Jerusalem
The Knights Templar are founded in Jerusalem in the Holy Land by Warmund of Jerusalem, establishing the military order that would become central to crusader-era treasure and secret-keeping theories connected to Oak Island.

**1126** - Knights Templar given lands in northern Portugal
The Knights Templar are granted lands in Fonte Arcada in northern Portugal, establishing an early Templar presence in the Iberian Peninsula that would grow into one of the order's most significant territorial bases.

**1129-01-13** - Council of Troyes and publication of the Templar Rule
At the Council of Troyes, Bernard of Clairvaux's Templar Rule is officially published, formalizing the religious and military code governing the Knights Templar and cementing their legitimacy as a recognized order of the Church.

**1139-03-29** - Papal bull Omne Datum Optimum grants unprecedented rights to the Templars
Pope Innocent II issues the papal bull Omne Datum Optimum, granting the Knights Templar unprecedented rights including exemption from local laws and taxes, while claiming anything they find at Temple Mount for the Church.

**1146-07** - Afonso Henriques writes to Bernard of Clairvaux for crusader support
Afonso Henriques writes to Bernard of Clairvaux from Porto, Portugal, seeking support in rallying crusader forces to help him defeat the Moors in Portugal  -  a campaign that would reshape the Iberian Peninsula and deepen Templar involvement in the region.

**1147-06-16** - Crusader fleet of 164 ships arrives in Porto
Some 164 ships carrying crusaders from England, Germany, Flanders, Frisia and Scotland arrive in Porto, Portugal, and meet Afonso Henriques to begin the campaign against the Moors.

**1147-07-01** - Crusader fleet assists in the conquest of Lisbon
A crusader fleet assists Afonso Henriques in the conquest of Lisbon, Portugal, a pivotal moment in the Reconquista and a campaign with deep Templar connections.

**1147-10-24** - Fall of Lisbon and expulsion of the Moors
Lisbon falls to Afonso Henriques and the Moors are expelled. Most of the crusaders who participated in the siege settle in Lisbon, establishing a permanent European Christian presence.

**c. 1160** - Construction of the Convent of Christ by Templar Grand Master Gualdim Pais
Construction begins on the Convent of Christ by Gualdim Pais, Grand Master of the Knights Templar in Portugal. The convent in Tomar would become the Templar headquarters in Portugal and later the seat of the Order of Christ.

**1244-03-13** - Fall of Montségur
Montségur falls, with ownership transferring to Louis IX. The Cathar stronghold's fall has long been linked to legends of hidden treasure smuggled out before the siege ended.

**1254-04-25** - Louis IX leaves Acre for France with holy relics
Louis IX departs Acre for France, carrying holy relics acquired during the Seventh Crusade  -  objects whose subsequent fate has fueled centuries of treasure-hunting speculation.

**1291-05-18** - Fall of Acre and end of the Kingdom of Jerusalem
Acre falls, marking the end of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the crusader presence in the Holy Land. The Knights Templar lose their base of operations in the East, forcing the order to relocate its assets and operations to Europe.

**c. 1301-1353** - Treaties guarantee Basque fishing rights around British Isles
Four treaties are signed with the English Crown guaranteeing Gascon and Spanish Basque fishermen free mutual trade and fishery rights around British and Irish coasts.

**1306-03-25** - Robert the Bruce becomes King of Scotland
Robert the Bruce is crowned King of Scotland in Edinburgh. Scotland under Bruce would later become a suspected refuge for fleeing Templars after the order's suppression  -  a theory central to the Templar-Oak Island connection.

**1307-10-13** - Arrest of the Knights Templar on Friday the 13th
On the orders of King Philip IV of France, Knights Templar across France are arrested in a coordinated dawn raid. The mass arrest on Friday the 13th devastates the order, though many Templars and much of their fleet reportedly escape  -  fueling enduring theories about where their treasure was taken.

**1307-11-22** - Papal bull Pastoralis Praeeminentiae and arrest of remaining Templars
Pope Clement V issues the papal bull Pastoralis Praeeminentiae, ordering the arrest of remaining Knights Templar in all territories. The order's suppression spreads beyond France to every Christian kingdom.

**1308-06** - Testimony of Templar Jean de Châlons, Preceptor of Nemours
Templar Jean de Châlons, Preceptor of Nemours, gives testimony in Poitiers, France. His statements provide one of the few insider accounts of the order's final days and the fate of Templar assets.

**1309-11-17** - Scottish Templars testify to the Inquisition at Holyrood
Templars William of Middleton and Walter Clifton give testimony to the Inquisition at Holyrood, Scotland. Their testimony is notably mild compared to confessions extracted under torture elsewhere in Europe, supporting theories that Scotland offered Templars protection.

**1310-05-11** - Testimony of jurist Ralph de Prelles
Jurist Ralph de Prelles gives testimony in Sens, France, adding to the complex legal and theological record of the Templar trials.

**1312-03-22** - Papal bull Vox in Excelso dissolves the Knights Templar
Pope Clement V issues the papal bull Vox in Excelso, formally dissolving the Knights Templar. After nearly two centuries as one of the most powerful military and financial orders in Christendom, the Templars cease to officially exist.

**1312-05-02** - Papal bull Ad Providam transfers Templar assets to the Hospitallers
Pope Clement V issues the papal bull Ad Providam, ordering all goods and lands of the Knights Templar to be transferred to the Knights Hospitaller. However, much of the Templar wealth is never accounted for  -  a mystery that persists to this day.

**1314-03-18** - Jacques de Molay burned at the stake
Jacques de Molay, the last Grand Master of the Knights Templar, is burned at the stake in Paris. According to legend, he cursed King Philip IV and Pope Clement V from the flames  -  both would be dead within the year.

**1319-03-14** - Order of Christ founded in Portugal
Pope John XXII issues bull "Ad ea ex quibus" formally recognizing the Order of Christ as successor to the suppressed Knights Templar. King Denis I of Portugal had protected the Templars and negotiated their transformation into a new order that retained their assets, personnel, and headquarters at Tomar. The Order would later fund Portuguese maritime exploration, with the distinctive Cross of Christ appearing on the sails of all Portuguese ships during the Age of Discovery.

**1319** - Order of Christ founded in Portugal
King Dinis I of Portugal founds the Order of Christ, effectively re-establishing the Knights Templar under a new name. The order inherits Templar assets, personnel, and the Convent of Christ in Tomar, preserving Templar knowledge and traditions that would later drive Portugal's Age of Discovery.

**1372** - First disputed mention of Basques reaching the Americas
This year marks the first (though historically disputed) mention of Basques reaching the Americas - over a century before Columbus.

**1412** - Twenty Basque whaling ships recorded in Iceland
Records in Iceland note the arrival of 20 Basque whaling ships off Grunderfjord, demonstrating the scale and range of Basque maritime operations decades before Columbus.

**1417** - Prince Henry the Navigator becomes Grand Master of Order of Christ
Prince Henry of Portugal, later known as "the Navigator," becomes administrator of the Order of Christ at King John I request. Under his leadership (1417-1460), the Order channels its vast wealth into sponsoring maritime expeditions, establishing a navigation school at Sagres, and funding voyages that would chart the African coast. The Cross of Christ becomes the symbol of Portuguese exploration worldwide.

**c. 1472** - Joao Vaz Corte-Real may reach Newfoundland
According to family tradition, Portuguese navigator Joao Vaz Corte-Real sailed to the "Land of the Codfish" (Terra dos Bacalhaus) and returned to the Azores. If true, this would predate Columbus discovery by 20 years. His sons Gaspar and Miguel would later lead official Portuguese expeditions to the same waters. Some historians question this claim, but it reflects Portuguese interest in western Atlantic exploration before Columbus.

**1492** - Santa Maria built in Basque shipyards
The flagship of Christopher Columbus, the Santa Maria, is built in Basque shipyards and owned by Bizkaian navigator Juan de la Cosa.

**1494** - Treaty of Tordesillas divides New World between Spain and Portugal
The Treaty of Tordesillas establishes a demarcation line dividing newly discovered lands between Spain and Portugal. This line intersected the Nova Scotia coast at an uncertain point, creating competing claims that would influence European activity in the Mahone Bay region for centuries.

**1497** - John Cabot claims Nova Scotia for England
John Cabot becomes the first European known to have set foot on Nova Scotia, claiming the territory for England.

**1497** - Rumors persist Basques knew of land before Cabot
John Cabot claims Newfoundland for England, but contemporary rumors persist that Basque fishermen had already found this land and kept it a commercial secret.

**1498** - Joao Fernandes Lavrador granted exploration charter
King Manuel I of Portugal grants Joao Fernandes, a small landowner (lavrador) from Terceira in the Azores, a patent to explore the Atlantic. Together with Pero de Barcelos, Fernandes would chart the coasts of Greenland and northeastern North America around 1498-1500. The Labrador Peninsula is named after him - the Weimar map of 1530 states the name came from "a labrador of the Azores who informed the English of the land."

**c. 1500-1502** - Corte-Real brothers explore Nova Scotia coast
Portuguese explorers Gaspar and Miguel Corte-Real conduct voyages exploring the Atlantic coast of Canada, establishing early Portuguese interest in the region that includes present-day Nova Scotia and Mahone Bay.

**1500** - Juan de la Cosa draws first map showing Americas
Basque navigator Juan de la Cosa draws the first known map of the world to include the Americas.

**1500-05-12** - Gaspar Corte-Real receives royal charter to explore
King Manuel I grants Gaspar Corte-Real, son of navigator Joao Vaz Corte-Real, a charter to discover and claim lands in the New World. Believing John Cabots 1497 discoveries fell within Portuguese territory under the Treaty of Tordesillas, Portugal seeks to establish its own claims. Gaspar departs Lisbon that summer with three ships financed by his family.

**1500** - Gaspar Corte-Real reaches Greenland
On his first voyage, Gaspar Corte-Real reaches Greenland, believing it to be Asia. Ice floes and bad weather prevent landing. He rounds Cape Farewell and may have sighted Newfoundland before returning to Lisbon. The voyage establishes Portuguese presence in the North Atlantic and sets stage for more ambitious expeditions.

**1501-05-15** - Gaspar Corte-Real departs on fatal second voyage
Gaspar Corte-Real sets sail from Lisbon with three caravels on his second expedition. Taking a more westerly course, the fleet reaches Labrador and Newfoundland, finding "land of tall pines and wild berries." The Portuguese chart approximately 600 miles of coastline, describing large rivers and forests. They capture 57-60 indigenous people as slaves.

**1501-10** - Two of Gaspar Corte-Reals ships return without him
Two of Gaspars three ships return to Lisbon in October 1501 carrying indigenous captives. Italian diplomats Alberto Cantino and Pietro Pasqualigo document the voyage in detailed letters. Gaspar, continuing to explore southward alone, is never seen again. The 1502 Cantino Map would label the region "Terra del Rey de Portugall" - Land of the King of Portugal.

**1502-05** - Miguel Corte-Real vanishes searching for his brother
Miguel Corte-Real, granted the captaincy of any new lands he might discover, departs Lisbon with three ships to search for his lost brother Gaspar. The fleet reaches Newfoundland and separates to search. Two ships return to Portugal; Miguels vessel vanishes without trace. Both brothers are presumed lost at sea. Their youngest brother Vasco is forbidden to search but later receives their discovered territories.

**1506** - Portuguese cod tithe established
King Manuel I of Portugal regulates the collection of tithes on Newfoundland cod, confirming that an organized Portuguese fishery is now operating. Portuguese ships from Aveiro and Viana do Castelo make regular voyages to Terra Nova. The fishery would peak mid-century before declining due to political upheavals.

**1508** - Pinheiro de Barcelos family granted Nova Scotia coastal territory
The family of Pinheiro de Barcelos from the Azores is granted part of the Nova Scotia coast by Portuguese authorities. Historical maps designate two large double bays as "Gulfo" at 44.5° N latitude - a position that precisely intersects Mahone Bay and St. Margaret's Bay, placing Oak Island within early Portuguese territorial claims.

**1511** - Possible Miguel Corte-Real inscription at Dighton Rock
A controversial inscription on Dighton Rock in Massachusetts, deciphered in 1912 by Professor Edmund Delabarre, allegedly reads: "I, Miguel Cortereal, 1511. In this place, by the will of God, I became a chief of the Indians." If genuine, Miguel survived his 1502 disappearance and lived among indigenous people for nine years. The Portuguese government accepts this interpretation; most historians remain skeptical. The rock, now in a museum, contains multiple layers of carvings of disputed origin.

**1517** - First French record confirms Basques in Newfoundland
The earliest indisputable French record confirms a Basque presence in the New Land (Newfoundland).

**1518** - Baron de Lery attempts French settlement in Nova Scotia
Baron de Lery of France makes an unsuccessful attempt to settle the Nova Scotia region, marking early French interest in the territory that would later become Acadia.

**c. 1520-1525** - João Álvares Fagundes explores and attempts settlement in Nova Scotia
Portuguese explorer João Álvares Fagundes explores the Nova Scotia coast and attempts to establish a settlement. Some researchers believe he may have erected crosses along the coastline - Samuel de Champlain reportedly found an old, moss-covered cross near Advocate, Nova Scotia in 1607 that some attribute to Fagundes.

**1520** - Bayonne records mention cod-fishing to Terrenabes
Records from Bayonne mention regular cod-fishing expeditions to Terrenabes (Terre-Neuve/Newfoundland).

**c. 1520** - Joao Alvares Fagundes explores Nova Scotia coast
Portuguese ship owner Joao Alvares Fagundes from Viana do Castelo explores the southern coast of Newfoundland and possibly enters the Gulf of St. Lawrence. With his captain Pero de Barcelos and colonists from the Azores, he charts Sable Island, Cape Breton, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon (which he names the "Eleven Thousand Virgins" after Saint Ursula). His expedition seeks lands suitable for Portuguese settlement.

**1521-03-13** - Fagundes granted captaincy of discovered lands
King Manuel I of Portugal grants Joao Alvares Fagundes exclusive rights and ownership of lands he has discovered between "Cortereal Land" (eastern Newfoundland) and Spanish territories. This includes islands in "Watering-Place Bay" (possibly Chedabucto Bay or the Gulf of St. Lawrence). Fagundes begins planning a permanent Portuguese colony in the New World.

**c. 1521-1522** - Portuguese establish colony at Cape Breton
Joao Alvares Fagundes establishes a Portuguese fishing colony on Cape Breton Island, possibly at Ingonish on the northeastern peninsula. Approximately 200 settlers, mostly from the Azores, attempt to create a permanent settlement. Finding Newfoundland too cold, they relocate to Cape Breton. The settlement includes families, fishermen, and livestock. Fagundes dies in Portugal around 1522, leaving the colony without leadership.

**1522** - Basque navigator Elcano completes first circumnavigation
Basque navigator Juan Sebastian Elcano completes the first circumnavigation of the globe after assuming command of Magellans expedition.

**1524** - Estêvão Gomes claims Nova Scotia region for Spain
Spanish explorer Estêvão Gomes (a Portuguese navigator sailing for Spain) explores the Atlantic coast and claims the area including Nova Scotia for the Spanish Crown, adding another layer to the competing European claims over the region.

**c. 1525** - Portuguese Cape Breton colony abandoned
The Portuguese colony at Cape Breton is abandoned due to harsh climate, indigenous conflicts, and loss of leadership after Fagundes death. Some settlers may have returned to Portugal; others may have joined French fishing operations. Mi kmaq oral traditions recall early European presence, and earth-mounds at St. Peters, Cape Breton were said to be built by "white men before the French." The colony is mentioned in records as late as 1570.

**1530** - Basque whalers establish Labrador coast stations
Basque whalers establish extensive whaling stations along the Labrador coast, creating the first European industrial operations in North America.

**1543** - Systematic southern Basque fishing begins in Newfoundland
Historical accounts place the start of systematic southern Basque (Spanish Basque) fishing operations in Newfoundland around this year.

**c. 1545** - Spanish treasure route changed from due east across Atlantic to Gulf Stream route up American coa...
Spanish treasure route changed from due east across Atlantic to Gulf Stream route up American coast, passing within 600 miles of Nova Scotia

**1547** - First archival mention of Basque whaler outfitting for Labrador
The first direct archival mention appears of Basque whaleman Martin de Licona outfitting for a voyage to Labrador.

**1568** - Manoel de Barcelos Machado petitions to settle island near Nova Scotia
Manoel de Barcelos Machado petitions Portuguese authorities to settle "Island Barcellona de Sam Bardao" - possibly Oak Island or Sable Island - proposing to raise livestock for trade and mine lime to be sent back to the Azores. This is one of the earliest documented references to potential settlement activity on islands in the Mahone Bay region.

**c. 1575** - Carbon-14 dating of wood found below bedrock at 160+ feet: A.D. 1575 ±85 years (range 1490-1660)
Carbon-14 dating of wood found below bedrock at 160+ feet: A.D. 1575 ±85 years (range 1490-1660)

**1578** - Anthony Parkhurst surveys international fishery at Newfoundland
English merchant Anthony Parkhurst provides detailed survey of European fishing activity to Richard Hakluyt. He reports 50 Portuguese vessels operating alongside 150 French/Breton ships, 100 Spanish vessels, and 50 English. The Portuguese fish from April to July, primarily using the "green" or wet-salting method on the Grand Banks. Additionally, 20-30 Basque vessels engage solely in whaling for train oil.

**1580** - Portugal loses independence to Spain
Following a succession crisis, Philip II of Spain takes control of Portugal, beginning the Iberian Union that would last until 1640. Portuguese maritime activities decline as resources are redirected to Spanish priorities. The Portuguese fishing fleet at Newfoundland begins its long decline.

**1583** - Portuguese withdraw from Atlantic Canada
The Portuguese withdraw from Atlantic Canada as they can no longer protect their colonial activities following Spain's subjugation of the Azores. This ends nearly a century of Portuguese exploration and settlement attempts in the Nova Scotia region.

**1583** - Portuguese withdraw from Atlantic Canada
Portugal can no longer protect its colonial activities in Atlantic Canada following Spains subjugation of the Azores. This ends nearly a century of Portuguese exploration and fishing operations in the Nova Scotia and Newfoundland region. English presence grows as Portuguese influence wanes.

**c. 1600s** - Francis Bacon/Rosicrucian vault theory origins
Theories suggest Sir Francis Bacon or his followers, the Rosicrucians, constructed a vault on Oak Island to hide original Shakespearean manuscripts and other secret documents.

**c. 1602-1614** - Pirate Peter Easton operates from Newfoundland
The era of the pirate Peter Easton, who operated from a sheltered base in Newfoundland. Some theories link his activities to Oak Island.

**1604-05-08** - Samuel de Champlain sights Nova Scotia coast
After a three-week voyage from France, a French expedition led by Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons, and including geographer Samuel de Champlain, sights the coast of Acadie. The first cape they see reminds them of a landmark in Normandy, so they name it Cap de la Hève (now Cape LaHave). The ship anchors in Green Bay (Port de la Hève), just 20 miles from what would become Oak Island, and Champlain begins mapping the coastline. Champlain would later settle Fort Le Hève in the LaHave River area, not far from Mahone Bay.

**1604** - French establish first Acadian settlement at Saint-Croix Island
Pierre Dugua de Mons, granted exclusive fur trading rights by King Henry IV, establishes the first French settlement in Acadie on Saint-Croix Island in the St. Croix River (present-day Maine border). Champlain serves as geographer, mapping the Atlantic coast from the Bay of Fundy to Cape Cod. Of the 79 men who winter on the island, 35 die from scurvy and cold. The Mi'kmaq people, led by Chief Membertou, help the surviving French settlers.

**1604** - Champlain names Mahone Bay islands "The Martyrs"
Samuel de Champlain names a series of large islands at the entrance to Mahone Bay "The Martyrs" (Les Martyrs) after Frenchmen were killed there by indigenous people. This is one of the earliest European references to the specific geography of Mahone Bay, where Oak Island is located.

**1605** - Port-Royal established as capital of Acadia
After the disastrous winter at Saint-Croix, Champlain and de Mons relocate their settlement across the Bay of Fundy to Port-Royal (present-day Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia), establishing the first permanent European settlement north of Florida. This becomes the capital of Acadia and Champlain's base for three years of coastal exploration. The settlement is approximately 100 miles from Oak Island.

**c. 1605** - Port Royal, Nova Scotia established by French - first permanent European settlement in region
Port Royal, Nova Scotia established by French - first permanent European settlement in region

**1607** - Champlain creates first detailed map of Nova Scotia coast
Champlain completes his map of the Bay of Fundy and Nova Scotia coast down to Cape Cod. Notably, the map does not include Mahone Bay where Oak Island is located - an omission later discussed on The Curse of Oak Island (Season 5, Episode 8) by historians Doug Crowell and Charles Barkhouse, who speculate the omission may have been deliberate. Near present-day Advocate, Nova Scotia, Champlain reportedly finds an old, moss-covered cross that some believe was erected by Portuguese explorer João Álvares Fagundes around 1521.

**1609** - Henry Hudson reaches latitude of Mahone Bay
English explorer Henry Hudson, sailing for the Dutch East India Company, reaches the Atlantic coast at the latitude of Mahone Bay during his voyage searching for a northwest passage. His expedition adds to European knowledge of the Nova Scotia coastline.

**1612** - Champlain's "Carte Geographique de la Nouvelle Franse" published
Samuel de Champlain publishes his famous map of New France in Paris, the first detailed cartographic record of the region. The map conspicuously omits Mahone Bay and the Oak Island area, though Champlain's expedition would have sailed past this coastline en route to the Bay of Fundy. Whether this was a simple drafting limitation or deliberate concealment remains a subject of debate among Oak Island researchers.

**1621** - British Crown claims Nova Scotia by virtue of Cabot's voyage
The British Crown formally asserts ownership of Nova Scotia territory based on John Cabot's 1497 voyage, challenging French claims to Acadia. Sir William Alexander receives a charter for "Nova Scotia" (New Scotland), beginning decades of Anglo-French competition for the region.

**1632-03-29** - Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye returns Acadia to France
The Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye ends three years of Scottish occupation and returns Acadia (Nova Scotia) to French control. Cardinal Richelieu seeks to reestablish colonial authority and initially invites Isaac de Razilly to serve as lieutenant-general of New France. Razilly declines, citing Samuel de Champlain's superior expertise and preferring to serve under him - but Richelieu insists, and on March 27 Razilly signs an agreement to take possession of Port-Royal for the Compagnie de la Nouvelle-France.

**1632-07-23** - Isaac de Razilly's expedition departs France for Acadia
Isaac de Razilly, a Knight of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem (Knights of Malta) and distinguished French naval officer who lost an eye at the siege of La Rochelle, departs from Auray in Brittany aboard L'Espérance en Dieu with two transport ships. The expedition carries "300 hommes d'élite" including soldiers, craftsmen, 12-15 families of colonists, and six Capuchin monks. His lieutenants include his cousin Charles de Menou d'Aulnay and merchant Nicolas Denys.

**1632-09-08** - Razilly establishes LaHave as capital of Acadia, 20 miles from Oak Island
Isaac de Razilly lands at La Hève (present-day LaHave, Nova Scotia) with 300 colonists after crossing the Atlantic. He chooses this location - only 20 miles from Oak Island - as his headquarters and the capital of Acadia, building Fort Sainte-Marie-de-Grâce on a point where the LaHave River narrows. The settlement includes his residence, a storehouse, chapel for the Capuchins, and buildings for families and workers. Razilly describes the area as an "earthly paradise."

**c. 1632-1635** - French colonial capital established near Oak Island
For three years, LaHave serves as the capital of New France, placing a major French colonial operation just 20 miles from Oak Island. Under Razilly's direction, farms are established at Petite-Rivière, Nicolas Denys develops lumber and fishing operations, and some 40 families settle the area. The proximity of this settlement to Oak Island during the 1630s places French naval engineers, craftsmen, and colonists in the immediate vicinity during the timeframe suggested by some artifact dating.

**1635-12** - Isaac de Razilly dies suddenly at LaHave
Isaac de Razilly, Knight of Malta and lieutenant-general of Acadia, dies unexpectedly at LaHave at age 48. His death is considered tragic for the colony - he was described as having "no other desire than to people this land." His cousin Charles de Menou d'Aulnay assumes command and relocates most settlers to Port-Royal. The fort at LaHave is later burned down by rivals in 1653, and the site has since eroded into the sea. The circumstances of Razilly's sudden death and its impact on French colonial activity near Oak Island remain subjects of speculation.

**c. 1645** - William Kidd born in Scotland
William Kidd born in Greenock (or Dundee), Scotland, son of a Presbyterian minister. He would go to sea as a youth and become one of the most legendary figures in pirate lore  -  and a central figure in Oak Island treasure theories

**c. 1658-1664** - Fort LaHave rebuilt; Le Borgne granted seigneury
The fort at LaHave, just 20 miles from Oak Island, is rebuilt. France grants Emmanuel Le Borgne a seigneury in the area, continuing French colonial presence near Mahone Bay despite periodic English control of the region.

**c. 1680-1699** - Career of Captain William Kidd
Career of the privateer and pirate William Kidd, whose fabled treasure became the primary focus for early Oak Island searchers.

**c. 1687-1694** - Sir William Phipps sacks Port Royal
Sir William Phipps sacks Port Royal. Theories suggest he may have hidden a portion of treasure recovered from the Spanish ship Concepcion on Oak Island.

**1689** - Kidd joins French-English pirate crew in Caribbean
William Kidd is a member of a French-English pirate crew under Captain Jean Fantin in the Caribbean. The crew mutinies, ousts the captain, and sails to the British colony of Nevis. The ship is renamed Blessed William, and Kidd becomes captain

**1689** - Kidd attacks French island of Marie-Galante
Under commission from the Governor of Nevis, Captain Kidd and the Blessed William attack the French island of Marie-Galante, destroying its only town and looting approximately £2,000 sterling

**1691** - Kidd settles in New York City, marries wealthy widow
William Kidd settles in New York City, marries Sarah Bradley Cox Oort  -  a wealthy twice-widowed woman  -  and becomes a respected member of society. He owns property on Wall Street and supports construction of Trinity Church

**1695** - Kidd receives royal commission to hunt pirates
In London, Richard Coote, 1st Earl of Bellomont, commissions Kidd to hunt pirates and capture French ships in the Indian Ocean. Backed by powerful Whig nobles, Kidd receives a letter of marque from King William III. A new ship, the Adventure Galley, is built  -  284 tons, 34 cannons, 150 crew

**Sep 1696** - Adventure Galley departs for Indian Ocean
Kidd's Adventure Galley departs from New York in September 1696, heading for Madeira, then Cape Verde, then the Indian Ocean. En route, the Royal Navy presses many of his hand-picked crew into service, forcing Kidd to recruit replacements of dubious character in New York

**1697** - Kidd's voyage deteriorates  -  crew unrest and death
Unable to find pirate targets, a third of Kidd's crew dies of cholera. The remaining crew grows mutinous, pressuring Kidd to attack non-legitimate targets. In an altercation, Kidd strikes gunner William Moore with a wooden bucket, killing him  -  a death that will later seal Kidd's fate at trial

**Jan 1698** - Kidd captures the Quedagh Merchant  -  his greatest prize
Kidd captures the 400-ton Armenian-owned Quedagh Merchant off the coast of India, laden with gold, silk, spices, sugar, and other valuables. Kidd claims French passes made it a legitimate prize. However, the cargo's powerful owners complain to the East India Company, and the political tide turns against Kidd

**1698** - Kidd abandons rotting Adventure Galley, sails Quedagh Merchant to Caribbean
With the Adventure Galley unseaworthy, Kidd transfers to the Quedagh Merchant and sails for the Caribbean. He learns he has been declared a pirate by the Crown. His Whig backers in England, fearing political fallout, have turned against him

**1699** - Kidd purchases sloop Antonio, hides Quedagh Merchant in Caribbean
Kidd leaves the Quedagh Merchant at Hispaniola and transfers the most valuable portable treasure  -  gold, silver, gems, jewellery  -  onto a smaller sloop, the Antonio. He sails north toward New York, hoping to negotiate with Governor Bellomont

**Jun 1699** - Kidd buries treasure on Gardiner's Island, Long Island
Kidd anchors off Gardiner's Island and persuades owner John Gardiner to bury chests of treasure: gold dust, coined gold, silver bars, rubies, diamonds, silver rings, precious stones, and gold cloth. The documented inventory lists 1,111 ounces of gold and 2,353 ounces of silver. Kidd warns Gardiner the treasure must be there when he returns

**Jul 1699** - Captain Kidd arrested in Boston
Kidd sails to Boston believing Bellomont will protect him. Instead, the Governor  -  fearful of his own political exposure  -  has Kidd arrested on 6 July 1699. Sarah Kidd is also imprisoned. The Gardiner's Island treasure is recovered by authorities as evidence

**1700** - Governor of Acadia invites pirates to use LaHave as base
The Governor of Acadia officially invites pirates to use LaHave as a base of operations. Buccaneers accept the offer enthusiastically. Mahone Bay, with its natural mountain barriers by land and the shelter of the Tancook Islands at its mouth, becomes an epicenter for pirate activity. Oak Island, with its unusual growth of oak trees and close proximity to the coast, offers particular advantages - anyone docking on the south shore would be completely hidden from the bay's entrance.

**1700** - Kidd shipped to London, imprisoned in Newgate
Captain Kidd is transported to London in early 1700 and held in the notorious Newgate Prison for over a year before trial. He is twice called before Parliament but refuses to reveal his anonymous backers. Crucially, the French passes that could prove his defence are withheld  -  conveniently lost by his former patrons

**May 1701** - Captain Kidd tried, convicted and hanged in London
Captain William Kidd is tried at the Old Bailey for piracy and the murder of William Moore. In a show trial lasting just two days, key defence documents are suppressed. Convicted on all charges, Kidd is hanged at Execution Dock, Wapping, on 23 May 1701. The first rope breaks; he is hanged a second time. His body is displayed in a cage over the Thames at Tilbury Point for years as a warning to pirates

**1704** - Date inscribed on stone slab found by Restalls at Smith's Cove
Date inscribed on stone slab found by Restalls at Smith's Cove

**1713** - Treaty of Utrecht cedes Nova Scotia to Britain
The Treaty of Utrecht ends the War of Spanish Succession and formally cedes mainland Nova Scotia (Acadia) to Great Britain, though France retains Cape Breton Island (Île Royale). This treaty marks the beginning of permanent British control over the Mahone Bay region.

**1720** - Carbon-14 date of U-shaped structure at Smith's Cove: circa 1720
Carbon-14 date of U-shaped structure at Smith's Cove: circa 1720

**1734** - Southack map notes French inhabitants around Mahone Bay
A map by Captain Cyprian Southack notes the presence of French inhabitants around Mahone Bay, indicating continued Acadian settlement in the region despite British sovereignty. These French settlers would be expelled in 1755-1756.

**1745** - British colonial forces capture Fortress of Louisbourg after 46-day siege
A force of New England militia under William Pepperrell, supported by a Royal Navy squadron, captures the great French fortress on Cape Breton Island. The loss stuns France and triggers an urgent response from Versailles to reclaim its North American territories.

**1746** - France assembles massive armada under Duc d'Anville to retake Louisbourg and reclaim Acadia
The largest fleet ever sent to the New World  -  64 ships and 11,000 men  -  is assembled at French ports. The expedition is planned under extreme secrecy, with sealed orders, coded letters, and the mysterious arrival of a masked figure who boards the flagship before departure from La Rochelle.

**April 1746** - L'Aurore and Le Castor sent ahead to Halifax to await Anville's fleet
Two French warships under du Vigneau depart Brest months before the main armada. L'Aurore operates along the Acadian coast near La Hève and St. Margaret's Bay before entering Halifax harbour, where the missionary Le Loutre waits with a package for Anville.

**September 1746** - Anville's fleet devastated by storms and disease; Anville dies at Halifax, fleet retreats to France
After a catastrophic Atlantic crossing  -  storms, typhus, and up to 50 men dying per day  -  the remnants of the fleet reach Halifax. The Duc d'Anville dies suddenly, officially of apoplexy. His replacement, d'Estourmel, attempts suicide by sword. The fleet limps back to France, never reaching Louisbourg.

**October 1746** - Conflans' squadron fails to locate Anville at Halifax; returns to France
A supporting fleet of four warships under Conflans, sailing from Martinique, spends weeks navigating the Acadian coast and Île de Sable. Unable to recognise the coastline and running low on supplies, Conflans orders the return to France without ever reaching Halifax.

**1748** - Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle returns Louisbourg to France
The treaty ending the War of Austrian Succession returns Louisbourg to France, outraging the New England colonists who had fought to capture it. The peace proves temporary  -  within a decade, Britain will take the fortress again.

**1749** - Halifax founded as British provincial capital
The city of Halifax is founded as the British provincial capital of Nova Scotia, establishing permanent British administrative control over the region. Halifax becomes the base for British expansion into areas including Mahone Bay and the eventual settlement of Lunenburg.

**1753** - Oak Island granted to New York fishing agents
New York fishing agents John Gifford and Richard Smith are granted three islands in Mahone Bay, including Oak Island. This is the first documented English land grant specifically including Oak Island, occurring the same year Lunenburg is founded by German and French Protestant settlers.

**1753** - Lunenburg founded by German and Swiss Protestant settlers
Lunenburg founded by German and Swiss Protestant settlers

**1754** - Ephraim Cooke granted lands that become Town of Mahone Bay
Ephraim Cooke receives a land grant for the territory that would later become the Town of Mahone Bay, marking the beginning of formal English settlement around the bay where Oak Island is located.

**1755** - Expulsion of Acadians from Nova Scotia - possible pre-expulsion treasure deposit theory
Expulsion of Acadians from Nova Scotia - possible pre-expulsion treasure deposit theory

**1758** - British capture Louisbourg a second time; fortress demolished, French treasury vanishes
A massive British force under Amherst and Wolfe besieges and captures Louisbourg. The fortress is systematically demolished. The fate of the French garrison's treasury remains unknown  -  some theorists believe it was hidden on Oak Island before the fall.

**1759** - Chester, Nova Scotia settled - first permanent settlement near Oak Island
Chester, Nova Scotia settled - first permanent settlement near Oak Island

**1762** - British capture Havana - £3 million treasure taken; Fred Nolan's theory for Oak Island origin
British capture Havana - £3 million treasure taken; Fred Nolan's theory for Oak Island origin

**1762** - Oak Island granted to Timothy Lynch, John Seacombe, and others as part of Shoreham Grant
Oak Island granted to Timothy Lynch, John Seacombe, and others as part of Shoreham Grant

**c. 1776-1786** - United Empire Loyalists arrive in Mahone Bay
Following the American Revolutionary War, United Empire Loyalists fleeing the newly independent United States and disbanded British soldiers arrive in the Mahone Bay area. This influx of settlers increases the population around Oak Island in the decades before the Money Pit discovery.

**1776** - Sea chart names island "Glouster Isle"
A sea chart designates the island as "Glouster Isle" and the area as Mecklenburgh Bay, though Oak Island was already in common use.

**1776** - British American Revolution treasure theory (Walton, Furneaux) - deemed insupportable due to tota...
British American Revolution treasure theory (Walton, Furneaux) - deemed insupportable due to total secrecy required

**1787** - Samuel Ball settles on Oak Island
Samuel Ball, an escaped slave from South Carolina who fought for the British in the American Revolution, settles on Oak Island. He would eventually become the island's largest landowner.

**1790** - Samuel Ball purchases mainland property
Samuel Ball purchases 100 acres in Lunenburg County and Hook Island, establishing himself as a successful farmer and landowner.

**1795** - Samuel Ball marries Mary in Halifax
Samuel Ball marries Mary, who worked as a domestic in Halifax. They would have three children: Andrew (1798), Samuel (1801), and Mary (1805).

**1795** - Daniel McGinnis (age ~16) discovers Money Pit depression under large red oak tree with sawed-off ...
Daniel McGinnis (age ~16) discovers Money Pit depression under large red oak tree with sawed-off limb

**1795-06-26** - John Smith purchases Lot 18 (containing Money Pit) for £7 10s
John Smith purchases Lot 18 (containing Money Pit) for £7 10s

**1795** - McGinnis, John Smith (19), Anthony Vaughan (16) dig to 30 feet
McGinnis, John Smith (19), Anthony Vaughan (16) dig to 30 feet. Find: flagstones at 2 feet, oak platforms every 10 feet

**1795** - Money Pit discovery linked to Captain Kidd legend
When Daniel McGinnis discovers the Money Pit depression, local lore connects it to Captain Kidd. Stories had circulated in New England of a dying sailor from Kidd's crew who claimed £2 million in treasure was buried on an island 'east of Boston'. This legend drives early excavation efforts

**1802** - Onslow Company formed - Simeon Lynds, Col. Robert Archibald, 25-30 workers
Onslow Company formed - Simeon Lynds, Col. Robert Archibald, 25-30 workers

**1803** - At 93 feet, iron probe strikes 'hard impenetrable substance' (possibly wood) 5 feet below pit bottom
At 93 feet, iron probe strikes 'hard impenetrable substance' (possibly wood) 5 feet below pit bottom

**1803** - Inscribed stone found at 90 feet with strange symbols. Later disappears 1919 from bookbinder's shop
Inscribed stone found at 90 feet with strange symbols. Later disappears 1919 from bookbinder's shop

**1803** - Money Pit floods to 60-foot mark overnight
Money Pit floods to 60-foot mark overnight

**1803** - Onslow Company digs to 93 feet. Finds platforms, charcoal, putty, coconut fiber
Onslow Company digs to 93 feet. Finds platforms, charcoal, putty, coconut fiber

**1804** - Both Money Pit and Shaft 2 flood when tunnel approaches Money Pit. Onslow Company abandons search
Both Money Pit and Shaft 2 flood when tunnel approaches Money Pit. Onslow Company abandons search

**1804** - Shaft 2 dug to 110 feet. Both shafts flood when connected
Shaft 2 dug to 110 feet. Both shafts flood when connected

**c. 1810** - Samuel Ball purchases Lot 18
Samuel Ball purchases Lot 18 (containing the Money Pit area), becoming the island's largest landowner.

**1846-12-14** - Samuel Ball dies on Oak Island
Samuel Ball dies at age 81 on Oak Island. By his death, he owned approximately 100 acres including much of Oak Island, becoming one of the wealthiest men in the county. His friend Anthony Vaughan serves as executor of his will.

**1849** - John Pitbladdo (foreman) removes something from drill, wipes it clean, puts in pocket
John Pitbladdo (foreman) removes something from drill, wipes it clean, puts in pocket. Later disappears, applies for treasure license with Charles Archibald

**1849** - Money Pit re-excavated to 86 feet before flooding
Money Pit re-excavated to 86 feet before flooding

**1849** - Oak wood splinters and coconut fiber brought up on auger
Oak wood splinters and coconut fiber brought up on auger

**1849** - Pod auger at 98 feet finds layers: spruce, oak, loose metal (22 inches), oak, metal, spruce
Pod auger at 98 feet finds layers: spruce, oak, loose metal (22 inches), oak, metal, spruce

**1849** - Three gold chain links brought up on auger from ~100 feet (confirmed by affidavit)
Three gold chain links brought up on auger from ~100 feet (confirmed by affidavit)

**1849** - Truro Company formed - Dr. David Lynds organizer, 12-man syndicate
Truro Company formed - Dr. David Lynds organizer, 12-man syndicate

**1849** - Truro Company re-excavates Money Pit. Flooding begins at 86 feet, shaft abandoned
Truro Company re-excavates Money Pit. Flooding begins at 86 feet, shaft abandoned

**1850** - Cofferdam built at Smith's Cove to expose drainage system. Destroyed by abnormally high tide/storm
Cofferdam built at Smith's Cove to expose drainage system. Destroyed by abnormally high tide/storm

**1850** - Major discovery at Smith's Cove: artificial beach with coconut fiber layer, eel grass, five conve...
Major discovery at Smith's Cove: artificial beach with coconut fiber layer, eel grass, five converging stone box drains

**1850** - Shaft 5 at 35 feet strikes flood tunnel with rush of water
Shaft 5 at 35 feet strikes flood tunnel with rush of water

**1850** - Shaft No. 3 dug 10 feet NW of Money Pit to 109 feet. Floods when tunneling toward Money Pit
Shaft No. 3 dug 10 feet NW of Money Pit to 109 feet. Floods when tunneling toward Money Pit

**1850** - Shaft No. 4 dug 100 feet W of Smith's Cove to 75 feet
Shaft No. 4 dug 100 feet W of Smith's Cove to 75 feet

**1850** - Shaft No. 5 dug 12 feet S of No. 4 to 35 feet. Strikes flood tunnel with rush of water
Shaft No. 5 dug 12 feet S of No. 4 to 35 feet. Strikes flood tunnel with rush of water

**1850** - Shaft No. 6 dug just W of Money Pit to 112 feet. Also floods
Shaft No. 6 dug just W of Money Pit to 112 feet. Also floods

**1851** - Truro Company ceases operations due to lack of funds
Truro Company ceases operations due to lack of funds

**1857-08** - First newspaper mention of Oak Island
The Liverpool Transcript publishes the first known newspaper mention of treasure hunting on Oak Island on August 8, in an article by J.P. Forks mentioning digging for Captain Kidd's treasure.

**1857** - First published account mentions Kidd's treasure on Oak Island
The Liverpool Transcript publishes the first known account of treasure hunting activity on Oak Island, specifically referencing a group digging for Captain Kidd's treasure. The Kidd theory is the earliest and most persistent explanation for the Money Pit

**1861** - First death on Oak Island: worker scalded by burst pump boiler
First death on Oak Island: worker scalded by burst pump boiler

**1861** - MAJOR COLLAPSE: platforms/chests drop from 98-105 feet to ~119+ feet. 10,000 board feet lumber falls
MAJOR COLLAPSE: platforms/chests drop from 98-105 feet to ~119+ feet. 10,000 board feet lumber falls

**1861** - Money Pit re-excavated to 88 feet. Shafts 7 and 8 dug
Money Pit re-excavated to 88 feet. Shafts 7 and 8 dug

**1861** - Oak Island Association formed - 63 shareholders
Oak Island Association formed - 63 shareholders

**1861** - Shaft No. 8 dug 18 feet W of Money Pit to 118 feet. Tunnel driven toward Money Pit
Shaft No. 8 dug 18 feet W of Money Pit to 118 feet. Tunnel driven toward Money Pit

**1862-07** - First written mention of inscribed stone
The Halifax Sun and Advisor publishes a letter from J.B. McCully on July 2, containing the first written description of the inscribed stone.

**1862-10** - McCully publishes comprehensive Money Pit history
The Liverpool Transcript publishes J.B. McCully's detailed account "The Oak Island Diggings" on October 16 - the first comprehensive written history of the Money Pit discovery.

**1862** - Shaft No. 10 dug 25 feet NE of No. 5 to 50 feet
Shaft No. 10 dug 25 feet NE of No. 5 to 50 feet

**1862** - Shaft No. 9 dug next to Money Pit to 107 feet. Money Pit deepened to 103 feet
Shaft No. 9 dug next to Money Pit to 107 feet. Money Pit deepened to 103 feet

**1863** - Shaft No. 11 dug 100 feet SE of Money Pit to 120 feet. Money Pit deepened to 108 feet
Shaft No. 11 dug 100 feet SE of Money Pit to 120 feet. Money Pit deepened to 108 feet

**1864-01** - British Colonist publishes Oak Island history
The British Colonist newspaper publishes "A History of the Oak Island Enterprise" in three parts on January 2, 7, and 14.

**1866** - Halifax Company digs shaft to record 175 feet
The Halifax Company digs shaft 10 to a record depth of 175 feet but fails to intercept the flood tunnel.

**1866** - Cement found at 146-149 feet - analyzed as man-made
Cement found at 146-149 feet - analyzed as man-made

**1866** - New cofferdam built at Smith's Cove. Also destroyed by storms
New cofferdam built at Smith's Cove. Also destroyed by storms

**1866** - Oak Island Eldorado Company (Halifax Company) formed
Oak Island Eldorado Company (Halifax Company) formed

**1870** - First book includes Oak Island chapter
Mather Myles DesBrisay publishes "History of the County of Lunenburg" containing a chapter on Oak Island.

**1870** - First book includes Oak Island chapter
Mather Myles DesBrisay publishes "History of the County of Lunenburg" containing a chapter on Oak Island.

**1893** - Oak Island Treasure Company formed. Frederick Blair (age 25) as treasurer, A.M. Bridgman president
Oak Island Treasure Company formed. Frederick Blair (age 25) as treasurer, A.M. Bridgman president

**1894** - Shaft No. 12 (Cave-in Pit) dug 350 feet E of Money Pit to 55 feet
Shaft No. 12 (Cave-in Pit) dug 350 feet E of Money Pit to 55 feet

**1894** - Shaft No. 13 dug 30 feet ENE of Money Pit to 43 feet
Shaft No. 13 dug 30 feet ENE of Money Pit to 43 feet

**1895** - Revised Lunenburg history published
Second edition of DesBrisay's "History of Lunenburg County" published with revised Oak Island account.

**1895** - Revised Lunenburg history published
Second edition of DesBrisay's "History of Lunenburg County" published with revised Oak Island account.

**1896** - Shaft No. 4 deepened to 88 feet (originally 75 feet in 1850)
Shaft No. 4 deepened to 88 feet (originally 75 feet in 1850)

**1897** - Cement analyzed by Boake Roberts (London): man-made Portland cement
Cement analyzed by Boake Roberts (London): man-made Portland cement

**1897** - Drilling from 90-foot platform: strikes wood at 126 feet, iron obstruction (crushes drill chisel)...
Drilling from 90-foot platform: strikes wood at 126 feet, iron obstruction (crushes drill chisel), then at 154 feet: 7" cement, 5" oak, 2" gap, soft metal, 32" loose metal (coins?), soft metal at 158 feet

**1897-06-09** - Flood tunnel found entering Money Pit at 111 feet from east, 2.5 feet wide, under great pressure ...
Flood tunnel found entering Money Pit at 111 feet from east, 2.5 feet wide, under great pressure (2,400 cubic feet/hour)

**1897** - Maynard Kaiser falls to death down one of the shafts
Maynard Kaiser falls to death down one of the shafts

**1897** - Money Pit deepened to 113 feet
Money Pit deepened to 113 feet

**1897** - Parchment discovered at 153-155 feet depth with letters 'vi', 'ui', or 'wi' written in India ink
PARCHMENT discovered at 153-155 feet depth with letters 'vi', 'ui', or 'wi' written in India ink. Confirmed as sheepskin with quill pen writing

**1897** - Shaft No. 14 dug 45 feet S of Money Pit to 105 feet
Shaft No. 14 dug 45 feet S of Money Pit to 105 feet

**1898** - Dye test from Shaft 15 reveals SECOND FLOOD TUNNEL from south shore (300 feet from Money Pit)
Dye test from Shaft 15 reveals SECOND FLOOD TUNNEL from south shore (300 feet from Money Pit). Water exits at three locations offshore

**1898** - Shaft 15 dug to 160 feet
Shaft 15 dug to 160 feet

**1898** - Shaft No. 15 dug 30 feet SW of No. 14 to 160 feet
Shaft No. 15 dug 30 feet SW of No. 14 to 160 feet

**1898** - Shaft No. 16 dug 150 feet N of Money Pit to 134 feet
Shaft No. 16 dug 150 feet N of Money Pit to 134 feet

**1898** - Shaft No. 17 dug 45 feet E of No. 3 to 90 feet
Shaft No. 17 dug 45 feet E of No. 3 to 90 feet

**1899** - Shaft No. 18 dug 30 feet E of No. 3 to 116 feet
Shaft No. 18 dug 30 feet E of No. 3 to 116 feet

**1899** - Shaft No. 19 dug near No. 15 to 144 feet
Shaft No. 19 dug near No. 15 to 144 feet

**1900** - Oak Island Treasure Company dissolves due to lack of funds
Oak Island Treasure Company dissolves due to lack of funds

**1900** - Shaft No. 20 dug along W side of Money Pit to 113 feet
Shaft No. 20 dug along W side of Money Pit to 113 feet

**1909** - Bowdoin publishes skeptical article in Collier's Magazine
Henry Bowdoin publishes an article in Collier's Magazine asserting "there is not, and never was, a buried treasure on Oak Island."

**1909** - 28 drill holes put down to 155-171 feet. Find cement 6-10 inches thick at 146-149 feet
28 drill holes put down to 155-171 feet. Find cement 6-10 inches thick at 146-149 feet

**1909** - Henry Bowdoin expedition. FDR (age 27) purchases shares
Henry Bowdoin expedition. FDR (age 27) purchases shares

**1909** - Last confirmed sighting of inscribed stone by Bowdoin
Last confirmed sighting of inscribed stone by Bowdoin

**1909** - Money Pit reopened to 113 feet
Money Pit reopened to 113 feet

**1916** - Smithsonian Institution confirms coconut fiber samples are genuine coconut (Cocos nucifera) from ...
Smithsonian Institution confirms coconut fiber samples are genuine coconut (Cocos nucifera) from 1,500+ miles away

**1919** - Inscribed stone disappears from bookbinder's shop in Halifax where it had been used as a hearthstone
Inscribed stone disappears from bookbinder's shop in Halifax where it had been used as a hearthstone

**1926** - New York Times feature article on Oak Island
Catherine MacKenzie publishes a feature story in the New York Times noting six known organized treasure hunting attempts in 131 years.

**1928** - New York newspaper feature attracts William Chappell
A New York newspaper publishes a feature story about Oak Island that captures the attention of William Chappell, who would return to the island in 1931.

**1930** - Additional Smithsonian confirmation of coconut fiber authenticity
Additional Smithsonian confirmation of coconut fiber authenticity

**1931-06** - MacLean's magazine publishes Oak Island feature
MacLean's magazine publishes "Nova Scotia's Treasure Island" by Lynn C. Doyle, bringing national Canadian attention to the mystery.

**1931** - Anchor fluke found at 120 feet in Chappell Shaft
Anchor fluke found at 120 feet in Chappell Shaft

**1931** - Chappell expedition costs approximately $40,000
Chappell expedition costs approximately $40,000

**1931** - Granite and concrete chunks found in Chappell Shaft
Granite and concrete chunks found in Chappell Shaft

**1931** - Tunnel at 157 feet encounters soft earth, nearly buries worker
Tunnel at 157 feet encounters soft earth, nearly buries worker. Water tunnel struck at approximately 155 feet

**1931** - William & Mel Chappell dig Chappell Shaft (21) to 163 feet
William & Mel Chappell dig Chappell Shaft (21) to 163 feet

**1931** - William Chappell returns with son Mel
William Chappell returns with son Mel. Chappell Shaft (No. 21) dug 15 feet S of Money Pit: 12x14 feet to 163 feet, then 168 feet

**1935** - Gilbert Hedden links Oak Island to Kidd's charts
Gilbert Hedden, a steel fabricator from New Jersey, discovers a link between Oak Island and a map in Harold T. Wilkins' book 'Captain Kidd and His Skeleton Island'. Hedden travels to England to consult Wilkins, who had drawn the charts from memory. Hedden purchases the southeastern end of Oak Island and begins excavations

**1936** - Chappell Shaft deepened to 168 feet
Chappell Shaft deepened to 168 feet

**1936** - Gilbert Hedden purchases east end of Oak Island for $5,000
Gilbert Hedden purchases east end of Oak Island for $5,000

**1936** - Hedden finds notched timbers with Roman numerals at Smith's Cove
Hedden finds notched timbers with Roman numerals at Smith's Cove

**1936** - Inscribed rock found at Joudrey's Cove with strange symbols (crosses, H-shapes)
Inscribed rock found at Joudrey's Cove with strange symbols (crosses, H-shapes)

**1937** - Charles Roper survey of triangle and drilled rocks
Charles Roper survey of triangle and drilled rocks

**1937** - Hedden Shaft (22) dug to 125 feet
Hedden Shaft (22) dug to 125 feet

**1937** - Hedden Shaft (No. 22) dug 10 feet E of Money Pit: 12x24 feet to 125 feet
Hedden Shaft (No. 22) dug 10 feet E of Money Pit: 12x24 feet to 125 feet

**1937** - STONE TRIANGLE found: 10-foot equilateral, medial line points TRUE NORTH to Money Pit
STONE TRIANGLE found: 10-foot equilateral, medial line points TRUE NORTH to Money Pit. Gilbert Hedden notes the triangle matches directions on the mysterious "Mar Del" treasure map, suggesting a possible connection to earlier treasure maps.

**1937** - Two DRILLED ROCKS discovered, 415 feet apart E-W. Part of original survey markers
Two DRILLED ROCKS discovered, 415 feet apart E-W. Part of original survey markers

**c. 1938-1943** - Professor Hamilton measures 800 gallon/minute flood rate
Professor Edwin Hamilton measures a flood rate of 800 gallons per minute and concludes the Money Pit is a man-made engineering marvel.

**1938** - 58 horizontal drill holes from Hedden shaft
58 horizontal drill holes from Hedden shaft

**1938** - Erwin Hamilton begins operations on Oak Island
Erwin Hamilton begins operations on Oak Island

**1939** - Errol Flynn attempts to invest in Oak Island
Hollywood actor Errol Flynn, known for swashbuckling roles and real-life treasure hunting, attempts to buy into an Oak Island syndicate. The syndicate refuses to sell.

**1939** - Shaft No. 10 reopened to 50 feet
Shaft No. 10 reopened to 50 feet

**1939** - Shaft No. 23 dug 30 feet S of No. 10 to 63 feet
Shaft No. 23 dug 30 feet S of No. 10 to 63 feet

**c. 1940** - William Vincent Astor becomes Oak Island investor
William Vincent Astor, heir to the Astor family fortune after his father died on the Titanic, becomes a passive investor in Oak Island treasure hunting operations.

**c. 1940** - Admiral Richard Byrd becomes Oak Island investor
Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd Jr., the famous polar explorer, becomes a passive investor in Oak Island exploration.

**1942** - Hamilton dye test shows water exiting 100 yards offshore SE
Hamilton dye test shows water exiting 100 yards offshore SE

**1942** - Hamilton explores Halifax Company tunnels from 117-foot level
Hamilton explores Halifax Company tunnels from 117-foot level. Dye test shows water exiting 100 yards offshore SE

**1942** - Hamilton has spent approximately $58,000 on Oak Island operations
Hamilton has spent approximately $58,000 on Oak Island operations

**1942** - Section of Hedden Shaft deepened to 168 feet. Chappell Shaft deepened to 176 feet
Section of Hedden Shaft deepened to 168 feet. Chappell Shaft deepened to 176 feet

**1945-04-12** - FDR dies still fascinated by Oak Island
President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies. Throughout his political career he had continued to monitor Oak Island developments. He had planned to visit in 1939 but was prevented by fog and the international situation.

**1949** - First published rendering of inscribed stone symbols
Edward Rowe Snow publishes "True Tales of Buried Treasure" containing the first published rendering of the inscribed stone symbols - the source of the famous "Forty feet below, two million pounds are buried" translation.

**1950** - Mel Chappell purchases Oak Island from John Whitney Lewis for approximately $6,000
Mel Chappell purchases Oak Island from John Whitney Lewis for approximately $6,000

**1950** - Shaft No. 24 dug 150 feet NNW of Money Pit to 50 feet
Shaft No. 24 dug 150 feet NNW of Money Pit to 50 feet

**1951** - Frederick Blair dies at age 83 after 58 years involvement with Oak Island search
Frederick Blair dies at age 83 after 58 years involvement with Oak Island search

**1955** - George Greene drills to 180+ feet. Cavity at 140-182 feet (40-foot void)
George Greene drills to 180+ feet. Cavity at 140-182 feet (40-foot void)

**1955** - Greene pumps 100,000 gallons of water into cavity at 140-182 feet - water disappears completely
Greene pumps 100,000 gallons of water into cavity at 140-182 feet - water disappears completely

**1959** - Bob Restall family arrives on Oak Island, begins living there
Bob Restall family arrives on Oak Island, begins living there

**1959** - Lavern Johnson first visits Oak Island, studies stone triangle and drilled rocks
Lavern Johnson first visits Oak Island, studies stone triangle and drilled rocks

**1962** - David Tobias becomes Restall investor
David Tobias becomes Restall investor

**1962** - Lavern Johnson digs Shaft No
Lavern Johnson digs Shaft No. 25 approximately 240 feet N of Money Pit to 30 feet. Tunnel at 25-foot level proves fruitless

**1963** - Fred Nolan acquires seven disputed lots on Oak Island
Fred Nolan acquires seven disputed lots on Oak Island

**1964** - Shaft No. 26 dug at Smith's Cove beach to 24 feet
Shaft No. 26 dug at Smith's Cove beach to 24 feet

**1964** - Shaft No. 27 dug 30 feet N of No. 26 to 27 feet
Shaft No. 27 dug 30 feet N of No. 26 to 27 feet

**1965** - Dunfield discovers Shaft 28: 8 feet diameter, 45 feet deep, no cribbing, pre-1795
Dunfield discovers Shaft 28: 8 feet diameter, 45 feet deep, no cribbing, pre-1795. Located 25 feet south of stone triangle

**1965** - Dunfield spends $131,000
Dunfield spends $131,000

**1965** - Dunfield uses 70-ton crane to dig pit 140 feet deep, 100 feet across
Dunfield uses 70-ton crane to dig pit 140 feet deep, 100 feet across

**1965** - Lavern Johnson puts down approximately 40 drill holes near his shaft
Lavern Johnson puts down approximately 40 drill holes near his shaft. Air travels underground between holes, suggesting filled-in tunnels

**1965** - Money Pit area reopened/dug to 140 feet by Dunfield
Money Pit area reopened/dug to 140 feet by Dunfield

**1965** - Restalls find '1704' stone slab at Smith's Cove
Restalls find '1704' stone slab at Smith's Cove

**1965-10-17** - Robert Dunfield builds causeway connecting Oak Island to mainland - island no longer an island
Robert Dunfield builds causeway connecting Oak Island to mainland - island no longer an island

**1965** - Robert Dunfield takes over operations
Robert Dunfield takes over operations

**1965** - Shaft No. 28 dug at south shore beach to 45 feet
Shaft No. 28 dug at south shore beach to 45 feet

**1965** - Stone triangle destroyed by erosion after Dunfield digs trench
Stone triangle destroyed by erosion after Dunfield digs trench

**1965-08-17** - TRAGEDY: Bob Restall (59), Bobbie Restall (18), Karl Graeser (38), Cyril Hiltz (16) die in Shaft ...
TRAGEDY: Bob Restall (59), Bobbie Restall (18), Karl Graeser (38), Cyril Hiltz (16) die in Shaft 27 from gas

**1966** - Cave-in Pit (Shaft 12) deepened to 108 feet. Shaft 28 to 90 feet
Cave-in Pit (Shaft 12) deepened to 108 feet. Shaft 28 to 90 feet

**1966** - Dan Blankenship begins operations on Oak Island
Dan Blankenship begins operations on Oak Island

**1966** - Shaft No. 12 (Cave-in Pit) deepened to 108 feet
Shaft No. 12 (Cave-in Pit) deepened to 108 feet

**1966** - Shaft No. 28 deepened to 90 feet
Shaft No. 28 deepened to 90 feet

**1967** - BRASS found at 174 feet - high impurities indicate early smelting
BRASS found at 174 feet - high impurities indicate early smelting

**1967** - Becker Drilling begins 60+ drill holes in Money Pit area
Becker Drilling begins 60+ drill holes in Money Pit area

**1967** - Blankenship finds wrought-iron scissors at Smith's Cove
Blankenship finds wrought-iron scissors at Smith's Cove. Smithsonian identifies as Spanish-American, possibly 300 years old

**1967** - Drill brings up china, oak buds, cement, wood, metal from 160-212 feet
Drill brings up china, oak buds, cement, wood, metal from 160-212 feet

**1967** - Drill hits extremely hard metal at 198 feet - 25 minutes to bore 0.5 inch. Sample lost
Drill hits extremely hard metal at 198 feet - 25 minutes to bore 0.5 inch. Sample lost

**1967** - Heart-shaped stone found at Smith's Cove
Heart-shaped stone found at Smith's Cove

**1967** - Wood below bedrock carbon-dated to AD 1575 ±85 years by Geochron Labs
Wood below bedrock carbon-dated to AD 1575 ±85 years by Geochron Labs

**1969** - Triton Alliance Ltd
Triton Alliance Ltd. formed. David Tobias president, approximately 30 shareholders, $800,000+ invested to date

**1970** - John Wayne's company provides equipment to Triton
The Statesman Mining Company of Aspen, Colorado, of which actor John Wayne is part owner, leases drilling and digging equipment to Triton Alliance.

**1970** - Borehole 10-X started as water-flow test hole 180 feet NE of Money Pit
Borehole 10-X started as water-flow test hole 180 feet NE of Money Pit

**1970** - Golder Associates complete geotechnical study. Water flow measured at 600-650 gallons/minute
Golder Associates complete geotechnical study. Water flow measured at 600-650 gallons/minute

**1970** - Ross Wilhelm publishes inscribed stone translation theory using Porta cipher disk: Spanish messag...
Ross Wilhelm publishes inscribed stone translation theory using Porta cipher disk: Spanish message about plugging drain with grain

**1970** - U-SHAPED STRUCTURE found below low tide: logs 2 feet thick, 30-65 feet long, notched with Roman n...
U-SHAPED STRUCTURE found below low tide: logs 2 feet thick, 30-65 feet long, notched with Roman numerals

**1970** - U-shaped log structure carbon-14 dated: approximately 250 years old (circa 1720)
U-shaped log structure carbon-14 dated: approximately 250 years old (circa 1720)

**1971** - Borehole 10-X (Shaft No. 29) drilled 180 feet NE of Money Pit to 237 feet
Borehole 10-X (Shaft No. 29) drilled 180 feet NE of Money Pit to 237 feet

**1971** - Camera shows apparent: human hand, three chests, logs/beams, pickax, possible human body
Camera shows apparent: human hand, three chests, logs/beams, pickax, possible human body

**1971** - Cement from 165 feet - Canada Cement Lafarge: 'reflects human activity'
Cement from 165 feet - Canada Cement Lafarge: 'reflects human activity'

**1971** - Metal blown from 165 feet in 10-X: soft metal that oxidized rapidly
Metal blown from 165 feet in 10-X: soft metal that oxidized rapidly

**1971** - Shaft No. 30 dug 650 feet NW of Money Pit to 35 feet
Shaft No. 30 dug 650 feet NW of Money Pit to 35 feet

**1971** - Underwater TV camera lowered into Borehole 10-X chamber at 230 feet
Underwater TV camera lowered into Borehole 10-X chamber at 230 feet

**1971** - Wire and chain from 155-165 feet. Stelco: hand-forged prior to 1750
Wire and chain from 155-165 feet. Stelco: hand-forged prior to 1750

**1972** - Blankenship makes dives into 10-X. Finds 15-foot-high bottle-shaped cavern
Blankenship makes dives into 10-X. Finds 15-foot-high bottle-shaped cavern

**1972** - Investigator from Belfast, Northern Ireland arrives claiming to have the answer to Oak Island mys...
Investigator from Belfast, Northern Ireland arrives claiming to have the answer to Oak Island mystery

**1974** - Gilbert Hedden dies
Gilbert Hedden dies

**1974** - Shaft No. 31 dug 660 feet NNE of Money Pit to 100 feet
Shaft No. 31 dug 660 feet NNE of Money Pit to 100 feet

**1976** - Blankenship nearly trapped when 10-X casing collapses at 90 feet
Blankenship nearly trapped when 10-X casing collapses at 90 feet

**1976** - Television cameras lowered into Borehole 10-X, images reported but quality poor
Television cameras lowered into Borehole 10-X, images reported but quality poor

**1976** - Triton takes over island tourism operations
Triton takes over island tourism operations

**1977** - Tobias acquires Chappell's Oak Island holdings
Tobias acquires Chappell's Oak Island holdings

**1979** - Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau visits Oak Island with three sons
Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau visits Oak Island with three sons

**1980** - Mel Chappell dies
Mel Chappell dies

**1983** - Tobias sues Nolan over lot ownership, causeway access
Tobias sues Nolan over lot ownership, causeway access

**1985** - Supreme Court upholds Nolan's claim to disputed lots
Supreme Court upholds Nolan's claim to disputed lots

**1987** - Court of Appeals dismisses Tobias ownership claim. Legal fees: ~$160,000 combined
Court of Appeals dismisses Tobias ownership claim. Legal fees: ~$160,000 combined

**1988** - Smithsonian Magazine publishes Oak Island article
Douglas Preston publishes "Death Trap Defies Treasure Seekers for Two Centuries" in Smithsonian Magazine.

**1988** - Triton plans $10 million 'Big Dig' excavation
Triton plans $10 million 'Big Dig' excavation

**1992** - Fred Nolan announces NOLAN'S CROSS - five granite boulders forming 867-foot cross
Fred Nolan announces NOLAN'S CROSS - five granite boulders forming 867-foot cross

**1995** - Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution survey
At the invitation of Boston businessman David Mugar, Woods Hole conducts a two-week survey - the only known scientific study of the site. They conclude the flooding is caused by natural tidal interaction, not man-made tunnels.

**1996** - Bedford Institute detects seabed depressions
The Bedford Institute of Oceanography detects potential man-made depressions on the seabed off Oak Island's south shore.

**1999** - Robert Young purchases lot 5 from Nolan for $100,000
Robert Young purchases lot 5 from Nolan for $100,000

**2003** - Treasure trove licenses frozen due to disputes
Internal disputes between David Tobias and Dan Blankenship lead to a freeze on treasure trove licenses, halting major excavation work.

**2003** - Petter Amundsen begins "Tree of Life" excavations
Petter Amundsen conducts the first excavations related to his "Tree of Life" and "Secret Shakespeare" codes theory.

**2003** - Oak Island for sale at $7 million
Oak Island for sale at $7 million

**2004** - Triton plans $15 million Phase 2 shaft
Triton Alliance prepares plans for a Phase 2 shaft estimated to cost $15 million, proposing to excavate to 215 feet using ground-freezing technology.

**2004** - Triton and Nolan treasure trove licenses approved; Blankenship's refused
Triton and Nolan treasure trove licenses approved; Blankenship's refused

**2005** - Blankenship and Tobias agree to liquidate Oak Island Tours, put island on market
Blankenship and Tobias agree to liquidate Oak Island Tours, put island on market

**2006** - Lee Lamb publishes 'Oak Island Obsession: The Restall Story'
Lee Lamb publishes 'Oak Island Obsession: The Restall Story'

**2006** - Michigan brothers Rick and Marty Lagina acquire interest in Oak Island
Michigan brothers Rick and Marty Lagina acquire interest in Oak Island

**2007** - Wreck of Kidd's Quedagh Merchant found off Dominican Republic
Divers discover the wreck believed to be Kidd's Quedagh Merchant in shallow water (less than 10 feet deep) just 70 feet off Catalina Island, south of La Romana, Dominican Republic. The Indiana University diving team confirms the identification. The ship had been scuttled or abandoned after Kidd transferred its treasure in 1699

**2010** - Laginas purchase 50% of Oak Island Tours from Blankenship and Tobias
Laginas purchase 50% of Oak Island Tours from Blankenship and Tobias

**2013** - Laginas take over full operations. Dan Blankenship remains on island
Laginas take over full operations. Dan Blankenship remains on island

**2014** - Spanish maravedi coin (dated 1652) found in swamp
Spanish maravedi coin (dated 1652) found in swamp

**2014** - The Curse of Oak Island TV series premieres on History Channel
The Curse of Oak Island TV series premieres on History Channel

**2015** - 50kg 'silver' ingot from Kidd's shipwreck turns out to be lead
Marine archaeologist Barry Clifford recovers a 50kg ingot from a shipwreck off Île Sainte-Marie, Madagascar, believed to be from the Adventure Galley. Initially reported as silver, UNESCO testing reveals it is 95% lead. The wreckage is likely port construction debris, not Kidd's ship

**2016** - Diver John Chatterton explores bottom of 10X
Professional diver John Chatterton reaches the bottom of Borehole 10X but finds no definitive evidence of treasure, leading to a renewed focus on the Money Pit area.

**2016** - Fred Nolan dies after 50+ years involvement
Fred Nolan dies after 50+ years involvement

**2017** - Human bones found at 190 feet in H8 shaft - one European, one Middle Eastern origin
Human bones found at 190 feet in H8 shaft - one European, one Middle Eastern origin

**2017** - Leather bookbinding material and parchment specks found in H8
Leather bookbinding material and parchment specks found in H8

**2017** - Medieval lead cross found at Smith's Cove - dated 900-1300 AD
Medieval lead cross found at Smith's Cove - dated 900-1300 AD. Matches cross carved at Domme Prison (1307)

**2018** - Randall Sullivan publishes 'The Curse of Oak Island'
Randall Sullivan publishes 'The Curse of Oak Island'

**2019** - Dan Blankenship dies at age 95 after 50+ years on island
Dan Blankenship dies at age 95 after 50+ years on island

**2020** - Paved area discovered in the swamp
A large stone-paved surface discovered beneath the swamp, with wood beneath it carbon-dated to approximately 1200 AD, suggesting medieval-era construction

**2020** - Ship's railing found in swamp dated to 8th century
Wooden ship's railing discovered in the swamp carbon-dated to 660-770 AD, the oldest artifact found on Oak Island at that time

**2021** - Stone pathway excavated in swamp leading toward Money Pit
Major excavation reveals a man-made stone road beneath the swamp, dated to the 16th century, appearing to lead from the shoreline toward the Money Pit area

**2022** - Corjan Mol leads team to Portugal investigating Templar connections
Researcher Corjan Mol guides the Oak Island team to Portugal, visiting Templar churches and discovering similar construction techniques and symbols matching Oak Island findings

**2022** - Lot 5 acquisition and excavation begins
The team acquires Lot 5 on the western side of Oak Island and begins intensive excavation, discovering a circular stone structure and early artifacts

**2022** - Half Roman coin found on Lot 5
Gary Drayton and Rick Lagina discover half of a Roman coin near the center of Lot 5, dated by numismatist Sandy Campbell to approximately 300 BC

**2023** - Multiple Roman and medieval coins discovered on Lot 5
Season 11 premiere features discovery of three coins in one morning on Lot 5, including Roman coins dating from 100-300 AD and one potentially over 2,000 years old

**2023** - Archaeoastronomer Adriano Gaspani dates Nolan's Cross to 1200 AD
Professor Adriano Gaspani uses archaeoastronomy to determine that Nolan's Cross was constructed around 1200 AD based on stellar alignments, matching carbon dates from the swamp paved area

**2023** - European research expeditions to Netherlands and Scandinavia
Corjan Mol leads the team to underground Templar tunnels in the Netherlands and Viking ship museums in Scandinavia, finding construction parallels to Oak Island

**2024** - Season 12 of The Curse of Oak Island airs
Season 12 premieres on History Channel, continuing intensive Money Pit and Lot 5 excavations with advanced drilling technology

**2024** - Gaspani dates Lot 15 stone cairns to 1250 AD
Professor Gaspani's archaeoastronomy research determines the stone cairns on Lot 15 were built around 1250 AD, aligned with stars, moon, and sun - work he attributes to the Knights Templar

**2024** - Corjan Mol leads team to Malta investigating Knights of Malta connections
Research expedition to Malta explores connections between the Knights Hospitaller, Knights of Malta, and Oak Island, finding matching symbols in historic prisons

**2024** - Lot 5 and Lot 8 excavations reveal medieval artifacts
Continued excavations on Lots 5 and 8 uncover artifacts with possible medieval origins, strengthening Templar connection theories

**2024** - Well systems investigation across the island
Team investigates interconnected well systems across Oak Island, revealing possible drainage or flood tunnel connections

**2025** - Season 13 of The Curse of Oak Island premieres November 4
Season 13 begins airing on History Channel, marking over a decade of the Lagina brothers' televised treasure hunt with deeper Money Pit excavations and new Templar revelations

---

# GLOSSARY

Complete encyclopedia of Oak Island terminology.
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/glossary

**"Could It Be?"** (Expedition)
Narrator Robert Clotworthy's trademark rhetorical question posing theories.
"Could it be?" is the trademark rhetorical question posed by narrator Robert Clotworthy throughout
The Curse of Oak Island. Used to introduce speculative theories and connect discoveries to larger
narratives, the phrase has become one of the show's most iconic elements - both celebrated and
affectionately mocked by fans. The question typically follows a discovery with a dramatic pause
before suggesting a possible historical connection.

**10-X** (Structure)
235-foot deep borehole drilled in 1970 by Dan Blankenship; camera showed a possible cavern.
Borehole 10-X is a 235-foot deep shaft drilled by Dan Blankenship in 1970 on Oak Island. A camera
lowered into the borehole captured grainy footage that appeared to show a large underground cavern,
with what some interpreted as a severed hand, wooden chests, and tools. Blankenship himself
descended into 10-X multiple times, narrowly surviving a collapse. The borehole became one of the
most famous and controversial elements of the Oak Island story, and its footage has been analyzed
and debated for decades. The current team has revisited 10-X with modern technology.

**90 Foot Stone** (Theory)
Inscribed stone slab found deep in the Money Pit around 1803, now lost.
The 90 Foot Stone is one of the most debated artifacts in Oak Island history. According to
historical accounts, a flat stone bearing mysterious inscribed symbols was found around the 80-90
foot level of the Money Pit during the Onslow Company excavation around 1803. Described as
approximately two feet long by one foot wide, resembling dark Swedish granite with an olive tinge,
the stone was not native to the area. It reportedly passed through several hands: John Smith used it
as a fireback in his chimney, after which it was taken to A.O. Creighton's bookbindery in Halifax,
where it was used as a beating stone until the inscription was nearly obliterated. The most famous
translation, offered by Reverend A.T. Kempton in 1949, reads: "Forty Feet Below Two Million Pounds
Are Buried." However, this cipher first appeared in Edward Rowe Snow's 1949 book, and modern
researchers have raised serious questions about its authenticity. The stone itself has been lost
since approximately 1912. In 2018, gyro survey expert Tory Martin found a stone near the Money Pit
with unusual markings - dubbed the "Tory Stone" - which some believe may be the original.

**Aladdin's Cave** (Structure)
Name given to a large void detected by drilling beneath the Money Pit area.
Aladdin's Cave is the name the team assigned to a large underground void detected through drilling
operations beneath the Money Pit area. The void appeared to contain wooden structures and possibly
metallic objects based on drill core analysis. Reaching and investigating this cavity has been one
of the primary goals of the team's deep excavation campaigns.

**Alex Lagina** (Team Member)
Marty's son; civil engineer who has taken an increasing role in operations.
Alex Lagina is the son of Marty Lagina and a civil engineer who has taken an increasingly prominent
role in the Oak Island expedition. Representing the next generation of the treasure hunt, Alex has
brought his engineering education and youthful energy to the team's operations. He has been involved
in many of the key discoveries and decisions during the current era of investigation.

**Anthony Graves** (Historical Figure)
Oak Island's largest private landowner in the mid-1800s, who purchased Lots 15-20 in 1857 and allegedly paid for goods in Chester using Spanish gold and silver coins, fueling speculation he found treasure of his own.
Anthony Thickpenny Graves (1812-1888) was born in Chester, Nova Scotia, to Phillip Graves and
Charlotte Augusta Thickpenny Hutchinson. Listed as a farmer on both his marriage certificate and
land records, Graves purchased Lots 15-20 and nearby Frog Island from Henry Stevens in 1857. Stevens
had acquired the same lots from the heirs of Money Pit co-discoverer John Smith just two months
earlier, and sold them to Graves for the identical price, a transaction that has puzzled researchers
ever since. Graves lived with his wife Catherine Elizabeth Seaboyer (and after her death in 1875,
his second wife Eliza Elizabeth) in a farmhouse on the shores of Joudrey's Cove on the island's
north side. Together they raised eleven children, the most notable being Sophia Elizabeth Graves
(born 1845), who married Henry Sellers and remained on the island. In 1878, one of Sophia's oxen
famously fell into a collapsed pit while ploughing, a sinkhole that many researchers believe was
connected to the original Money Pit workings. In 1861, Graves leased Lot 18 and the Money Pit area
to the Oak Island Association, along with the old Smith farmhouse as their base of operations - the
building where the legendary 90 Foot Stone had been stored. When the Halifax Company arrived in
1866, Graves leased them the eastern end of the island. Unusually, some researchers have noted that
Graves never demanded a percentage of any treasure found from any of the companies who rented his
land - a right he was fully entitled to exercise. The most persistent legend surrounding Graves is
that he would periodically row to Chester and pay for goods using gold and silver Spanish coins.
Whether these coins came from a personal discovery or simply from trade is unknown, but the story
has fueled decades of speculation that Graves quietly found and kept treasure of his own. Season 12
of The Curse of Oak Island explored this theory directly in the episode "Graves Concerns" (S12E10),
during which excavation of a square feature near his former homestead in the North Swamp area
uncovered a brick-lined vault, pottery from the 1800s, iron pipe, and a crank-like mechanism. While
some items matched Graves' era on the island, others - including the pipe and crank - dated to the
late 1700s, predating his arrival and deepening the mystery of what he may have known. Graves died
on February 26, 1888, taking whatever secrets he held to his grave. His property passed to his
children, and much of it eventually came under the ownership of later treasure-hunting companies. To
this day, the area around his former homestead remains one of the most artifact-rich zones on Oak
Island.

**Anthony Vaughan** (Historical Figure)
Third boy involved in the 1795 discovery; later became a property owner on the island.
Anthony Vaughan was the third member of the trio of teenagers who discovered the Money Pit in 1795,
alongside Daniel McGinnis and John Smith. Vaughan became a property owner on Oak Island and was a
key source of information about the original discovery for later treasure-hunting companies. His
accounts helped establish the foundational narrative of the Money Pit story.

**Ardoise Hill Gravestone** (Location)
A slate gravestone dated 1558 found near Windsor, Nova Scotia, bearing the Latin inscription "Here lies C. Manulis", potentially the oldest inscribed European gravestone in the region.
The Ardoise Hill Gravestone is a small inscribed slate stone discovered around 1900 on Ardoise Hill,
near Windsor, in Hants County, Nova Scotia. Measuring twelve inches long, six inches high, and a
quarter inch thick, the stone bears a shield with a chevron and sword, an arrow, a skull and
crossbones, and the Latin inscription "C. Manulis, Hic Jacet; A.M.DLVIII" - "Here lies C. Manulis,
1558." The only published account appears in Larry Loomer's Windsor, Nova Scotia - A Journey in
History (West Hants Historical Society, 1996), where he described it as the oldest known inscribed
gravestone in Hants County and suggested the deceased was likely a Portuguese fisherman. The stone's
significance to the Oak Island mystery lies in its dating. A European burial in the Nova Scotia
interior in 1558 falls squarely within the period of documented Portuguese territorial claims in
Atlantic Canada. Explorer Joam Alvares Fagundes founded a colony in Cape Breton as early as the
1520s, the Barcelos family from the Azores was settling the Nova Scotia coast from 1508, and
Portuguese cartographers were mapping the Bay of Fundy and recording Mi'kmaw place names throughout
the 16th century. Researcher Terry J. Deveau cited the gravestone in his 2015 paper on the Overton
Stone as evidence of a Portuguese presence that extended beyond the coast and into the heart of Nova
Scotia. If the inscription is authentic, C. Manulis died in the same decade that Portuguese
cartographer Sebastião Lopes was mapping Atlantic Canada with both Portuguese Crown and Knights of
Christ insignia marking their claim to the territory. The stone remains in private hands and has not
been subjected to modern archaeological analysis.

**Ark of the Covenant Theory** (Theory)
Theory that the biblical Ark was moved from Jerusalem to Oak Island via the Templars.
The Ark of the Covenant theory proposes that the biblical Ark - the sacred chest said to contain the
Ten Commandments - was removed from Jerusalem, possibly during the Crusades or earlier, and
eventually transported to Oak Island for safekeeping. The theory connects to the broader Templar
narrative, suggesting the Knights discovered the Ark beneath the Temple Mount and later concealed it
in the engineered vault system on Oak Island. Bone fragments with Middle Eastern DNA found in the
Money Pit have been cited as potential supporting evidence.

**Bathymetric Survey** (Technology)
Underwater depth mapping used in the Swamp and surrounding waters.
Bathymetric surveying maps the depth and topography of underwater terrain using sonar or other
acoustic instruments. On Oak Island, bathymetric surveys have been conducted in the Swamp and in the
waters surrounding the island to identify submerged features, anomalies, and potential man-made
structures hidden beneath the water surface.

**Billy Gerhardt** (Team Member)
Heavy equipment operator who handles excavation work on the island.
Billy Gerhardt is the heavy equipment operator responsible for much of the physical excavation work
on Oak Island. His skill with excavators, bulldozers, and other machinery is essential to operations
ranging from Swamp drainage to caisson installation. Gerhardt's careful work in moving earth while
preserving potential artifacts has made him a critical member of the field operations team.

**Bobby Dazzler** (Theory)
British slang used by Gary Drayton to describe an exceptional find.
A "Bobby Dazzler" is British slang for something outstandingly impressive or attractive. On The
Curse of Oak Island, the term has become iconic thanks to metal detection expert Gary Drayton, who
uses it enthusiastically whenever he uncovers a particularly noteworthy artifact. Originally from
Lincolnshire, England, Drayton brought the expression to the show along with other colorful
catchphrases like "Top Pocket Find" (reserved for the most exceptional discoveries small enough to
fit in a shirt pocket) and "Holy Shamoley." The term has become so closely associated with Drayton
and the show that it has entered the vocabulary of Oak Island fans worldwide. Drayton even sells
merchandise featuring the catchphrase. Among his notable "Bobby Dazzlers" are the medieval lead
cross, a gold-plated brooch with a leaded glass gem, a rhodolite garnet brooch, and numerous coins
and military artifacts spanning centuries of history.

**Box Drains** (Structure)
Precisely constructed wooden drainage channels found beneath Smith's Cove beach.
The box drains are a network of carefully constructed V-shaped or box-shaped channels found beneath
the beach at Smith's Cove. First discovered in 1850, the drains are made of flat stones arranged to
funnel seawater toward the flood tunnel system. They were covered with layers of eel grass and
coconut fiber to act as a filter, preventing sand from clogging the channels. The sophistication of
the engineering suggests significant resources and labor were invested in protecting the Money Pit.

**Caisson** (Technology)
Large steel cylinders sunk into the ground to create stable excavation shafts.
A caisson is a large, rigid steel cylinder that is driven or sunk into the ground to create a
stable, watertight shaft for excavation. On Oak Island, caissons have been used extensively in the
Money Pit area to reach depths that would be impossible with conventional open-pit digging due to
the flood tunnel system. The current team has employed increasingly large caissons - some over 10
feet in diameter - in their attempts to reach the deepest target areas. Caisson excavation is the
centerpiece of the 'Big Dig' campaign.

**Can-Slam** (Expedition)
Celebration when drill core brings up significant material; team bangs on the core barrel.
A can-slam is the informal celebration that occurs on Oak Island when a drill core brings up
potentially significant material from depth. Team members gather around the drill rig and bang on
the core barrel in excitement as it is extracted and opened. The ritual has become one of the
signature moments of The Curse of Oak Island television series, representing the thrill of discovery
that drives the treasure hunt.

**Captain Kidd** (Historical Figure)
Scottish privateer whose alleged buried treasure sparked the original Oak Island search.
Captain William Kidd (c. 1654-1701) was a Scottish privateer and pirate whose legend is intimately
connected to the origins of the Oak Island treasure hunt. Kidd was commissioned by the English Crown
as a privateer to hunt pirates in the Indian Ocean, but was himself accused of piracy after seizing
the Armenian merchant ship Quedagh Merchant. He was arrested in Boston in 1699, sent to England, and
hanged in 1701. Kidd famously claimed to have buried a great treasure, and the first known newspaper
mention of Oak Island treasure hunting - published in the Liverpool Transcript in 1849 -
specifically referenced digging for "Captain Kidd's treasure." The wreck of Kidd's Quedagh Merchant
was discovered in shallow water off Catalina Island in the Dominican Republic in 2007. Whether Kidd
ever visited Oak Island remains unproven, but his legend as a pirate who buried treasure before his
capture made him one of the first and most enduring candidates for the island's mysterious
depositor.

**Carbon Dating** (Technology)
Radiocarbon analysis determining the age of organic materials found on the island.
Carbon dating (radiocarbon dating) is a scientific method for determining the age of organic
materials by measuring the decay of carbon-14 isotopes. On Oak Island, carbon dating has been
applied to wood, coconut fiber, bone fragments, and other organic materials to establish timelines
for construction and activity on the island. Results have dated some materials to the medieval
period (1200-1400 AD), providing evidence that significant activity occurred on Oak Island centuries
before the 1795 discovery.

**Carmen Legge** (Team Member)
Master blacksmith and artifact analyst; identifies the age and origin of metal finds.
Carmen Legge is a master blacksmith and artifact analyst who has become a key consultant for the Oak
Island team. When metal objects are discovered on the island, they are often brought to Legge's
forge for expert assessment. His deep knowledge of historical metalworking techniques allows him to
identify the approximate age, origin, and purpose of iron, steel, and other metal artifacts. Legge's
analyses have provided crucial dating and provenance information for many of the team's finds.

**Celebrity Investors** (Historical Figure)
Famous figures including John Wayne, Errol Flynn, and FDR who invested in Oak Island.
The Oak Island mystery has attracted a remarkable roster of famous investors and enthusiasts over
the centuries. In 1909, future U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt joined the Old Gold Salvage and
Wrecking Company as a shareholder and visited the island; he continued to follow developments until
his death in 1945. In 1939, swashbuckling Hollywood actor Errol Flynn - himself a former gold miner
in Papua New Guinea - attempted to buy into an Oak Island syndicate but was refused because the
digging rights belonged to another party. Around 1970, legendary actor John Wayne was part-owner of
the Statesman Mining Company of Aspen, Colorado, which leased drilling and digging equipment to
Triton Alliance. There were also discussions about Wayne narrating a film about Oak Island, though
neither venture bore fruit. Other notable figures with Oak Island connections include polar explorer
Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd Jr. and William Vincent Astor, heir to the Astor fortune (whose father
perished on the Titanic), both of whom were passive investors. Even Canadian Prime Minister Pierre
Trudeau visited the island with his sons in 1979.

**Chapel Vault** (Structure)
Theoretical underground chamber beneath the island, named by treasure hunters.
The Chapel Vault is a theorized underground chamber that treasure hunters have long believed exists
beneath Oak Island. The name was adopted from the Chappell family (sometimes spelled Chapel), who
were prominent searchers in the early 20th century. Drilling and sensing operations have detected
anomalies at depth that could represent a constructed vault or natural cavity. Whether such a
chamber actually exists and what it might contain remains one of Oak Island's central mysteries.

**Charles Barkhouse** (Team Member)
Oak Island historian and local guide; longtime team member.
Charles Barkhouse is a local historian and longtime member of the Oak Island team. With deep roots
in the Nova Scotia community and extensive knowledge of Oak Island's history, Barkhouse serves as a
guide and historical resource for the team. His familiarity with the island's past and local lore
has contributed to many research leads and contextual understanding of discoveries.

**Charles Morris** (Historical Figure)
Nova Scotia's first Surveyor General (1749-1781). In 1762, Morris personally surveyed Oak Island and divided it into 32 four-acre lots  -  the only island in Mahone Bay to receive this treatment. His survey grid remains the basis of Oak Island's lot system today.
Charles Morris (1711-1781) was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and came to Nova Scotia in 1746 as a
military officer under Governor Shirley. After surveying the Bay of Fundy and Acadian settlements,
he was appointed Nova Scotia's first Chief Surveyor of Lands in 1749 by Governor Cornwallis. He laid
out the town of Halifax, Lunenburg, and numerous other settlements, serving as Surveyor General for
32 years. In 1762, Morris traveled the 45 miles from Halifax to survey Oak Island, cataloging it as
Island No. 28 and dividing it into 32 lots of approximately four acres each, most with water
frontage and access to a common road. No other island in Mahone Bay was ever surveyed in this manner
- a fact that has fueled speculation about why Oak Island received such special treatment. Morris
also served on the Nova Scotia Council, as Justice of the Peace, and as Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court (1776-1778). Season 11 of The Curse of Oak Island explored the theory that Morris was a
Freemason who may have been aware of what was buried on the island, though his lodge membership has
not been confirmed in surviving colonial records. The Surveyor General position remained in the
Morris family for four generations, spanning the entire existence of the office (1749-1851).

**Chester** (Location)
Nearest town to Oak Island, founded 1759; historical connection to early settlers.
Chester is a town in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia, founded in 1759 as part of British efforts to
settle Nova Scotia after the Expulsion of the Acadians. The Chester area was home to the earliest
known settlers of Oak Island, and the town's historical records have provided valuable research
material for understanding the island's early history. The Chester Train Station houses an Oak
Island exhibit with artifacts, maps, and historical information.

**Coconut Fiber** (Theory)
Tropical plant fiber found at Smith's Cove, impossible to source locally.
Coconut fiber (coir) is among the most compelling evidence of deliberate human engineering on Oak
Island. First reported during the Truro Company's 1851 excavation at Smith's Cove, layers of coconut
fiber were found beneath an artificial beach along with eelgrass and stone box drains. The discovery
was significant because coconuts do not grow within 1,500 kilometres of Nova Scotia, meaning the
material had to have been deliberately brought to the island. A sample reportedly sent to the
Smithsonian Institution in the early 20th century confirmed the identification as coconut fiber. The
material appeared to serve as a filtering layer in what researchers believe was an engineered
drainage system designed to channel seawater into the Money Pit via flood tunnels - an elaborate
booby trap to protect whatever lies below. The presence of tropical material in a cold North
Atlantic location remains one of the strongest indicators that the Money Pit is a sophisticated,
man-made construction.

**Core Drilling** (Technology)
Extracting cylindrical samples from deep underground to analyze materials at depth.
Core drilling is an excavation technique that uses a hollow drill bit to extract cylindrical samples
(cores) of material from deep underground. On Oak Island, core drilling has been one of the primary
methods for probing the Money Pit and surrounding areas at depth without the expense and risk of
full shaft excavation. The cores are carefully examined for artifacts, wood, metal, and other
materials that might indicate what lies below. Core samples have produced some of the most
tantalizing evidence, including parchment fragments and gold chain links.

**Corjan Mol** (Team Member)
Dutch historical researcher, author of "The Jerusalem Files," and creator of TheCurseOfOakIsland.com.
Corjan Mol is a Dutch historical researcher and author who has been investigating historical
mysteries for over 30 years, beginning with Rennes-le-Château in 1995. He is the co-author of "The
Jerusalem Files" (Watkins/Penguin Random House) and creator of renneslechateau.nl. Mol has conducted
eight years of European research expeditions for Oak Island investigations across Portugal, Italy,
the Netherlands, Scandinavia, and Malta. He created TheCurseOfOakIsland.com as a comprehensive
independent resource for the Oak Island mystery and appears on The Curse of Oak Island television
series.

**Craig Tester** (Team Member)
Engineer and business partner of Marty; key member of the Oak Island Tours team.
Craig Tester is an engineer and longtime business partner of Marty Lagina who serves as a key member
of the Oak Island Tours Inc. team. His engineering background and practical problem-solving skills
have been essential to the technical aspects of the treasure hunt. Tester has been involved since
the beginning of the Lagina brothers' Oak Island operations and is one of the core decision-makers
on the team.

**Crown Time** (Expedition)
Team celebration when significant progress or discoveries are made.
Crown Time is a celebratory expression and ritual used by the Oak Island team to mark significant
discoveries or breakthroughs. Named after Crown Royal whisky, the tradition involves the team
sharing a drink to commemorate important moments in the search. The celebration reflects the
camaraderie and shared purpose that binds the team together through the long seasons of
investigation.

**Dan Blankenship** (Historical Figure)
Legendary treasure hunter who dedicated 50+ years to Oak Island; drilled Borehole 10-X.
Dan Blankenship was one of the most dedicated treasure hunters in Oak Island history, spending over
50 years living on and investigating the island. Originally from Miami, Blankenship moved to Oak
Island in the 1960s after watching a television documentary about the mystery. He drilled the famous
Borehole 10-X to 235 feet, personally descended into it multiple times, and survived a near-fatal
collapse. Along with David Tobias, he formed the Triton Alliance. Blankenship passed away in 2019 at
the age of 95, having spent more time on Oak Island than any other searcher in history.

**Daniel McGinnis** (Historical Figure)
Teenager who discovered the Money Pit depression in 1795.
Daniel McGinnis was a sixteen-year-old from the Chester area who, in 1795, discovered a circular
depression in the ground on Oak Island beneath an old ship's tackle hanging from a tree. Along with
his friends John Smith and Anthony Vaughan, McGinnis began digging and encountered the first oak
platform at 10 feet below the surface. Their discovery launched what would become the
longest-running treasure hunt in history. McGinnis continued to be involved in early excavation
efforts and lived in the area for the rest of his life.

**Dave Blankenship** (Team Member)
Son of Dan Blankenship; bridge between the old guard and the Lagina era.
Dave Blankenship is the son of legendary treasure hunter Dan Blankenship and serves as an important
link between the decades of previous exploration and the current Lagina-led operation. Having grown
up on Oak Island and witnessed his father's tireless search, Dave brings invaluable institutional
knowledge about the island's history, previous excavation locations, and lessons learned from past
attempts.

**David Tobias** (Historical Figure)
Montreal businessman who co-founded Triton Alliance and owned much of Oak Island.
David C. Tobias was a Montreal-based businessman who became one of the most significant figures in
modern Oak Island history. In January 1967, Tobias joined Daniel Blankenship, Robert Dunfield, and
Fred Nolan in forming a syndicate for exploration on the island. Two years later, Tobias and
Blankenship formed Triton Alliance and purchased most of Oak Island for $125,000 through a
consortium of approximately 49 investors. As president and CEO of Triton Alliance, Tobias oversaw
major operations including the drilling of the 235-foot Borehole 10-X in 1971, where cameras lowered
into a cave reportedly revealed possible chests and human remains. The partnership between Tobias
and Blankenship eventually soured, leading to costly legal battles during the 1990s that froze
exploration for years. Tobias personally favoured the theory that Sir Francis Drake had buried
treasure on the island. In April 2006, Tobias sold his 50% share of Oak Island Tours to Michigan
brothers Rick and Marty Lagina, ushering in the current era of exploration.

**De Villiers Bloodline** (Theory)
A noble French family with documented connections to the Knights Templar, Knights Hospitaller, and the colonization of Acadia - forming a proposed multi-generational chain linking Templar treasure to Oak Island.
The De Villiers Bloodline theory proposes that the noble French de Villiers family served as a
multi-generational link in safeguarding Templar treasure from the fall of the order in 1307 to its
potential burial on Oak Island in the 1630s. The chain begins with Gérard de Villiers, Preceptor
(regional commander) of the French Templars, who according to testimony by the knight Jean de
Châlon during the Templar trials, was tipped off about King Philip IV's impending arrests on
October 13, 1307. De Villiers reportedly fled Paris with 50 horses laden with treasure and set sail
on 18 galleys from the port of La Rochelle - after which the Templar fleet vanished. The de Villiers
name recurs prominently among the Knights Hospitaller (later Knights of Malta), who absorbed much of
the Templars' property and may have inherited their secrets: Jean de Villiers served as Grand Master
of the Hospitallers (1285-1293), Foulques de Villaret led the order to Rhodes (1305-1319), and
Philippe Villiers de L'Isle-Adam was the Grand Master who led the defense of Rhodes (1522) and
secured Malta as the order's new base (1530). The critical link to Oak Island comes through Isaac de
Razilly, the French Knight of Malta who established the capital of Acadia at LaHave - just 20 miles
from Oak Island - in 1632. Razilly's mother was Catherine de Villiers, making him a direct
descendant of the same noble line. Researchers speculate that a secret regarding the treasure's
location was passed through the de Villiers bloodline across centuries, ultimately guiding Razilly
to the Oak Island area. This theory was developed and presented by researcher Corjan Mol in Season
12, Episode 23 ("Family Ties"), during a presentation at the Palazzo Falson in Malta, where the team
investigated potential connections between the Knights of Malta and Oak Island.

**Dendrochronology** (Technology)
Tree-ring dating used to determine when wooden structures were built.
Dendrochronology is a scientific dating method that analyzes the growth ring patterns in wood to
determine the year a tree was felled. On Oak Island, dendrochronology has been applied to wooden
structures, platforms, and timber recovered from various excavation sites to establish when they
were constructed. This technique provides more precise dating than carbon-14 analysis and has helped
establish timelines for the engineering work done on the island.

**Doug Crowell** (Team Member)
Historian and researcher who traces historical records and documents.
Doug Crowell is a historian and researcher on the Oak Island team who specializes in tracing
historical records, documents, and archives related to the island's past. His research has uncovered
important historical context, identified previously unknown connections, and helped the team
understand the documentary evidence surrounding the Oak Island mystery.

**Duc d'Anville** (Historical Figure)
French admiral who led a massive 1746 naval expedition to Nova Scotia - the largest French fleet ever sent to the New World - central to several Oak Island treasure theories.
Jean-Baptiste Louis Frédéric de La Rochefoucauld de Roye, Duc d'Anville (1707-1746), was a French
admiral who commanded the largest military force ever sent from France to the New World prior to the
American Revolution. In June 1746, during King George's War, he departed France with approximately
64 ships, 800 cannons, and 11,000 men, tasked with recapturing Louisbourg and Acadia from the
British and burning Boston. The expedition was catastrophically beset by storms, typhus, and scurvy,
taking three months to cross the Atlantic. D'Anville died of a stroke just six days after reaching
Chebucto Bay (present-day Halifax Harbour) on September 27, 1746. The connection to Oak Island is
significant: d'Anville was a member of the La Rochefoucauld family, whose name appears on the Zena
Halpern map. Researcher Doug Crowell discovered an eight-page document in the Nova Scotia Archives
that appears to be the log of an advance ship (the Aurore or Castor) describing the digging of a
deep pit and tunnel on an island in a bay consistent with Mahone Bay - features eerily reminiscent
of the Money Pit.

**Dye Testing** (Technology)
Injecting colored dye into shafts to trace underground water flow connections.
Dye testing is a technique used on Oak Island to trace underground water connections by injecting
brightly colored, non-toxic dye into one location and monitoring where it emerges. This method has
been used to confirm the existence of the flood tunnel system by demonstrating that water injected
into shafts near the Money Pit appears at Smith's Cove and other coastal locations, proving
subterranean connections between these areas.

**Edwin Hamilton** (Historical Figure)
New York University engineering professor who searched Oak Island from 1938 to 1943  -  one of the few academics to take the treasure seriously enough to dig.
Professor Erwin Hamilton of New York University took over the Oak Island search from Gilbert Hedden
in 1938, when Hedden ran into financial difficulties. Known locally as "Hammy," Hamilton was a rare
figure in Oak Island history: a credentialed academic who believed the mystery warranted serious
investigation and was willing to get his hands dirty proving it. Hamilton drilled in the Money Pit
area beginning in 1939 and found suspicious rocks and gravel at 190 feet - materials he believed had
been deliberately placed. While his discoveries did not produce the breakthrough treasure hunters
hoped for, his methodical approach lent the search a measure of academic respectability it had often
lacked. He also corresponded with FDR, who wrote to him in 1938: "I wish much I could have gone up
the coast this summer and visited Oak Island and seen the work you are doing - for I shall always be
interested in that romantic spot." Hamilton was forced to cease operations in 1943 due to World War
II, but he never truly left Nova Scotia. He settled in the area and went into partnership with local
boatbuilder Amos Nauss in Marriott's Cove, where the two designed and built wooden sailing craft
together. Hamilton died before they could complete their final project - a 24-foot cedar hull that,
unknowingly, anticipated the lines of what would become the classic Bluenose sloop design.

**Eelgrass** (Theory)
Marine plant found layered with coconut fiber beneath Smith's Cove.
Eelgrass (Zostera marina) is a marine flowering plant that was found layered together with coconut
fiber beneath the artificial beach at Smith's Cove during the Truro Company's 1851 excavation. The
eelgrass and coconut fiber served as filtering layers above a system of five converging stone box
drains - an engineered drainage network believed to channel seawater into the Money Pit via
underground flood tunnels. While eelgrass is native to Nova Scotian waters (unlike the coconut
fiber), its deliberate placement in layers beneath the beach surface indicates human engineering.
The combination of local and imported organic materials as filtration media suggests sophisticated
construction knowledge. The material has been useful for carbon dating purposes, helping researchers
establish timeframes for the construction of Smith's Cove's drainage system.

**Emiliano Sacchetti** (Team Member)
Italian historical researcher investigating European connections to Oak Island.
Emiliano Sacchetti is an Italian documentary film maker and historical researcher who has
investigated potential European connections to Oak Island. His work has explored possible links
between artifacts found on the island and historical sites in Europe, particularly in relation to
the Knights Templar and medieval Mediterranean trade routes. Sacchetti's research has taken the team
to sites across Europe in pursuit of the treasure's origins.

**Eye of the Swamp** (Location)
Circular feature within the Swamp where significant finds have been made.
The Eye of the Swamp is a specific circular anomaly identified within the larger triangular Swamp on
Oak Island. This feature has been a focus of investigation due to its unusual shape and the
concentration of artifacts found in and around it. The team has recovered ship-related materials and
other objects from this area, reinforcing the theory that the Swamp once served as a working cove or
harbor.

**Fellowship of the Dig** (Expedition)
Name the team uses for their group, referencing Tolkien.
The Fellowship of the Dig is a name used by the Oak Island team for their group, a playful reference
to J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Fellowship of the Ring." The name captures the team's sense of shared
mission and adventure as they pursue the island's treasure. Like Tolkien's fellowship, the Oak
Island team is a diverse group united by a common quest, facing challenges and setbacks while
maintaining their commitment to the search.

**Flood Tunnels** (Structure)
Engineered channels connecting the ocean to the Money Pit, designed to flood it if disturbed.
The flood tunnels are a system of underground channels believed to have been engineered to connect
the Atlantic Ocean to the Money Pit. When early treasure hunters dug past a certain depth, seawater
flooded the shaft at a rate that could not be controlled by pumping. The discovery of these tunnels
- apparently designed as booby traps to protect whatever lies below - is one of the strongest
arguments that the Money Pit is an engineered structure, not a natural sinkhole. At least two flood
tunnel systems have been identified: one from Smith's Cove and another from the island's south
shore.

**Fort Point** (Location)
National Historic Site at LaHave, Nova Scotia, where Isaac de Razilly established the capital of Acadia in 1632 - just 20 miles from Oak Island.
Fort Point is a National Historic Site located at the mouth of the LaHave River on Nova Scotia's
South Shore. In 1632, Isaac de Razilly built Fort Sainte-Marie-de-Grâce on this headland, defended
by 25 cannons, establishing it as the capital of New France. For three years (1632-1635), LaHave
served as the seat of French colonial power in North America, placing a major military and
engineering operation just 20 miles from Oak Island. The fort was destroyed in 1653 and its ruins
have since eroded into the sea. Today the Fort Point Museum occupies the site, housed in a former
lighthouse keeper's dwelling, and interprets 400 years of local history from the Mi'kmaq through
French colonization to the present day. The proximity of this significant French colonial
installation to Oak Island during the 1630s is considered relevant by researchers who note that
French naval engineers, craftsmen, and colonists were operating in the immediate vicinity during the
timeframe suggested by some artifact dating.

**Franklin D. Roosevelt** (Historical Figure)
Future US president who invested in Oak Island treasure hunting as a young man in 1909.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who would later serve as the 32nd President of the United States, was an
investor in the Old Gold Salvage group that conducted operations on Oak Island beginning in 1909.
Roosevelt maintained an interest in the Oak Island mystery throughout his life and kept
correspondence about the treasure hunt well into his presidency. His involvement is one of the most
notable examples of the mystery's ability to captivate prominent figures.

**Fred Nolan** (Historical Figure)
Land surveyor who owned lots on Oak Island and discovered Nolan's Cross.
Fred Nolan was a Nova Scotia land surveyor and treasure hunter who owned several lots on Oak Island
for decades. His most significant contribution was the discovery and documentation of Nolan's Cross
- five large boulders arranged in a cross pattern spanning the island. Nolan frequently clashed with
other treasure hunters over access and theories. He maintained his own research and excavation
efforts until his death in 2016. His son Tom Nolan continues to be involved with the current team.

**Frederick Blair** (Historical Figure)
Nova Scotia businessman who spent nearly 60 years pursuing the Oak Island treasure, from 1893 until his death in 1951  -  the longest individual involvement in the island's history.
Frederick Blair (1867-1951) first became involved with Oak Island at age 25 as treasurer of the Oak
Island Treasure Company in 1893. What began as a business venture became a lifelong obsession
spanning nearly six decades. In 1897, Blair and drilling operator William Chappell made one of the
most significant discoveries in Money Pit history: core drilling at 153-155 feet brought up a tiny
fragment of parchment bearing what appeared to be the letters "vi" or "wi," written in India ink on
sheepskin - evidence suggesting documents, not just gold, lay buried below. The same drilling
campaign encountered what became known as the Chappell Vault: a seven-foot-high structure encased in
cement containing layers of oak, metal pieces, and soft metal at depth. In 1904, Blair secured an
exclusive 40-year treasure trove license on the Money Pit area, effectively controlling who could
search and on what terms. He leased rights to a succession of treasure hunters over the decades,
including engineer Harry Bowdoin in 1909 (whose investors included a young Franklin D. Roosevelt),
William Chappell in 1931, and Gilbert Hedden in 1936. Blair maintained meticulous records and
correspondence throughout his involvement - documents that remain an invaluable primary source for
Oak Island researchers today. He died in 1951, having never reached the treasure but having done
more than anyone to keep the search alive across two world wars and a depression. A treasure map
attributed to Blair resurfaced during Season 12 of The Curse of Oak Island, suggesting he may have
identified multiple potential treasure locations on the island.

**Freemasons** (Theory)
The fraternal order whose symbols, rituals, and members are deeply woven into Oak Island's history  -  both as a theory for who built the Money Pit and as a documented presence among the treasure hunters themselves.
The connection between Freemasonry and Oak Island runs on two parallel tracks: the theory that
Masons (or their Templar predecessors) created the underground workings, and the documented fact
that many of the island's most prominent treasure hunters were themselves Freemasons. The
theoretical case rests on striking parallels between the Money Pit and Masonic allegory. The Royal
Arch degree tells of a Secret Vault discovered by three sojourners who dig through multiple levels
to find a hidden chamber containing an encrypted message - a narrative that mirrors the Oak Island
story almost point for point: three boys discover the pit, dig through layered platforms, and
encounter a cipher stone. A metal set square found beneath the finger drains at Smith's Cove evokes
one of Freemasonry's most recognizable symbols. In 1967, a granite boulder overturned by a bulldozer
on the island revealed the letter "G" inscribed in a rectangle on its underside - the Masonic symbol
for the Grand Geometer. Markings reportedly carved on the oak tree above the original pit have been
interpreted as Masons' Marks. Notably, most of the Masonic symbolism identified on the island
corresponds not to the basic Blue Lodge degrees but to the higher York and Scottish Rites. On the
historical side, the Masonic connections among the searchers are extensive. Frederick Blair and his
attorney R.V. Harris were both Freemasons. Franklin D. Roosevelt, who invested in the 1909 Bowdoin
expedition as a young law clerk, was a prominent Mason. Actor John Wayne and explorer Richard Byrd,
both passive investors, were members of the fraternity. Jotham McCully, who led the 1849 Truro
Company expedition and produced some of the earliest detailed accounts of the Money Pit's
construction, was almost certainly a Mason. Skeptics like researcher Joe Nickell have argued that
the entire treasure narrative may be an elaborate Masonic allegory - a symbolic "search" carried out
by Nova Scotia Freemasons rather than a literal treasure hunt. Others, like author Scott Clarke (a
32nd-degree Scottish Rite Mason and guest expert on The Curse of Oak Island), contend the
connections point to genuine Masonic involvement predating the 1795 discovery.

**French Naval Treasure** (Theory)
Fortress of Louisbourg payroll or French military funds hidden during the Seven Years' War.
The French naval treasure theory suggests that French military funds, possibly the payroll for the
Fortress of Louisbourg, were hidden on Oak Island during the Seven Years' War (1756-1763). With the
British threatening French positions in Nova Scotia, the theory proposes that French officers
concealed significant quantities of gold and silver on Oak Island rather than risk their capture.
The French had an established presence in the Nova Scotia region and knowledge of its islands.

**Funding of the Curse of Oak Island** (Expedition)
The Curse of Oak Island TV show funds the search on and off the island.
The search for treasure on Oak Island and the historical research to understand what happened there
are funded by the advertising income generated by The Curse of Oak Island TV show. The show is
broadcasted in dozens of countries to tens of millions of viewers and is the most popular show on
The History Channel, generating millions of dollars in revenue.

**Gary Drayton** (Team Member)
Professional metal detectorist from England; has made many of the team's most significant finds.
Gary Drayton is a professional metal detectorist originally from Leicestershire, England, who has
become one of the most popular figures on The Curse of Oak Island. Known for his expertise,
infectious enthusiasm, and catchphrases like "top-pocket find" and "bobby dazzler," Drayton has been
responsible for discovering many of the team's most significant artifacts, including the lead cross
at Smith's Cove. His ability to identify and assess finds in the field has made him an indispensable
member of the team.

**George Anson** (Historical Figure)
18th-century British Admiral of the Fleet who circumnavigated the globe, born at Shugborough Hall - a manor whose mysterious Shepherd's Monument links to both Oak Island and the wider Arcadian mystery.
George Anson, 1st Baron Anson (1697-1762) was a celebrated British Royal Navy officer who rose to
become Admiral of the Fleet and First Lord of the Admiralty. He is best known for his
circumnavigation of the globe (1740-1744), during which he captured a Spanish treasure galleon laden
with gold and silver. The immense wealth from this voyage funded extensive renovations to
Shugborough Hall, his family's ancestral estate in Staffordshire, where his elder brother Thomas
Anson commissioned the mysterious Shepherd's Monument - a mirror-image relief of Nicolas Poussin's
"Shepherds of Arcadia" bearing the unsolved Shugborough Inscription (O U O S V A V V). Anson
features in multiple Oak Island theories. In Season 4, Episode 13 ("One of Seven"), treasure hunter
Gary Clayton proposed that Oak Island's underground structures were constructed by Anson on behalf
of the Royal Society - an institution with alleged ties to Rosicrucianism, Freemasonry, and the
Knights Templar - using a coded celestial map based on calculations from the Royal Greenwich
Observatory. In Season 10, Episode 2, researcher Paul Stewart presented evidence that Anson captured
French naval captain Chevalier Hoequart and interrogated him about the Duc d'Anville expedition's
activities near Mahone Bay, suggesting the British may have subsequently searched for French
treasure on Oak Island. Author George Edmunds proposed in "Anson's Gold" (2016) that the Shugborough
Inscription encodes the coordinates of an island where Anson buried Spanish treasure. Peter Oberg
calculated that the inscription's letters, converted to numbers, sum to 2,810 - the distance in
miles from Shugborough to Oak Island's Money Pit. Anson also orchestrated the Battle of Havana
(1762), which captured enormous Spanish wealth, leading some theorists to speculate that British
military treasure was subsequently hidden on Oak Island.

**Gilbert Hedden** (Historical Figure)
Businessman who bought much of Oak Island in 1934 and conducted major excavations.
Gilbert Hedden was a New Jersey businessman who purchased the eastern end of Oak Island in 1934
after becoming fascinated by the treasure story. He conducted systematic excavations and was one of
the first to apply modern engineering principles to the search. Hedden also investigated a possible
connection between Oak Island and Captain William Kidd's treasure map. His ownership and research
helped keep the Oak Island mystery alive during the mid-20th century.

**Ground-Penetrating Radar** (Technology)
Uses radar pulses to image subsurface features without digging.
Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is a non-invasive geophysical survey method that uses radar pulses to
image structures and features beneath the ground surface. On Oak Island, GPR has been used to map
underground anomalies, identify potential voids and tunnels, and guide excavation efforts. The
technology is particularly valuable for surveying large areas quickly without disturbing the ground,
helping the team decide where to focus expensive drilling operations.

**Harry Bowdoin** (Historical Figure)
New York engineer who led the 1909 Old Gold Salvage expedition  -  the one that attracted a young FDR  -  then became Oak Island's first prominent debunker.
Captain Henry Livingston Bowdoin was a New York-based engineer and adventurer who founded the Old
Gold Salvage and Wrecking Company in 1909. Incorporated in Arizona with $250,000 in shares at a
dollar each, the venture attracted a roster of prominent investors - most notably a 27-year-old law
clerk named Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Bowdoin claimed that "with modern methods and machinery, the
recovery of that treasure is easy, ridiculously easy." The expedition arrived on Oak Island in
August 1909. Operating under a lease from Sophia Sellers and a treasure trove licence held by
Frederick Blair, Bowdoin's team drilled multiple holes to depths of 155 to 171 feet, spaced so that
anything over two feet square should have been struck. They found cement six to ten inches thick at
depths of 146 to 149 feet, but laboratory analysis by Professor Chandler of Columbia University
concluded it was natural limestone pitted by water action - not man-made concrete. By November 1909,
the team packed up having found no treasure. The aftermath proved more consequential than the dig.
On August 19, 1911, Bowdoin published a detailed firsthand account in Collier's Magazine titled
"Solving the Mystery of Oak Island," declaring there had never been any treasure. He also examined
the famous inscribed stone at Creighton's bookbindery in Halifax, describing it as "basalt type,
hard and fine-grained" with no visible symbols - though he was told they had worn off. Blair was
furious, responding with a vigorous defence in the Amherst Daily News in February 1912, claiming
Bowdoin had written the article in revenge after the two fell out. Bowdoin's scepticism made him the
first significant voice to publicly challenge the treasure narrative, a stance that has only gained
adherents in the century since.

**Henry Sinclair** (Historical Figure)
Scottish nobleman theorised to have sailed to Nova Scotia with Templar connections in 1398.
Prince Henry Sinclair (c. 1345-c. 1400), 1st Earl of Orkney and Baron of Roslin, is a central figure
in the Knights Templar theory of Oak Island. According to a controversial interpretation of letters
attributed to the Zeno brothers of Venice, Sinclair led a fleet of ships across the Atlantic in 1398
- nearly a century before Columbus. Proponents of this theory connect Sinclair to the Templars
through his family's later construction of Rosslyn Chapel near Edinburgh (built by his grandson
William Sinclair in 1446), which contains carvings of New World plants that predate Columbus's
voyage. The theory proposes that Sinclair carried Templar treasure - possibly including the Holy
Grail or the Ark of the Covenant - to Nova Scotia for safekeeping. A carved knight on a rock in
Westford, Massachusetts has been interpreted as depicting Sir James Gunn, a Templar who supposedly
accompanied Sinclair. However, mainstream historians consider the Zeno narrative to be largely
fabricated, and there are no authentic medieval documents confirming any voyage by Sinclair to North
America.

**Holy Grail Theory** (Theory)
The Grail was brought to the New World by Templar or Rosicrucian groups.
The Holy Grail theory suggests that the Holy Grail - whether a physical chalice, sacred documents,
or a metaphorical treasure - was transported to Oak Island by the Knights Templar, Rosicrucians, or
another secret society. This theory often overlaps with Templar and religious artifact theories, and
proposes that the elaborate engineering of the Money Pit was designed to protect an object of
supreme religious significance.

**Holy Shamoley** (Theory)
Gary Drayton's catchphrase, and specifically the nickname he gave the lead cross when he found it at Smith's Cove. History Channel even used it as an episode segment title.
Metal detection expert Gary Drayton's signature exclamation when making a significant find. The
phrase became most famously associated with his discovery of the lead cross at Smith's Cove in
Season 5, which was subsequently dated to between 900 and 1300 AD. Drayton later referred to the
lead decorative piece found on Lot 21 as "Holy Shamoley: Part 2" after lead isotope analysis
confirmed it came from the same French ore deposit as the cross.

**Ian Spooner** (Team Member)
Acadia University geoscientist; analyzed Swamp core samples showing saltwater intrusion.
Dr. Ian Spooner is a geoscientist from Acadia University who has conducted significant scientific
analysis on Oak Island, particularly focused on the Swamp. His core sample analysis revealed that
the triangular Swamp was once an open saltwater cove and identified a significant saltwater
intrusion event dating to the late 1300s or early 1400s. Spooner's work has provided some of the
most compelling scientific evidence that the island's landscape was deliberately modified by human
activity centuries ago.

**Isaac de Razilly** (Historical Figure)
French Knight of Malta and lieutenant-general of Acadia who established the capital of New France just 20 miles from Oak Island in 1632.
Isaac de Razilly (1587-1635) was a French naval officer, Knight of the Order of Saint John of
Jerusalem (Knights of Malta), and colonial governor who established the capital of Acadia at LaHave,
Nova Scotia - just 20 miles from Oak Island. Born to French nobility at the Château d'Oiseaumelle
in Touraine, he was appointed a knight at age 18 and went on to a distinguished naval career, losing
an eye at the siege of La Rochelle. In 1626, Cardinal Richelieu consulted Razilly on maritime
policy, and in 1632 commissioned him to take possession of Acadia for France under the Treaty of
Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Razilly departed from Auray, Brittany, with 300 colonists and arrived at
LaHave on September 8, 1632, where he built Fort Sainte-Marie-de-Grâce. For three years, his
settlement placed French naval engineers, craftsmen, and soldiers in the immediate vicinity of Oak
Island. His status as a Knight of Malta has drawn significant attention from researchers, as it
connects the region to medieval military-religious orders. Razilly died suddenly at LaHave in
December 1635 at age 48, after which his cousin Charles de Menou d'Aulnay relocated most settlers to
Port Royal.

**Jack Begley** (Team Member)
Team member and close friend of the Laginas; hands-on excavation work.
Jack Begley is a team member on The Curse of Oak Island known for his enthusiasm and willingness to
do hands-on excavation work. A close friend of the Lagina family, Begley is often among the first to
volunteer for physically demanding tasks including descending into shafts and working at the wash
table screening spoils for artifacts.

**James Pitblado** (Historical Figure)
Truro Company drill foreman who in 1849 secretly pocketed something from the Money Pit auger and then tried to buy the island  -  one of Oak Island's most tantalising unsolved mysteries.
James Pitblado was the drilling foreman of the Truro Company during their 1849 expedition to Oak
Island. What he did during that summer created one of the enduring mysteries-within-the-mystery that
still haunts the Oak Island story. As the pod auger brought up material from deep in the Money Pit,
multiple witnesses - including large shareholder John Gammell, whose "veracity could not be
questioned" - saw Pitblado take something from the auger, wash it carefully, examine it closely,
then slip it into his pocket. When challenged by his fellow crew members, Pitblado refused to reveal
the object, saying he would present it at the next directors' meeting. He never appeared. Instead,
Pitblado left the island and, together with Charles Dickson Archibald of the Acadia Iron Works in
Londonderry, obtained a treasure-hunting licence from the provincial government on August 6, 1849.
The pair then attempted to purchase the eastern end of Oak Island where the Money Pit was located,
but were refused by the owners. Archibald eventually retired to England; Pitblado vanished from the
Oak Island record. What did he pocket? Speculation has ranged from a gold nugget to a gemstone to a
piece of worked metal. Archibald's expertise in metallurgy suggests the artifact may have been
metallic. Despite the legend claiming Pitblado died shortly after in a railway accident, that was
actually his brother John. James Pitblado lived to the age of 81, dying in July 1903, having never
publicly revealed what he found. The secret, whatever it was, died with him.

**John Smith** (Historical Figure)
One of the three boys who helped excavate the original pit in 1795.
John Smith was one of three teenagers who participated in the original 1795 discovery and excavation
of the Money Pit on Oak Island. Along with Daniel McGinnis and Anthony Vaughan, Smith dug into the
mysterious depression and encountered the first log platforms. Smith later acquired property on Oak
Island, including the lot containing the Money Pit itself, and remained involved in treasure-hunting
activities.

**Jotham McCully** (Historical Figure)
Manager of the Truro Company and author of the 1862 account that established the foundational narrative of the Money Pit  -  the man who essentially wrote the Oak Island story as we know it.
Jotham Blanchard McCully (1819-1899) was an engineer from Truro, Nova Scotia, who served as manager
and drilling engineer for the Truro Company from 1849, and later as secretary of the Oak Island
Association in the 1860s. His involvement spanned roughly two decades of active treasure hunting,
but his most lasting contribution was literary rather than archaeological. In October 1862, McCully
published "The Oak Island Diggings" in the Liverpool Transcript - a detailed response to a sceptical
article entitled "The Oak Island Folly." This account was the first comprehensive written narrative
of the Money Pit story, and it introduced elements that have defined the legend ever since: the
three discoverers named as McGinnis, Smith, and Vaughan; the oak trees standing in triangular
formation with letters carved into their bark; the inscribed stone at 80 feet described as "cut
square, two feet long and about a foot thick, with several characters on it"; and the detailed
layering of the pit itself. McCully also provided the verbatim drilling account that described the
auger passing through layers of spruce, oak, and "metal in pieces" - the famous description of what
appeared to be two stacked treasure chests. McCully was almost certainly a Freemason; an 1874 letter
from a lodge in Truro asks that "Mr McCully" keep the letter after it has been read to members. This
has led sceptics like Dennis King to suggest that McCully may have embellished the narrative with
Masonic symbolism - either as a fraternal in-joke or as a coded warning to fellow Masons that the
treasure hunt was fraudulent. Whatever his motives, McCully's 1862 account became the source text
that R.V. Harris, H.L. Bowdoin, and virtually every subsequent writer drew upon. He is, in effect,
the man who wrote the Oak Island story into existence.

**Judi Rudebusch** (Team Member)
Genealogist and researcher contributing historical family and document research.
Judi Rudebusch is a genealogist and historical researcher who has contributed valuable family
history and documentary research to the Oak Island investigation. Her genealogical work has helped
trace the connections between historical figures associated with the island and broader historical
events, providing context that supports various theories about who may have originally deposited
treasure on Oak Island.

**Knights Baronets of Nova Scotia** (Theory)
A chivalric order created in 1624 to finance Scottish colonization of Nova Scotia, with alleged connections to the Knights Templar and Oak Island.
The Knights Baronets of Nova Scotia (also called the Baronetage of Nova Scotia) was a hereditary
chivalric order established by King James I in 1624 at the suggestion of Sir William Alexander to
finance the colonization of Nova Scotia. Scottish lairds and clan chiefs could purchase baronetcies
- each paying 1,000 merks for a barony of 16,000 acres plus 2,000 merks to maintain six soldiers in
the colony for two years. A total of 122 baronetcies were eventually sold. Because the colony had
not yet been settled, an area of Edinburgh Castle esplanade was legally designated as Nova Scotian
soil, allowing baronets to receive symbolic "earth and stone" of their land without crossing the
Atlantic. Researcher James McQuiston, a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland who has
appeared on The Curse of Oak Island (Season 6, Episode 20), argues that approximately 25% of the
Knights Baronets had connections to the Knights Templar, and that the order served as a "continuous
legacy" of Scottish Templars. His theory proposes that members may have buried Templar treasure on
Oak Island in the 1630s.

**Knights Templar Theory** (Theory)
Medieval warrior monks allegedly hid sacred treasures on Oak Island after their order was dissolved in 1312.
The Knights Templar theory proposes that members of the medieval military order, facing persecution
after their dissolution by Pope Clement V in 1312, transported sacred treasures from the Holy Land
and Europe to a hidden vault on Oak Island. Supporting evidence includes the lead cross found at
Smith's Cove (which matches carvings in the Templar prison at Domme, France), Nolan's Cross
formation, and construction dates from the medieval period. The theory suggests the Templars'
extensive naval capabilities and knowledge of the New World enabled them to reach Nova Scotia and
engineer the elaborate Money Pit protection system.

**Lagina Brothers** (Team Member)
Rick and Marty Lagina, Michigan brothers who purchased Oak Island in 2006 and lead the most ambitious treasure hunt in the island's history.
The Lagina brothers - Rick and Marty - are the driving force behind the current Oak Island
treasure-hunting expedition and co-owners of Oak Island Tours Inc. Their journey began with a
January 1965 Reader's Digest article about the Money Pit that captivated 11-year-old Rick in their
hometown of Kingsford, Michigan. Decades later, Rick convinced his brother Marty - by then a
successful engineer and entrepreneur - to turn the childhood dream into reality. In 2006, they
acquired a majority interest in Oak Island Tours Inc. alongside partner Craig Tester, launching what
has become the longest, most sustained, and best-funded search in the island's 230-year history. The
brothers' dynamic is central to both the operation and the television series: Rick is the passionate
dreamer who relocated to Nova Scotia to be near the dig, while Marty is the pragmatic engineer who
applies analytical rigor and business discipline to every decision. Their complementary strengths -
passion and pragmatism, belief and skepticism - have kept the search both inspired and grounded
through more than a decade of investigation. The Curse of Oak Island, which premiered on the History
Channel on January 5, 2014, has made them the most recognized names in modern treasure hunting.

**Laird Niven** (Team Member)
Licensed archaeologist overseeing excavation in compliance with Nova Scotia heritage laws.
Laird Niven is a licensed archaeologist who oversees excavation activities on Oak Island to ensure
compliance with Nova Scotia's heritage protection laws. His presence is required during significant
digging operations, and he is responsible for properly documenting and preserving archaeological
finds. Niven's professional oversight adds scientific rigor to the treasure hunt and ensures that
discoveries are handled according to established archaeological standards.

**Lead Cross** (Theory)
Medieval lead cross found at Smith's Cove in 2017, traced to a mine in southern France.
The Lead Cross is one of the most significant artifacts ever discovered on Oak Island. Found at
Smith's Cove in 2017 by metal detection expert Gary Drayton during Season 5 filming, the small lead
cross features a distinctive square hole at the top and bears a striking resemblance to carvings
found in the Knights Templar prison at Domme, France. Laser ablation isotope testing at the
University of New Brunswick determined that the lead originated from a mine in southern France,
dating the raw material to the medieval period - potentially pre-15th century. The cross also
contains traces of silver. Templar expert Jerry Glover confirmed its similarity to 13th-century
designs found in both Domme prison and a church pillar in Whitchurch, Buckinghamshire. Often called
"Drayton's Cross," the artifact remains one of the strongest pieces of physical evidence supporting
a pre-Columbian European presence on Oak Island.

**Lee Lamb** (Team Member)
Daughter of treasure hunter Robert Restall, who has visited Oak Island multiple times to honor her family's legacy and contribute to the search.
Lee Lamb (née Mildred Lee Restall) is the daughter of treasure hunters Robert and Mildred Restall,
and sister of Robert Jr. ("Bobby"), who died alongside their father in the 1965 Oak Island tragedy.
As one of two surviving Restall children - her brother Rick Restall being the other - Lee has served
as a living connection to one of Oak Island's most pivotal and heartbreaking chapters. She has
appeared on The Curse of Oak Island in Seasons 1, 4, and 5, visiting the island to meet with Rick
and Marty Lagina and share family artifacts and memories. Her visits typically bring items of
historical significance from her family's years living and working on the island, offering the
current team insights into earlier excavation efforts and the human cost of the treasure hunt.

**LIDAR** (Technology)
Laser-based scanning that creates detailed 3D maps of terrain and structures.
LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) uses laser pulses to create extremely detailed three-dimensional
maps of terrain and structures. On Oak Island, LIDAR scanning has been used to identify surface
features that are invisible to the naked eye, including old roads, foundations, and earthworks
hidden beneath vegetation. The technology has been particularly useful for mapping the island's
topography and identifying potential archaeological sites for investigation.

**Lot 21** (Location)
Location near the Money Pit where Gary Drayton has found multiple artifacts.
Lot 21 is situated near the Money Pit area and has been extensively surveyed by metal detectorist
Gary Drayton. The lot has produced a steady stream of artifact finds including the famous lead
cross, coins, and other metal objects. Its proximity to the Money Pit makes it a key area for
understanding the full extent of historical activity on the island.

**Lot 26** (Location)
Eastern lot with stone features and metal detecting finds.
Lot 26 is located on the eastern portion of Oak Island and has revealed stone features and various
metal artifacts during investigation. The lot's finds contribute to the broader picture of
widespread human activity across the island, not limited to the Money Pit area alone.

**Lot 5** (Location)
Property on the island's western end where coins and artifacts have been found.
Lot 5 is located on the western portion of Oak Island and has been a productive area for metal
detecting and archaeological investigation. Gary Drayton and the team have recovered numerous
artifacts from this lot, including coins, buttons, and other metal objects that suggest significant
historical activity predating the 1795 discovery. The lot's distance from the Money Pit suggests the
original depositors' activities extended across a wider area of the island than previously thought.

**Lot 8** (Location)
Samuel Ball's former property; yielded coins and evidence of early habitation.
Lot 8 was owned by Samuel Ball, a formerly enslaved man who became one of Oak Island's most
prosperous landowners in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Ball acquired multiple lots on the
island and became mysteriously wealthy - leading to speculation that he may have discovered
treasure. Archaeological investigation of Lot 8 has revealed coins, pottery fragments, and
structural foundations suggesting significant activity. The lot remains one of the more intriguing
areas of the island due to Ball's unexplained prosperity.

**Lots** (Location)
Oak Island is divided into 32 lots of approximately four acres each, surveyed by Charles Morris in 1762. The lot system remains in use today and is central to identifying locations on the island, from the Money Pit on Lot 18 to the Swamp spanning Lots 5-8.
Nova Scotia Surveyor General Charles Morris divided Oak Island into 32 lots of roughly four acres
each, with most lots having water frontage and access to a central common road running the length of
the island. This survey, which designated Oak Island as Island No. 28, was unique - no other island
in Mahone Bay received such formal subdivision. The lots are numbered 1 through 32, running roughly
from east to west. Key locations include: Lot 18, site of the original Money Pit discovery in 1795;
Lots 5-8, encompassing much of the Swamp; Lot 21, location of the Garden Shaft and other early
excavations; and Lot 25, home to the so-called Hatch. Lot 15 was Crown land throughout much of the
island's history and was never privately granted. Ownership of the lots has changed hands many times
over 275 years - from the original Shoreham Grant settlers through families like Smith, Graves, and
McGinnis, to the Sellers family, Frederick Blair, Triton Alliance, and ultimately Oak Island Tours
Inc. Today the Lagina brothers' Michigan Group controls the vast majority of the island, with a few
lots held independently.

**Lunenburg** (Location)
Historic county in Nova Scotia where Oak Island is located, founded in 1753 as a British colonial settlement.
Lunenburg County is the administrative region of Nova Scotia that encompasses Oak Island, Mahone
Bay, and the surrounding communities including Chester and Western Shore. The town of Lunenburg
itself, founded in 1753 by Governor Edward Cornwallis as a settlement for Foreign Protestants, is a
UNESCO World Heritage Site celebrated as one of the best surviving examples of a planned British
colonial town. Its shipbuilding heritage and proximity to Oak Island - just 30 kilometers away -
make it an important reference point in the island's history. The county's early European settlement
by French fishermen in the 1750s predates the Oak Island discovery by several decades, and the
region's maritime traditions provide essential context for understanding how the island's mystery
unfolded.

**Mahone Bay** (Location)
The bay off Nova Scotia's south shore where Oak Island sits among 360+ islands.
Mahone Bay is a large bay on the south shore of Nova Scotia, Canada, containing over 360 islands
including Oak Island. The bay was historically known as a haven for pirates and privateers during
the 17th and 18th centuries, which contributed to early treasure legends. The name "Mahone" may
derive from the French word "mahonne," a type of low-lying boat used by pirates. The bay's sheltered
waters and numerous islands made it an ideal location for concealing ships and activities from
authorities.

**Marie Antoinette's Jewels** (Theory)
French royal jewels smuggled to Nova Scotia during the French Revolution.
The Marie Antoinette theory proposes that the French queen's jewels and other royal treasures were
smuggled out of France during the Revolution (1789-1799) and hidden on Oak Island. Historical
records indicate that some of Marie Antoinette's jewels did disappear during the Revolution, and
French naval officers had connections to Nova Scotia through the Fortress of Louisbourg. The theory
suggests that loyal supporters of the monarchy used existing knowledge of Oak Island to conceal the
royal treasures.

**Marty Lagina** (Team Member)
Brother of Rick Lagina, engineer and entrepreneur; co-leads and co-finances the expedition.
Marty Lagina (August 26, 1955) is an engineer, entrepreneur, and co-leader of the Oak Island
expedition alongside his brother Rick. A graduate of Michigan Technological University with a degree
in mechanical engineering, Marty founded Terra Energy Ltd., a natural gas exploration company in
Michigan's Antrim Shale formation, which he later sold. His experience in energy exploration -
understanding drilling operations, geological surveys, and managing large-scale subsurface projects
- translates directly to the challenges of Oak Island. Marty also owns Mari Vineyards on the Old
Mission Peninsula in Traverse City, Michigan. In 2006, he and Rick acquired a majority interest in
Oak Island Tours Inc., and Marty's financial resources and engineering discipline have been
essential to sustaining what has become the most technologically advanced search in the island's
history. Where Rick is the dreamer, Marty is the pragmatist - more skeptical, more data-driven, and
the one most likely to question a theory before committing resources. Yet his commitment to the
search is no less deep.

**Maynard Kaiser** (Historical Figure)
One of six people who died during treasure hunting operations on Oak Island.
Maynard Kaiser was one of the six people who lost their lives during treasure-hunting operations on
Oak Island. His death contributed to the legend of the Oak Island curse, which states that seven
people must die before the treasure is found. The deaths span from 1861 to 1965 and serve as a
sobering reminder of the dangers involved in the search.

**McGinnis Foundation** (Structure)
The stone ruins of Daniel McGinnis' homestead on Lot 21, where the man credited with discovering the Money Pit in 1795 lived until his death in 1827,now an active archaeological site yielding pre-colonial artifacts.
The McGinnis Foundation is the name given to the stone remains of the house built by Daniel McGinnis
on Lot 21 of Oak Island. McGinnis - also recorded as Donald McInnes in historical documents - is
traditionally credited as the young man who discovered the mysterious depression that became known
as the Money Pit in the summer of 1795. He lived on the island from the late 1780s until his death
in 1827, purchasing multiple lots including Lot 28 (1788), Lot 23 (1790), Lot 27 (1791), and Lot 1
(1794). The foundation itself consists of a stone perimeter outline typical of late 18th-century
Nova Scotian homesteads. It sits on Lot 21, on the western portion of the island, and is a regular
stop on the official Oak Island guided tours alongside the Money Pit, Borehole 10-X, and Smith's
Cove. In Season 2 of The Curse of Oak Island, researcher J. Hutton Pulitzer examined the ruins for
clues, and in Season 4, three direct descendants of McGinnis - sisters Joan, Jean, and Joyce
McGinnis - visited the island. After Joyce's death in 2017, Joan and Jean returned to inter some of
her ashes in the foundation of their ancestor's home. The area around the McGinnis Foundation has
proven remarkably productive for metal detecting and archaeological investigation. Finds from Lot 21
include a jeweled brooch featuring cloisonné metalwork that shares an identical lead isotope
signature with the famous Smith's Cove lead cross - meaning both objects originated from the same
pre-15th-century ore deposits. A French military cap badge, possibly from a grenadier's hat dating
to the 1700s, was also unearthed nearby, potentially linking the site to the Duc d'Anville
expedition of 1746. Other discoveries include iron swages or tunneling tools used to sharpen rock
drills, identified by blacksmithing expert Carmen Legge. In Season 12, a map sketch by 1930s
historian William B. Goodwin - based on a lost map owned by treasure hunter Fred Blair - suggested
three separate treasure caches on the western side of the island, specifically on Lots 1 and 21,
both of which were McGinnis land. This discovery has renewed interest in the area surrounding the
foundation as a potential key to the broader mystery. The team's ongoing investigation of Lot 21
continues to raise the question of whether McGinnis chose this specific homestead location by
coincidence - or because of what he knew lay beneath the island.

**Mel Chappell** (Historical Figure)
Son of William Chappell who inherited the Oak Island treasure rights in 1951 and controlled access to the island for decades, leasing rights to successive treasure hunters.
Melbourne "Mel" Chappell (c. 1905-1996) first set foot on Oak Island as a young man in 1931, working
alongside his father William, uncle Renerick, and cousin Claude during the Chappells Limited
expedition. After Frederick Blair's death in 1951, Mel acquired the Oak Island treasure rights and
became the gatekeeper of the search for the next several decades. Rather than mounting his own
large-scale excavation, Mel controlled who could dig and on what terms, leasing portions of his
rights to a series of treasure hunters. Among those who searched under Mel's authority were George
Greene in 1955, the Harman brothers in 1958, Robert Restall in the early 1960s, and Robert Dunfield,
whose controversial heavy machinery operations in 1965-66 dramatically altered the Money Pit
landscape - lowering the surface elevation by roughly 11 feet and forever changing the site's
topography. Mel later partnered with Dan Blankenship, and the two became founding members of the
Triton Alliance in the late 1960s - the syndicate that would drive the modern era of Oak Island
exploration, including the drilling of the famous Borehole 10-X. Mel also rediscovered the stone
triangle on the island's south shore in the spring of 1931, a feature originally found by Captain
John Welling in 1897 and later relocated again by Amos Nauss during the Hedden expedition in the
1930s. Mel Chappell remained connected to the Oak Island treasure hunt until his death in 1996,
having spent over six decades tied to the mystery his father first drilled into. He represents the
crucial bridge between the old era of individual prospectors and the modern corporate approach to
the search.

**Metal Detecting** (Technology)
Systematic sweeping with electromagnetic sensors to locate buried metal objects.
Metal detecting is the systematic use of electromagnetic sensors to locate metallic objects buried
beneath the ground surface. On Oak Island, metal detecting - primarily conducted by expert Gary
Drayton - has been one of the most productive methods for finding artifacts. Using
professional-grade detectors, Drayton has identified coins, jewelry fragments, iron tools, and other
metal objects across multiple lots on the island, many of which have been dated to periods
consistent with pre-1795 activity.

**Money Pit** (Location)
The original treasure shaft discovered in 1795, now the epicenter of all excavation.
The Money Pit is the name given to the original shaft discovered on Oak Island in 1795 by teenager
Daniel McGinnis and his friends John Smith and Anthony Vaughan. They found a circular depression in
the ground beneath a ship's tackle hanging from a tree branch. As they dug, they encountered log
platforms at regular 10-foot intervals. Over 230 years, the Money Pit has been the focus of
countless excavation attempts, collapsing tunnels, flooding from what appear to be engineered booby
traps, and six deaths. Despite millions of dollars invested, the bottom of the original pit has
never been definitively reached. The current Lagina-led team has used modern caisson technology to
attempt to reach the deepest levels.

**Muon Tomography** (Technology)
Uses naturally occurring subatomic particles to detect voids underground.
Muon tomography is an advanced imaging technique that uses naturally occurring subatomic particles
called muons to detect density variations underground. By measuring how muons are absorbed or
deflected as they pass through the earth, scientists can identify voids, cavities, and dense objects
at depth - similar to how X-rays image the human body. On Oak Island, muon tomography has been
deployed to search for underground chambers and tunnels without any excavation.

**Nicolas Poussin** (Historical Figure)
French Baroque painter (1594-1665) whose painting "The Shepherds of Arcadia" has become central to theories connecting Oak Island to the Knights Templar, Rennes-le-Château, and the Palace of Versailles.
Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665) was a leading French Baroque painter who spent most of his working life
in Rome. His most famous work in the context of Oak Island is the second version of "Et in Arcadia
Ego," commonly known as "The Shepherds of Arcadia" (c. 1637-1638), which depicts a woman and three
shepherds gathered around a tomb bearing the Latin inscription "Et in Arcadia ego" ("I am also in
Arcadia" or "Even in Arcadia, I exist"). The painting was purchased by King Louis XIV in 1685 and
brought to the Palace of Versailles, where it reportedly disappeared from public view for a time in
the mid-1700s before being relocated to the Louvre in 1806. Poussin's painting gained renewed
significance through several interconnected mysteries. Thomas Anson, brother of Admiral George
Anson, commissioned a mirror-image relief copy of the painting for the Shepherd's Monument at
Shugborough Hall (c. 1748-1763), beneath which the unsolved Shugborough Inscription was carved. The
painting also became central to the Rennes-le-Château mystery after a tomb near the French village
was found to bear striking resemblance to the one depicted in the work - a connection exploited in
"The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail" (1982) and Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" (2003), both of which
suggested Poussin was a member of the secretive Priory of Sion.

**Nolan's Cross** (Location)
Five large cone-shaped boulders arranged in a cross pattern spanning the island.
Nolan's Cross is a formation of five large cone-shaped granite boulders arranged in the shape of a
Christian cross, spanning approximately 720 feet across Oak Island. The formation was discovered and
documented by surveyor and treasure hunter Fred Nolan. The precision of the placement has led
researchers to theorize it may be a Templar marker, a navigational guide, or a coded map pointing to
buried treasure. The cross aligns with certain geographic features of the island, and some
researchers believe its intersections mark significant underground locations.

**Nolan's Cross Theory** (Theory)
Five boulders arranged in a cross may encode a map or Templar symbolism.
The Nolan's Cross theory builds on Fred Nolan's discovery of five large boulders arranged in a cross
pattern across Oak Island. Proponents argue the formation is too precise to be natural and may serve
as a Templar marker, a coded map, or a navigational guide pointing to the treasure's location.
Various researchers have attempted to decode the cross's geometry, finding potential alignments with
other features on the island and connections to Templar symbolism.

**Oak Island Association** (Expedition)
1860s syndicate whose operations led to the first death during treasure hunting.
The Oak Island Association was a treasure-hunting syndicate active in the 1860s. Their excavation
operations marked a significant escalation in the scale of work on the island. Tragically, their
activities led to the first death associated with the treasure hunt in 1861, when a worker was
killed during pumping operations. This death initiated the legend that would become the Curse of Oak
Island.

**Oak Island Tours Inc.** (Expedition)
Current company controlling the island, majority-owned by Rick and Marty Lagina.
Oak Island Tours Inc. is the company that currently holds the treasure trove license and controls
treasure-hunting operations on Oak Island. Rick and Marty Lagina purchased a majority stake in the
company in 2006, along with their partner Craig Tester. Oak Island Tours manages all excavation
operations, research activities, and access to the island. The company's ongoing operations are
documented in The Curse of Oak Island television series.

**Oak Island Treasure Company** (Expedition)
Late 19th-century group that sunk multiple shafts around the Money Pit.
The Oak Island Treasure Company operated in the late 19th century and conducted extensive excavation
work around the Money Pit area. The company sunk multiple shafts in attempts to reach the treasure
from different angles, hoping to bypass the flood tunnel system. Their efforts, while ultimately
unsuccessful in reaching the treasure, added to the growing network of tunnels and shafts that have
complicated excavation efforts ever since.

**Oak Island Treasure Founrd** (Theory)
While no single legendary hoard has been unearthed, over 230 years of searching have produced artifacts spanning 2,300+ years that rewrite the history of European contact with North America.
The question "has treasure been found on Oak Island?" depends entirely on how you define treasure.
No single chest of gold or cache of jewels has been recovered from the Money Pit. But what has been
found may be far more historically significant: a body of physical evidence suggesting that European
contact with North America began centuries earlier - and was far more complex - than mainstream
history acknowledges. The artifacts recovered from Oak Island span over 2,300 years of human
activity. Roman-era coins dated to 100-300 AD are among the oldest finds, raising questions about
ancient Mediterranean voyages across the Atlantic. A stone roadway in the Swamp has been
carbon-dated to approximately 1200 AD - three centuries before Columbus. Coconut fiber found in the
box drains at Smith's Cove, a material not native to Nova Scotia, has been carbon-dated to 1200-1400
AD, pointing to trade networks or voyages that predate the accepted European timeline for the
region. The lead cross discovered at Smith's Cove has been linked to carvings found in the Templar
prison at Domme in southern France, supporting theories of a medieval Knights Templar presence. Bone
fragments recovered from the Money Pit area have yielded DNA with Middle Eastern origins. Portuguese
copper coins, 17th-century British artifacts, and a gemstone brooch dating as far back as the 14th
century collectively paint a picture of repeated visits to the island by different groups across
different centuries. Rather than a single buried treasure, Oak Island appears to hold something
potentially more valuable: physical proof of a hidden chapter in the history of transatlantic
contact - one that challenges conventional timelines and connects the island to the Knights Templar,
Portuguese explorers, the French military, and possibly civilizations far older. The search
continues, and the team has recovered thousands of artifacts to date.

**Oak Platforms** (Structure)
Log platforms found at 10-foot intervals in the original Money Pit shaft.
The oak platforms are layers of oak logs found at regular 10-foot intervals in the original Money
Pit shaft by the first excavators in 1795 and subsequent teams. These platforms, placed at depths of
10, 20, 30 feet and beyond, are one of the earliest and most consistent pieces of evidence that the
Money Pit was deliberately engineered rather than being a natural formation. Between some platforms,
searchers reported finding layers of putty, charcoal, and coconut fiber.

**Old Gold Salvage Group** (Expedition)
The 1909 treasure-hunting company whose shareholders included a young Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The Old Gold Salvage and Wrecking Company was an Oak Island treasure-hunting syndicate formed in
1909 by Captain Henry L. Bowdoin, a New York engineer. The company had $250,000 in authorised
capital sold in $1 shares, with Bowdoin as president and Frederick Blair as vice president. Its most
notable shareholder was a young law clerk named Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who would go on to become
the 32nd President of the United States. Roosevelt was drawn to Oak Island partly through family
connections - his grandfather Warren Delano Jr. had been a shareholder of the earlier Truro Company.
In August 1909, the team arrived on Oak Island and sent divers down into the Money Pit, which had
been cleared to 113 feet. They also investigated Smith's Cove, revealing an 1850 cofferdam but
finding no treasure. After disagreements over the treasure trove license, Bowdoin and Roosevelt
discontinued their excavation. Roosevelt continued to monitor Oak Island developments throughout his
entire political career, including his presidency, until his death in 1945.

**Onslow Company** (Expedition)
First organized expedition in 1804; dug to 90 feet before flooding defeated them.
The Onslow Company was the first organized treasure-hunting expedition on Oak Island, formed around
1804 by investors from the Onslow area of Nova Scotia. Building on the earlier efforts of McGinnis,
Smith, and Vaughan, the company dug the Money Pit to a depth of approximately 90 feet, encountering
log platforms every 10 feet along with layers of charcoal, putty, and coconut fiber. At around 90
feet, they reportedly found a stone inscribed with mysterious symbols. Shortly after, the shaft
catastrophically flooded with seawater, defeating their efforts and revealing the flood tunnel booby
trap system.

**Oscillator Drilling** (Technology)
Sonic drilling method that vibrates a steel casing into the ground.
Oscillator drilling is a sonic drilling technique that uses high-frequency vibration to drive a
steel casing into the ground. Unlike traditional rotary drilling, which can destroy materials it
encounters, oscillator drilling provides a gentler extraction method that better preserves artifacts
and structural materials found at depth. This technology has been employed on Oak Island to sink
caissons and extract material from the Money Pit area with minimal disturbance.

**Overton Stone** (Location)
A carved glacial boulder near Overton, Nova Scotia, bearing symbols that some researchers link to Portuguese Templar explorers.
The Overton Stone is a large glacial boulder located on the Atlantic coast near Overton, Nova
Scotia, approximately 140 miles southwest of Oak Island. Discovered around 2009 by local resident
Beverly Wells-Pinkney, its face bears carvings that include a stylized Christian cross within a
circle, a pair of crossed tobacco leaves, an eagle feather, and a crescent moon. Historian Terry
Deveau, who introduced the stone to Rick Lagina and Charles Barkhouse in Season 3, Episode 4 ("The
Overton Stone"), believes the carvings may commemorate a friendship treaty between Portuguese
explorers and the local Mi'kmaq people. The cross bears resemblance to the padrão crosses carved by
Portuguese explorers during the Age of Discovery, which were themselves variants of the Order of
Christ Cross - the symbol of the Portuguese Order of Christ, a continuation of the Knights Templar
in Portugal. If authentic, the stone would place Templar-connected Portuguese explorers in Nova
Scotia, strengthening theories about a pre-Money Pit European presence in the region.

**Paul Troutman** (Team Member)
Treasure hunter and team member bringing hands-on experience and deep island knowledge.
Paul Troutman is a treasure hunter and dedicated team member on The Curse of Oak Island. He brings
hands-on excavation experience and a deep knowledge of the island's history to the team's
operations. Troutman is frequently involved in fieldwork and has contributed to numerous discoveries
during the current era of investigation.

**Peter Fornetti** (Team Member)
Rick Lagina's nephew; team member involved in hands-on exploration.
Peter Fornetti is Rick Lagina's nephew and a member of the Oak Island team. He has participated in
many aspects of the search including fieldwork, artifact recovery, and research activities. As part
of the extended Lagina family, Fornetti represents the broader family commitment to solving the Oak
Island mystery.

**Phoenician/Roman Theory** (Theory)
Ancient Mediterranean peoples reached Nova Scotia, supported by Roman-era coin finds.
The Phoenician/Roman theory proposes that ancient Mediterranean peoples - Phoenician traders or
Roman legions - crossed the Atlantic and reached Nova Scotia thousands of years before the Vikings.
This theory is supported by the discovery of Roman-era coins on Oak Island dated to 100-300 AD,
which are among the oldest artifacts found on the island. While mainstream historians consider
pre-Viking trans-Atlantic contact unlikely, the coin finds and other ancient artifacts keep this
theory alive among researchers.

**Pirate Treasure Theory** (Theory)
Captain Kidd, Blackbeard, or other pirates buried plunder on the island.
The pirate treasure theory suggests that one or more notorious pirates - including Captain William
Kidd, Edward Teach (Blackbeard), or Henry Every - used Oak Island to cache their plunder. Mahone Bay
was known as a pirate haven in the 17th and 18th centuries, and several historical pirates operated
in the region. However, skeptics note that the engineering complexity of the Money Pit and its flood
tunnel system far exceeds what any individual pirate crew would likely have constructed.

**Port Royal** (Location)
First permanent European settlement in Canada, established in 1605 near present-day Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia - the capital of Acadia for over a century.
Port Royal was founded in 1605 by Pierre Dugua de Mons and Samuel de Champlain on the shores of the
Annapolis Basin in what is now Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. It served as the first successful
permanent European settlement in Canada and the capital of the French colony of Acadia for most of
the next 150 years. Control of Port Royal changed hands between France, Scotland, and England
numerous times - enduring thirteen attacks, more than any other place in North America. In 1621,
King James I granted the territory to Sir William Alexander as "Nova Scotia," and Scottish settlers
briefly occupied the site (1629-1632). After the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye returned Acadia to
France in 1632, Isaac de Razilly took possession and his successor Charles de Menou d'Aulnay
relocated colonists from LaHave to Port Royal. The British finally captured it permanently in 1710,
renaming it Annapolis Royal. Port Royal's role as the colonial nexus of power, trade, and military
operations in the region provides essential historical context for understanding who may have had
the means and motive to construct the works on Oak Island.

**Portuguese Connection** (Theory)
Theory linking Portuguese explorers and the Order of Christ to pre-Columbian activity.
The Portuguese connection theory proposes that Portuguese explorers and members of the Order of
Christ (the successor organization to the Knights Templar in Portugal) reached Nova Scotia before
Columbus's voyages to the Americas. Supporting evidence includes Portuguese copper coins found on
the island, the presence of the explorer João Álvares Fagundes in the region in the early 1500s,
and connections between the Order of Christ's navigational knowledge and the engineering found on
Oak Island. Research by Corjan Mol and others has investigated Portuguese sites in Europe for
connections to Oak Island artifacts.

**Prometheus Entertainment** (Expedition)
Television production company behind The Curse of Oak Island and its spin-offs Beyond Oak Island and Tales from Oak Island.
Prometheus Entertainment is the Los Angeles-based television production company responsible for The
Curse of Oak Island TV series and its spin-offs. Founded by the late Kevin Burns, who passed away in
September 2020, the company has produced the Oak Island series since its premiere in 2014, growing
it into one of the History Channel's highest-rated programs. Under Burns's vision, the show combined
documentary-style storytelling with real-time treasure hunting, attracting millions of viewers
weekly across 79 countries. Burns was instrumental in key creative decisions including hiring
narrator Robert Clotworthy and developing the show's signature blend of mystery, history, and
science. Following Burns's death, his production team - including Joe Lessard, Dave Comtois, and Kim
Egan - has continued his legacy. The company also produces Beyond Oak Island, a spin-off exploring
treasure hunts worldwide.

**R.V. Harris** (Historical Figure)
Halifax lawyer, 33rd-degree Freemason, and author of The Oak Island Mystery (1958)  -  the book that defined how the story was told to the world.
Reginald V. Harris was a prominent Halifax lawyer whose friendship with Frederick Blair and deep
involvement in Oak Island affairs made him the single most influential narrator of the treasure
story. His book The Oak Island Mystery, first published in 1958 at Blair's urgent request, was the
first comprehensive account of the island's history and remained the definitive reference work for
decades. A revised second edition followed in 1967. Harris's access to primary sources was
unmatched. As Blair's personal attorney and confidant, he had direct access to decades of
correspondence, expedition records, drilling logs, and personal notes that no other writer could
obtain. His meticulous documentation of events from the 1795 discovery through the mid-twentieth
century established the narrative framework that virtually every subsequent author, including D'Arcy
O'Connor and Randall Sullivan, built upon. Harris was also a 33rd-degree Freemason, a detail that
has not escaped the attention of researchers investigating Masonic connections to Oak Island. He
donated core samples from the island to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax - a choice
some view as deliberate preservation, others as an attempt to hide evidence in plain sight at a
museum unlikely to attract Oak Island researchers. Whether Harris shaped the story faithfully or
selectively remains debated, but his influence on the Oak Island narrative is beyond question.

**Reader's Digest Article** (Expedition)
The January 1965 article about Oak Island that inspired the Lagina brothers.
The Reader's Digest article refers to a story published in the January 1965 edition of the popular
magazine that would ultimately change the course of Oak Island history. The article about the
island's enduring treasure mystery captivated readers across North America, including an
eleven-year-old Rick Lagina in Michigan. The story ignited a lifelong fascination that Rick shared
with his brother Marty. Decades later, in 2006, the brothers purchased 50% of Oak Island Tours from
David Tobias and began their own systematic search. The same article also proved pivotal for Dan
Blankenship, who read it and immediately told his wife about it - she reportedly responded, "So
what?" Blankenship was undeterred, and by 1967 had formed a syndicate to explore the island,
eventually dedicating over 50 years of his life to the search. The Reader's Digest article thus
served as the catalyst that brought together two of Oak Island's most important modern
treasure-hunting figures.

**Rick Lagina** (Team Member)
Co-leader of the current Oak Island expedition; dreamed of searching since reading about it as a boy in 1965.
Rick Lagina (January 25, 1952) is the co-leader of the current Oak Island treasure-hunting
expedition and co-owner of Oak Island Tours Inc. Born and raised in Kingsford, Michigan, Rick first
became captivated by the Oak Island mystery as an 11-year-old after reading a January 1965 Reader's
Digest article about the Money Pit. A retired United States Postal Service worker, Rick spent
decades nurturing the dream of searching Oak Island before convincing his brother Marty to pursue it
seriously. In 2006, the brothers purchased a controlling interest in Oak Island Tours Inc. Rick
eventually relocated to Nova Scotia to be closer to the dig, a testament to his commitment. On the
show and on the island, Rick is widely regarded as the emotional heart of the operation - the
dreamer whose philosophical reflections on the meaning of the search often resonate as deeply as any
artifact. His determination has kept the team focused through seasons of setbacks, and his genuine
belief in the mystery inspires both the team and millions of viewers worldwide.

**Robert Clotworthy** (Team Member)
Voice actor and narrator of The Curse of Oak Island and Ancient Aliens.
Robert Clotworthy (born October 24, 1955) is an American voice actor and narrator best known as the
distinctive voice behind The Curse of Oak Island and Ancient Aliens on the History Channel. A Los
Angeles native, Clotworthy was inspired to pursue voice acting by his father, a radio commercial
producer who introduced him to legendary voice talent including Mel Blanc and Jerry Stiller. His
narration style - authoritative yet approachable - has made catchphrases like "Could it be?" a
beloved part of the Oak Island fan experience. Producer Kevin Burns, who created both shows, was so
pleased with Clotworthy's delivery on Ancient Aliens that he made him the narrator for Oak Island as
well. Clotworthy has narrated over 200 episodes across both series. Beyond narration, he is known
for voicing Jim Raynor in Blizzard's StarCraft franchise, narrating the Emmy-nominated documentary
Empire of Dreams: The Story of the Star Wars Trilogy for George Lucas, and appearing in American
Sniper alongside Clint Eastwood. He is also a master of the Chinese martial art Kung Fu San Soo.

**Robert Dunfield** (Historical Figure)
Geologist who conducted massive bulldozing operations on the island in the 1960s.
Robert Dunfield was a geologist from California who obtained a lease on the Money Pit area in 1965.
He took a dramatically different approach to the treasure hunt, using heavy construction equipment
to excavate a massive open pit. His bulldozing operations permanently altered the landscape around
the Money Pit and destroyed much of the archaeological context. The causeway connecting Oak Island
to the mainland was built to bring his heavy machinery onto the island. While his methods were
controversial, his geological observations contributed to understanding the island's subsurface.

**Robert Restall** (Historical Figure)
Treasure hunter who died along with three others in a Money Pit shaft in 1965.
Robert Restall was a former carnival daredevil who moved his family to Oak Island in 1959 to search
for the treasure. On August 17, 1965, Restall was overcome by carbon monoxide or hydrogen sulfide
fumes while working in a shaft near the Money Pit. His son Bobby Restall and two other men - Karl
Graeser and Cyril Hiltz - died attempting to rescue him. The tragedy was the most devastating
incident in Oak Island's history and brought the death toll to four of the prophesied seven.

**Samuel Ball** (Historical Figure)
Former slave turned landowner on Oak Island; allegedly became mysteriously wealthy.
Samuel Ball was a formerly enslaved man who fought for the British during the American Revolution
and subsequently received a land grant in Nova Scotia. He acquired multiple lots on Oak Island,
including Lot 8, and became one of the area's most prosperous landowners. His unexplained wealth -
unusual for a farmer of his era and background - has led to speculation that he may have discovered
some form of treasure on the island. Archaeological investigation of his properties has revealed
coins and artifacts that deepen the mystery.

**Samuel de Champlain** (Historical Figure)
French explorer and cartographer who mapped the Nova Scotia coast in 1604, including the LaHave area near Oak Island.
Samuel de Champlain (c. 1567-1635) was a French navigator, cartographer, and explorer known as the
"Father of New France." In 1604, he co-led an expedition with Pierre Dugua de Mons to establish the
first French colony in Acadia, initially settling on Saint Croix Island before relocating to Port
Royal (present-day Annapolis Royal) in 1605. During these early voyages, Champlain mapped the Nova
Scotia coastline including the LaHave area - naming it Port de La Hève after Cap de la Hève in
France - placing him in the waters near Mahone Bay and Oak Island. He later founded Quebec City in
1608. Champlain's detailed charts of the region are among the earliest European maps of the Nova
Scotia coast and provide important historical documentation of the area surrounding Oak Island
decades before the earliest artifact dates. In 1607, Champlain reportedly found an old, moss-covered
cross near Advocate, Nova Scotia, which some attribute to earlier Portuguese explorer João Álvares
Fagundes.

**Scott Barlow** (Team Member)
Drilling expert and key operations team member.
Scott Barlow is a drilling expert who plays a key role in the Oak Island operations team. His
expertise in core drilling and caisson operations has been essential to the team's deep excavation
campaigns targeting the Money Pit and surrounding areas.

**Seismic Testing** (Technology)
Measures underground shock waves to map geological layers and anomalies.
Seismic testing involves generating controlled shock waves and measuring how they travel through
underground materials. Different geological layers and man-made structures reflect and refract
seismic waves differently, allowing scientists to create maps of subsurface features. On Oak Island,
seismic surveys have helped identify potential tunnels, voids, and changes in geological composition
that may indicate human engineering.

**Shaft 6** (Structure)
One of several historical shafts sunk around the Money Pit area.
Shaft 6 is one of numerous historical shafts excavated around the Money Pit area over the past two
centuries. Like other satellite shafts, it was dug in an attempt to reach the treasure from a
lateral angle, bypassing the flood tunnel system. The proliferation of shafts in the Money Pit area
has created a complex underground maze that complicates modern excavation efforts.

**Shakespeare Manuscripts Theory** (Theory)
Theory that Francis Bacon hid original Shakespeare manuscripts in the Money Pit.
The Shakespeare manuscripts theory proposes that Sir Francis Bacon, whom some believe was the true
author of Shakespeare's plays, concealed the original manuscripts in the Money Pit. Proponents argue
that Bacon had the means, motive, and connections to engineer such a hiding place, and that the
manuscripts would represent one of the most significant literary discoveries in history. The theory
gained traction in the 19th century during the height of the Bacon-Shakespeare authorship debate.

**Sir Francis Bacon** (Historical Figure)
English philosopher, statesman, and cryptographer (1561-1626) whose alleged authorship of Shakespeare's works and experiments with mercury preservation form the basis of a prominent Oak Island theory.
Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626) was an English philosopher, scientist, statesman, and cryptographer
who served as Lord Chancellor of England. Devotees known as "Baconians" contend he was the true
author of Shakespeare's plays and other contemporary literary works - a theory first proposed in the
mid-19th century and developed by researchers including Penn Leary, whose 1953 book "The Oak Island
Enigma" was the first to suggest Bacon's original manuscripts might be buried beneath Oak Island.
The theory rests on several intriguing connections: Bacon was a master of ciphers and codes, which
could link him to the enigmatic inscribed stone found in the Money Pit; he developed techniques for
preserving documents in mercury, which aligns with the empty mercury-traced flasks discovered during
early Money Pit searches; and a piece of parchment recovered from the pit in 1897 has been cited as
potential evidence of buried manuscripts. Bacon's protégé Thomas Bushell (c. 1593-1674) was an
experienced mining engineer who successfully recovered flooded mines using Cornish miners - skills
directly applicable to constructing the Money Pit's sophisticated drainage system. Bacon is also
connected to Shugborough Hall, site of the mysterious Shepherd's Monument and its unsolved
inscription, which links to the wider network of mysteries including Rennes-le-Château and the
Knights Templar. Norwegian researcher Petter Amundsen expanded the theory in Season 1, Episode 4,
arguing that coded messages in Shakespeare's First Folio point to Oak Island. Author Randall
Sullivan further explored the connection in Season 6, Episode 13 ("The Paper Chase"), noting that a
book of Bacon's philosophical writings references seas, pits, water, and shafts - bearing
resemblance to the Money Pit's booby traps. Some researchers have even suggested Bacon was the
secret son of Queen Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley.

**Sir William Alexander** (Historical Figure)
Scottish courtier who received the royal charter for Nova Scotia in 1621 and created the Knights Baronets to finance Scottish colonization.
Sir William Alexander, 1st Earl of Stirling (c. 1577-1640), was a Scottish poet, courtier, and
colonial entrepreneur who obtained the royal charter for Nova Scotia ("New Scotland") from King
James I in 1621. Granted all territory between New England and Newfoundland, Alexander devised the
Knights Baronets of Nova Scotia scheme to finance colonization - selling hereditary titles to
Scottish lairds and clan chiefs. His son, also William Alexander, brought 70 Scottish settlers to
Port Royal in 1629, where they established Charles Fort. This brief Scottish occupation ended in
1632 when the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye returned Acadia to France. Researcher James McQuiston,
a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland who has appeared on The Curse of Oak Island,
theorizes that Alexander and members of the Knights Baronets may have buried treasure on or near Oak
Island in the 1620s-1630s, connecting a massive treasure known to have been stolen in Scotland in
1622 to a "secret estate" believed to have been built at New Ross, just 20 miles from Oak Island.

**Smith's Cove** (Location)
Beach on the east side of Oak Island where artificial drains and structures have been found.
Smith's Cove is a beach area on the eastern shore of Oak Island that has yielded some of the
mystery's most compelling evidence of human engineering. In 1850, the Truro Company discovered an
elaborate system of box drains beneath the beach, made of carefully placed stones covered with eel
grass and coconut fiber - materials not native to Nova Scotia. These drains appear to channel
seawater into the flood tunnel system protecting the Money Pit. Later investigations revealed
additional structures including the U-shaped structure (possibly a wharf or slipway), a slipway, and
stone walls. Multiple cofferdams have been built at Smith's Cove over the centuries to hold back the
ocean during excavation.

**Solution Channel** (Theory)
Natural geological passage in bedrock dissolved by underground water flow.
A solution channel is a natural geological formation created when underground water gradually
dissolves soluble bedrock - in Oak Island's case, the anhydrite and gypsum layers beneath the
island. These channels form passages and voids through which water flows freely. The discovery of
solution channels beneath the Money Pit area has been both illuminating and controversial. Some
researchers argue that these natural formations could explain the persistent flooding that has
plagued treasure hunters for over two centuries, potentially without the need for the legendary
man-made "flood tunnels." Others maintain that the original builders may have exploited existing
solution channels, incorporating them into an engineered water management system. The presence of
solution channels also raises the possibility that any deposited treasure could have been displaced
by water movement over centuries. The debate over natural geology versus human engineering remains
one of the central questions of Oak Island research.

**Sophia Sellers** (Historical Figure)
Oak Island farmer whose ox fell into a sinkhole in 1878, revealing the Cave-in Pit  -  one of the most important accidental discoveries in the island's history.
In 1878, Sophia Sellers (née Graves) was ploughing a field on Oak Island's eastern end when the
ground suddenly gave way beneath her team of oxen. One animal plunged into a well-like hole roughly
eight feet in diameter and up to fifteen feet deep. A heavy wooden tripod was erected over the shaft
to haul the ox out, and the hole was filled with boulders. The sinkhole, located approximately 350
feet east of the Money Pit and 170 feet from Smith's Cove, became known as the Cave-in Pit. Its
position - directly on the line between Smith's Cove and the Money Pit - convinced treasure hunters
that it was a collapsed air shaft or ventilation tunnel used during the original construction of the
flood tunnel system. When Frederick Blair later drilled into the Cave-in Pit, pick marks were
visible on the hard clay walls, and oak timbers were found at depths of 62 and 100 feet - evidence
that pointed to deliberate construction rather than a natural sinkhole. Sophia was the daughter of
Anthony Graves, one of Oak Island's early landowners. She and her husband leased portions of their
land to successive treasure-hunting syndicates, including the Old Gold Salvage and Wrecking Company
in 1909. She remains one of the very few women named in Oak Island's 230-year history, and her
accidental discovery provided a crucial piece of physical evidence that the island's underground
workings extended far beyond the Money Pit itself.

**South Shore Cove** (Location)
Cove on the island's south side with evidence of historic activity.
South Shore Cove is an area along Oak Island's southern coastline that has shown evidence of
historical human activity. Investigation of this area has contributed to the understanding that the
original depositors likely used multiple access points around the island for their operations.

**Spoils Screening** (Technology)
Washing and sifting excavated material through screens to find small artifacts.
Spoils screening is the process of washing and sifting excavated material through progressively
finer screens to recover small artifacts that might otherwise be missed. On Oak Island, material
brought up from drilling and caisson excavation is run through a wash table where team members
carefully inspect the spoils for fragments of wood, metal, bone, pottery, and other materials. This
painstaking process has yielded many important finds including bone fragments with Middle Eastern
DNA.

**Stone Roadway** (Structure)
Paved stone surface found in the Swamp, carbon-dated to approximately 1200 AD.
The Stone Roadway is a carefully constructed paved surface discovered during excavation of the
Swamp. Carbon dating of organic material associated with the roadway placed its construction around
1200 AD - centuries before the European settlement of Nova Scotia and the 1795 Money Pit discovery.
The roadway's existence suggests organized activity on Oak Island during the medieval period,
consistent with theories involving the Knights Templar or other pre-Columbian European visitors.

**Swamp Ship** (Theory)
A 200-foot ship-shaped anomaly detected beneath Oak Island's triangular swamp.
The Swamp Ship refers to a roughly 200-foot-long anomaly detected beneath the triangular swamp on
Oak Island via seismic survey conducted by Eagle Canada during Season 6. The shape of the anomaly
bears a resemblance to the profile of a sailing vessel, lending credibility to the long-held theory
- championed by the late treasure hunter Fred Nolan - that a ship was deliberately scuttled and
buried in the swamp. Evidence supporting the theory includes the recovery of worked wood with
treenails, an iron bracket dated to 1710-1790 that blacksmith expert Carmen Legge identified as a
ship's bracket that had been in a fierce fire, iron spikes consistent with galleon construction, and
a wooden ship's railing carbon-dated to the 7th or 8th century. Geoscientist Dr. Ian Spooner has
determined that the swamp is only three to four hundred years old and was likely dry land before
being deliberately flooded. During a Season 11 research trip to a Viking Ship Museum in Iceland, the
team noted the similarity between a reconstructed Viking cargo vessel and the swamp evidence,
raising the possibility of a Norse connection.

**Terry Matheson** (Team Member)
Geoscientist who provides analysis of geological and material findings.
Terry Matheson is a geoscientist who provides expert analysis of geological samples and material
findings from Oak Island. His scientific assessments help the team understand the composition, age,
and significance of materials recovered during drilling and excavation operations.

**The Baby Blob** (Structure)
Smaller subsurface anomaly detected near the main Money Pit target.
The Baby Blob is the informal name given by the team to a smaller subsurface anomaly detected near
the main target area beneath the Money Pit. Identified through drilling and scanning technology, it
represents one of several underground features that the team has targeted for investigation using
caisson excavation.

**The Big Dig** (Expedition)
Major excavation campaign using large caissons to reach the Money Pit's deepest levels.
The Big Dig refers to the team's most ambitious excavation campaign, using progressively larger
caissons to reach the deepest levels of the Money Pit. This multi-season effort represents the
culmination of years of research, drilling, and planning, with the goal of finally reaching the
original deposit chamber. The Big Dig has employed the largest caissons ever used on Oak Island,
penetrating through centuries of collapsed tunnels and previous searcher shafts to reach virgin
ground at depth.

**The Causeway** (Location)
200-meter road connecting Oak Island to the mainland, built in 1965.
The Causeway is a 200-meter road connecting Oak Island to Crandall's Point on the Nova Scotia
mainland. It was constructed in 1965 by Robert Dunfield to bring heavy excavation machinery onto the
island. Before the causeway, all access to Oak Island was by boat. The causeway fundamentally
changed operations on the island, enabling large-scale mechanical excavation that continues to this
day.

**The Cofferdam** (Structure)
Barrier walls built at Smith's Cove to hold back the ocean during excavation.
A cofferdam is a watertight enclosure pumped dry to allow construction or excavation work below the
waterline. Multiple cofferdams have been built at Smith's Cove over the centuries by various
treasure-hunting groups, including the current Lagina team. These temporary barriers hold back the
ocean to allow investigation of the box drains, flood tunnels, and other structures buried beneath
the beach. The construction and maintenance of cofferdams represents one of the most expensive and
technically challenging aspects of Oak Island operations.

**The Curse** (Theory)
Legend that seven people must die before the treasure is revealed; six have died so far.
The Curse of Oak Island refers to a legend stating that seven people must die before the island's
treasure can be found. As of the present day, six people have died during treasure-hunting
operations: one in 1861, four in 1965 (the Restall tragedy), and one in a separate incident. The
curse has become central to the mythology of Oak Island and serves as the namesake for the History
Channel television series. Whether viewed as supernatural warning or tragic coincidence, the death
toll adds a somber dimension to the treasure hunt.

**The Curse of Oak Island** (Expedition)
History Channel TV series documenting the Lagina brothers' search, premiered January 5, 2014.
The Curse of Oak Island is a reality television series airing on the History Channel that documents
Rick and Marty Lagina's ongoing search for treasure on Oak Island. The show premiered on January 5,
2014, and has become one of the History Channel's highest-rated programs. It follows the team
through each season's discoveries, expert consultations, and excavation campaigns. The series has
brought worldwide attention to the 230-year-old mystery and introduced millions of viewers to Oak
Island's story.

**The Garden Shaft** (Structure)
Shaft near the Money Pit sunk by multiple expeditions; produced significant finds.
The Garden Shaft is one of several shafts dug in the immediate vicinity of the Money Pit by various
treasure-hunting expeditions. Named for its location near what was once a garden area, the shaft has
intersected with tunnels and produced artifacts at various depths. It serves as one of many access
points that searchers have used over the centuries in attempts to reach the Money Pit treasure from
different angles.

**The Hatch** (Structure)
Stone and wood feature in the Swamp interpreted as a possible entry point.
The Hatch is a stone and timber feature discovered during Swamp excavation that has been interpreted
as a possible entry point or access cover for an underground structure. Its construction suggests
deliberate engineering, and its location within the Swamp supports theories that the wetland area
conceals significant man-made features.

**The Shepherds of Arcadia** (Theory)
Painting by Nicolas Poussin (c. 1637-1638) depicting shepherds at a tomb inscribed "Et in Arcadia Ego" - a work reproduced on the Shepherd's Monument at Shugborough Hall and linked to Oak Island through geometric analysis.
The Shepherds of Arcadia, formally titled "Et in Arcadia Ego," is an oil painting by Nicolas Poussin
completed around 1637-1638. It depicts a pastoral scene in which a woman and three shepherds examine
a tomb bearing the Latin inscription "Et in Arcadia ego" - commonly interpreted as "Even in Arcadia,
I [Death] exist," a memento mori reflecting on mortality even in paradise. It is Poussin's second
treatment of this subject; an earlier version (c. 1627) shows a more dramatic composition. The
painting's relevance to Oak Island stems from multiple connections. Around 1748-1763, Thomas Anson
commissioned Flemish sculptor Peter Scheemakers to create a mirror-image relief copy of the painting
for the Shepherd's Monument at Shugborough Hall in Staffordshire, England. The monument was funded
by Thomas's brother, Admiral George Anson. Below the relief, the mysterious Shugborough Inscription
- eight letters flanked by 'D' and 'M' - has never been satisfactorily decoded, though proposed
solutions range from a memorial dedication to coordinates pointing to Oak Island. The painting
became even more famous through its role in the Rennes-le-Château mystery, where a nearby tomb was
said to resemble the one in the painting. Authors Henry Lincoln, Michael Baigent, and Richard Leigh
wove Poussin into their 1982 bestseller "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail," suggesting the painter
held secret knowledge of a sacred bloodline. On the show, researcher Corjan Mol has argued that
geometric figures embedded in the painting function as a coded map, with alignments pointing to Oak
Island. The broader "Arcadian" theme - connecting Oak Island, Shugborough Hall, Versailles, and
Rennes-le-Château through art, architecture, and symbolism - remains one of the most elaborate
theoretical frameworks explored on the series.

**The Spoils** (Structure)
Excavated material screening area where drill spoils are washed and examined.
The Spoils refers to the material extracted during drilling and excavation operations, as well as
the screening area where this material is carefully washed and sifted for artifacts. Spoils
screening has produced many significant finds, including small metal objects, bone fragments, and
other materials that would otherwise be lost. The wash table and screening process have become an
essential part of the team's methodology.

**The Swamp** (Location)
Triangle-shaped swamp believed to be a former cove; contains anomalous materials.
The Swamp is a triangular wetland area on Oak Island that Dr. Ian Spooner of Acadia University has
determined was once an open saltwater cove. Core samples revealed a significant saltwater intrusion
dating to the late 1300s or early 1400s, suggesting possible human manipulation of the landscape.
Excavation of the Swamp has uncovered ship's spikes, a stone roadway carbon-dated to approximately
1200 AD, and other anomalous materials. The team believes the Swamp may have been deliberately
filled in to conceal a wharf or vessel, making it one of the most promising areas of investigation.

**The Uplands** (Location)
Higher elevation area of the island where structures and paths have been identified.
The Uplands refers to the higher ground on Oak Island where various stone structures, cleared paths,
and other features have been identified through LIDAR scanning and ground-level investigation. These
features suggest organized activity across the island's interior, beyond the well-known Money Pit
and Smith's Cove areas.

**Tom Nolan** (Team Member)
Son of the late Fred Nolan; continues his father's legacy as a team contributor.
Tom Nolan is the son of the late Fred Nolan, the surveyor who discovered Nolan's Cross and spent
decades searching for treasure on his own Oak Island properties. After his father's passing in 2016,
Tom has worked with the Lagina team, bringing his father's accumulated knowledge and land access to
the joint effort. His participation represents the unification of previously rival treasure-hunting
factions on the island.

**Top-Pocket Find** (Expedition)
Gary Drayton's catchphrase for an artifact good enough to keep in your top pocket.
A "top-pocket find" is metal detectorist Gary Drayton's signature catchphrase, used to describe an
artifact significant enough that you'd want to keep it safe in your top pocket. The expression has
become one of the most beloved and recognizable phrases from The Curse of Oak Island, embodying
Drayton's enthusiasm and expertise. Fans of the show frequently reference the phrase, and it has
become synonymous with a significant discovery.

**Treasure Trove Act** (Expedition)
Nova Scotia legislation governing treasure hunting on Oak Island.
The Treasure Trove Act and its successor, the Oak Island Treasure Act, are pieces of Nova Scotia
provincial legislation that regulate treasure hunting on the island. The original Treasure Trove
Act, first enacted in 1954 and revised in 1989, required treasure hunters to obtain a license from
the provincial government before conducting any excavation. The act outlined the terms for splitting
any recovered treasure between the finder and the Crown. In July 2010, the Nova Scotia Department of
Natural Resources granted Oak Island Tours a treasure trove license allowing operations until
December 31, 2010. After that date, the departments repealed the treasure trove license system and
replaced it with the Oak Island Treasure Act, which became effective January 1, 2011. The new act
specifically governs treasure hunting on Oak Island under terms of a license issued by the Minister
of Natural Resources, providing a more tailored legal framework for the island's unique situation.
The legislation has been both a necessary safeguard for Nova Scotia's heritage and, at times, a
source of frustration for treasure hunters whose operations have been halted or delayed by licensing
disputes.

**Tree Symbolism** (Theory)
Markings on trees and stone triangles may have served as coded navigational markers.
The tree symbolism theory proposes that markings found on trees, stone triangles, and other surface
features of Oak Island served as a coded system of navigational markers created by the original
depositors. These markers would have allowed the builders to relocate their treasure while appearing
innocuous to outsiders. Several stone triangles and marked trees were documented by early searchers
before being destroyed by subsequent operations.

**Triton Alliance** (Expedition)
Dan Blankenship and David Tobias's company that drilled 10-X in the 1970s.
The Triton Alliance was formed by Dan Blankenship and David Tobias in the 1970s to conduct a major
investigation of Oak Island. The company's most notable achievement was the drilling of Borehole
10-X to a depth of 235 feet, where a camera captured footage of what appeared to be an underground
cavern. The Triton Alliance represented one of the most well-funded and technologically advanced
searches prior to the Lagina era, and Blankenship's work during this period laid the groundwork for
much of the current understanding of the island's underground features.

**Truro Company** (Expedition)
The 1849 expedition that discovered the flood tunnel system and coconut fiber.
The Truro Company was formed in 1849 to resume excavation of the Money Pit. Their most significant
contribution was the discovery of the flood tunnel system - they determined that seawater was
entering the pit through an engineered channel connected to Smith's Cove. Investigating the beach,
they found the elaborate box drain system covered with coconut fiber and eel grass. The Truro
Company also conducted some of the first drilling operations at depth, reportedly bringing up
fragments including chain links and a piece of parchment with writing on it.

**U-Shaped Structure** (Structure)
Large wooden structure discovered at Smith's Cove, possibly a wharf or slipway.
The U-Shaped Structure is a large formation of wooden logs and beams discovered at Smith's Cove
during excavation by the current team. The structure extends from the shoreline and is believed to
have served as a wharf, slipway, or cofferdam used by the original depositors. Dendrochronology and
carbon dating have placed the structure's construction in the period consistent with other
engineering features on the island. Its discovery provided further evidence of large-scale maritime
activity at Smith's Cove.

**Versailles Alignment** (Theory)
A theory presented in Season 8 proposing that Nolan's Cross, the Palace of Versailles, and the Temple Mount in Jerusalem form a deliberate geometric alignment across the Atlantic.
The Versailles Alignment is a theory presented by researchers Corjan Mol and Christopher Morford in
Season 8, Episode 4 ("Alignment"). The theory demonstrates that an infinite line drawn through the
spine of Nolan's Cross - the arrangement of large boulders on Oak Island - forms an arc across the
Atlantic Ocean that aligns with the Royal Way (Grande Perspective), the east-west axis bisecting the
gardens of the Palace of Versailles. When extended further southeast, this same line intersects the
Temple Mount in Jerusalem - the site of Solomon's Temple and the original headquarters of the
Knights Templar. The theory proposes that the grounds of Versailles were deliberately arranged in
the shape of a Menorah, the golden seven-branched lampstand that illuminated the Holy of Holies in
Solomon's Temple. Mol and Morford argued that the Knights Templar recovered Solomon's treasure -
including two Menorahs built before and after the destruction of the First Temple in 587 BC - and
that an unknown group ensured the Palace of Versailles was oriented to mark a line connecting
Jerusalem to the treasure's ultimate hiding place on Oak Island. The theory is strengthened by the
fact that King Louis XIV purchased Poussin's "Shepherds of Arcadia" in 1685 and displayed it at
Versailles.

**War Room** (Structure)
The team's on-island operations center where evidence is analyzed and plans are made.
The War Room is the team's command center on Oak Island, where discoveries are analyzed, experts are
consulted, and operational decisions are made. Featured prominently in the TV series, the War Room
is where the team gathers to examine artifacts, review scientific analysis results, discuss
theories, and plan next steps. It has become one of the most recognizable settings of The Curse of
Oak Island.

**Western Shore** (Location)
Mainland community across from Oak Island; starting point for island access.
Western Shore is the mainland community in Nova Scotia located directly across the water from Oak
Island. It serves as the primary access point for reaching the island via the causeway. The Oak
Island Resort & Conference Centre in Western Shore offers boat tours of the island for visitors.

**William Chappell** (Historical Figure)
Drilling operator who discovered the Chappell Vault in 1897 and returned in 1931 to lead his own major excavation of the Money Pit.
William Chappell first came to Oak Island in 1897 as a drilling operator for Frederick Blair's Oak
Island Treasure Company. Working from a platform at the 90-foot level, Chappell's drill probed
deeper than anyone had gone before - and what he found changed the course of the treasure hunt. At
153-155 feet, the drill struck a seven-inch layer of cement, followed by five inches of oak, then
roughly two and a half feet of soft, loose metal. This structure became known as the Chappell Vault.
Among the core samples brought up was the famous scrap of parchment bearing the letters "vi" or "wi"
in India ink - one of the most compelling artifacts ever recovered from the Money Pit. Chappell also
secretly found traces of gold on his drill bit during the operation, a discovery he concealed from
fellow crew members and only revealed decades later to Frederick Blair. In 1931, Chappell returned
to Oak Island leading his own syndicate, Chappells Limited of Sydney, Nova Scotia, accompanied by
his brother Renerick, his son Melbourne, and nephew Claude. They sank a 12-by-14-foot shaft to 163
feet southwest of where the 1897 drilling had taken place. Though they found an old anchor fluke at
116 feet, a rusted Acadian axe at 123 feet, and a pickaxe with a miner's seal oil lamp at 127 feet,
they never relocated the vault. The Depression forced Chappell to abandon the search.

**William Phips** (Historical Figure)
17th-century treasure hunter who recovered a Spanish shipwreck fortune; possible Oak Island connection.
Sir William Phips was a 17th-century colonial figure from Massachusetts who became famous for
recovering treasure from a sunken Spanish galleon in 1687. His success made him wealthy and
eventually led to his appointment as the first royal governor of Massachusetts. Some researchers
have theorized a connection between Phips' treasure-hunting activities and Oak Island, given his
operations in the Atlantic maritime region during a period consistent with the island's engineering.

**X-Ray Fluorescence** (Technology)
Portable analysis determining the elemental composition of metal artifacts.
X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) is a non-destructive analytical technique that determines the elemental
composition of materials by measuring the fluorescent X-rays emitted when a sample is excited by a
primary X-ray source. On Oak Island, portable XRF analyzers are used in the field to quickly
determine the composition of metal artifacts, helping the team assess whether finds are gold,
silver, lead, copper, or alloys - and potentially identifying their geographic origin based on trace
element signatures.

**Zena Halpern** (Team Member)
New York-based historian who spent decades researching Oak Island's Templar connections and provided the team with a controversial French map of the island.
Zena Halpern (died 2018) was a New York-based independent historian who devoted approximately fifty
years to studying Oak Island and its possible connections to the Knights Templar. She developed a
close friendship with Rick Lagina and became a valued contributor to the Oak Island investigation.
Halpern authored "The Templar Mission to Oak Island and Beyond," in which she presented a hand-drawn
French map of Oak Island that became one of the show's most debated pieces of evidence. She also
provided the team with a document known as "La Formule," a coded cipher purportedly linked to the
Templars. Her research connected the La Rochefoucauld family, French Admiral Jean-Baptiste du Casse,
and the Knights Templar to Oak Island. While the authenticity of her documents has been contested by
scholars - with some noting modern French errors and anachronistic elements - the map has guided
significant portions of the team's excavation work, including the search for "the Hatch" and other
features labeled on the document.

**Zena Halpern Map** (Theory)
A controversial hand-drawn French map of Oak Island, presented by researcher Zena Halpern, that has guided significant portions of the treasure hunt.
The Zena Halpern Map is a hand-drawn document in French depicting Oak Island with labeled features
including "the Money Pit," "the Hatch," "the Valve," and an anchor point. The map was discovered by
researcher Zena Halpern, reportedly hidden within a book, and was first presented to the Oak Island
team around Season 5 of The Curse of Oak Island. A dedication in the upper corner references the La
Rochefoucauld family, and the number 1347 appears on the document - which the show controversially
presented as a date, though linguistic analysis suggests it may be a distance measurement rather
than a year. The map has been attributed by some researchers to French Admiral Jean-Baptiste du
Casse, who may have drawn it for his son-in-law Louis de La Rochefoucauld, Marquis de Roye. Its
authenticity remains hotly debated: critics note modern French errors, anachronistic vocabulary
(including the use of "Indien" suggesting post-1492 knowledge), and fully modern letter forms
inconsistent with a medieval document. Despite these concerns, several features labeled on the map
have corresponded with actual findings on the island, and it continues to influence the team's
excavation strategy.

Total glossary terms: 155

---

# ARTIFACTS

Catalog of discoveries found on and around Oak Island.
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/artifacts

**'Ball' name tag**
Date: Late 18th century
Found: Near Samuel Ball's home
When: Lagina era
Type: Artifact
Tag with 'Ball' engraved; likely belonged to Samuel Ball

**14th-century barter token**
Date: 14th century
Found: Lot 5
When: Season 11 (2024)
Type: Artifact
A barter token dated to the 14th century, found on Lot 5 alongside Roman coins and Venetian beads.
This is in fact a children's toy, used with a piece of string to produce a sound.

**1671 Order of the Garter Medallion**
Date: 1671
Found: New Ross
Type: Artifact
A rare knighthood medallion for the Order of the Garter, dated 1671 and inscribed in French in
honour of King Charles II, discovered in the soil near New Ross, Nova Scotia, less than 20 miles
from Oak Island. Only three knights received this medallion that year: Charles XI of Sweden, John
George II of Saxony, and Christopher Monck, 2nd Duke of Albemarle. Author and historian James
McQuiston, a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, argues the medallion belonged to
Monck and was given to Sir William Phips as an honorary knighthood token after Phips recovered a
fortune from the Spanish treasure ship Nuestra Señora de la Concepción in 1687, a salvage
operation in which Monck was the principal investor. Phips later served as governor of Nova Scotia
from 1691 to 1695, placing him directly in the area where the medallion was found. McQuiston
believes the medallion's presence at New Ross supports the theory that Phips visited the site,
possibly in connection with hidden treasure from the Concepción.

**1700s spike**
Date: 1700s
Found: Lot 26
When: Season 6
Type: Artifact
Possibly from fishing wharf of pirate Captain James Anderson

**1704 stone**
Date: Inscription reads '1704'
Found: Oak Island surface
When: Historical
Type: Carved_stone
Stone with date inscription; predates Money Pit discovery by 91 years

**1781 Spanish half-real silver coin**
Date: 1781 AD
Found: Lot 5
When: Pre-2020
Type: Coin
Found by previous Lot 5 owner Robert S. Young (1996-2020)

**17th-century small coin**
Date: 17th century
Found: Lot 16
When: Season 5, Ep. 8
Type: Coin
Consistent with pattern of 17th-century activity finds

**1850 Cofferdam remains**
Date: 1850
Found: Smith's Cove
When: 1909; later
Type: Structure
Remnants of searcher-built cofferdam found by Bowdoin expedition --- CONTEXT FROM CARBON DATING
RECORDS --- The 1850 cofferdam at Smith's Cove is attributed to the Truro Company's treasure
recovery operations. However, Dan Blankenship's 1969-1970 excavations inside the cofferdam area
revealed much older wooden structures beneath and alongside the cofferdam remains. The Geochron
Laboratories dating of an oak peg from a timber structure in this area returned 1090 ±140 BP (~860
AD, range 720-1000), and an inclined beam returned 815 ±110 BP (~1135 AD, range 1025-1245). These
medieval dates suggest the 1850 cofferdam was built over or near pre-existing structures of
considerably greater antiquity. Blankenship's September 1970 report describes finding the remains of
a stone-paved road from the cofferdam area toward the Money Pit, a large horseshoe-shaped stone and
cement foundation approximately 150 feet south of Smith's Cove beach (roughly 12' wide, 25' long, 3'
deep with cemented stones), and evidence of extensive heat and burning along the shore with charcoal
and coal deposits. He speculated this could be the site of a steam boiler used by searchers, or
alternatively an original hearth furnace for metalwork.

**18th-century wharf nail**
Date: 18th century
Found: Boulderless Beach (near Isaac's Point)
When: Season 5, Ep. 5
Type: Artifact
Evidence of dock/wharf infrastructure

**Adze Head**
Date: 1620-1740 (blacksmith analysis)
Found: Lot 4, near area marked on Zena Halpern's map as "The Hole under the Hatch"
When: 2021
Type: Artifact
An iron adze head unearthed on Lot 4 during metal detection by Gary Drayton and Rick Lagina in 2021
(Season 9). An adze is a wood-finishing tool with roots dating back to ancient Egypt, used to shape
timber into smooth, flat surfaces - particularly ship decks and planking. Blacksmith expert Carmen
Legge examined the artifact and identified it as an old English design, the kind used specifically
for shaping wood into decks and planking. In his opinion, the tool was forged sometime between 1620
and 1740, placing it firmly in the pre-discovery era. The find is notable for both its age and its
location. Lot 4 sits in a zone that Zena Halpern's purported Templar map marks as "The Hole under
the Hatch" - an area the team has investigated for possible underground features. The presence of a
shipwright's tool on this lot suggests skilled woodworking took place on Oak Island centuries before
the Money Pit was discovered in 1795. The adze head gained renewed significance during the Season 10
premiere, when wood fragments recovered from borehole K15.5 at a depth of over 100 feet in the Money
Pit area showed what appeared to be adze marks - cut patterns consistent with the very type of tool
found on Lot 4. Carbon dating on those timbers returned dates ranging from 1640 to 1806, overlapping
with the estimated age of the adze itself.

**Adze-marked wood**
Date: Colonial era
Found: Swamp, west of stone wharf
When: Season 9
Type: Material
Piece of wood bearing concave scrape marks that Gary Drayton attributed to an adze, recovered from
the swamp west of the stone wharf. Found in the same area as a trapezoid-shaped piece Gary thought
came from inside a ship and another shaped piece resembling an oar or paddle. Marine archaeologist
Dr. E. Lee Spence was called in to evaluate the swamp ship evidence.

**Ancient trade weight**
Date: Unknown; ancient
Found: Swamp, near stone wharf
When: Season 8+
Type: Artifact
Traditionally used to measure and distribute precious metals

**Ardoise Hill Gravestone (C. Manulis, 1558)**
Date: 1558
Found: Ardoise Hill, Nova Scotia
Type: Carved_stone
A slate gravestone discovered around 1900 on Ardoise Hill, near Windsor, Nova Scotia - approximately
40 miles northeast of Oak Island. The stone measures twelve inches long, six inches high, and a
quarter inch thick. Its face bears a shield with a chevron and sword, an arrow, a skull and
crossbones, and a Latin inscription: "C. Manulis, Hic Jacet; A.M.DLVIII" - translated as "Here lies
C. Manulis, 1558."Historian Larry Loomer, who published the only known account of the stone in
Windsor, Nova Scotia - A Journey in History (1996), described it as the oldest known inscribed
gravestone in Hants County. He suggested the deceased may have been a member of a Portuguese fishing
party who died and was buried inland. The stone was reportedly still held in private hands at the
time of Loomer's writing and is not presently available for detailed study.The gravestone was cited
by researcher Terry J. Deveau in his 2015 analysis of the Overton Stone as part of a broader body of
evidence for 16th-century Portuguese exploration and settlement in Nova Scotia. A burial dated to
1558 places a named individual of apparent European origin in the Nova Scotia interior during the
very period when the Portuguese are documented to have been making territorial claims in Atlantic
Canada. The Fagundes colony in Cape Breton may still have been active at this date, and the Barcelos
family from the Azores was engaged in settlement activities on the Nova Scotia coast from at least
1508. If authentic, the Manulis gravestone represents rare physical evidence of a Portuguese
presence that extended beyond coastal fishing stations into the Nova Scotian heartland -
strengthening the case for sustained European activity in the region more than two centuries before
the Money Pit's discovery.

**Ashbury ware ceramic shard**
Date: Unknown
Found: Lot 5
When: Season 12, Episode 19 (2025)
Type: Artifact
Shard of Ashbury ware ceramic found on Lot 5 alongside other historical artifacts including a wharf
pin nail.

**Axe**
Date: 17th century or earlier
Found: Money Pit area, 127 ft depth
When: 1931
Type: Artifact
Found during William Chappell excavation of 163-ft shaft

**Axe Head**
Date: Early 1700s (blacksmith and archaeologist assessment)
Found: Lot 15, near the stone walls and suspected tar kiln
When: 2020
Type: Artifact
A broken hand-forged axe head unearthed on Lot 15 by Gary Drayton and Jack Begley during metal
detection in the Season 8 premiere. The find was made near the stone walls and the structure later
identified as the remains of an English pine tar kiln, dated by blacksmith expert Carmen Legge to
1550-1620. Both Drayton and archaeologist Laird Niven assessed the axe head as dating to the early
1700s. It was presented alongside other Lot 15 finds in a War Room meeting, including a copper coin
with a square hole through its centre - a colonial-era artifact that Drayton designated a top pocket
find - and ox shoes later dated by Carmen Legge to 1650-1750. Lot 15 proved to be one of the most
archaeologically rich areas investigated during Season 8, yielding not only these metal-detected
artifacts but also the stone structure that David MacInnes and his team excavated and identified as
a tar kiln. Niven suggested the kiln may have been linked to construction of the Money Pit itself,
noting that the tar fires could explain the legendary mysterious lights seen flickering on Oak
Island at night.

**Barrel hoop (iron, large)**
Date: Pre-1795
Found: Garden Shaft
When: Season 10
Type: Artifact
Part of a large iron barrel hoop recovered by Ronnie MacKenzie and Bert Marceau during
reconstruction of the Garden Shaft. The team noted this was the first hoop recovered despite having
previously found barrel staves, and sent the piece to Carmen Legge for examination. The Garden Shaft
dates to as early as 1735 based on wood samples, and water and wood from the shaft have tested
positive for gold.

**Barrel of a hand cannon**
Date: 1200s-1500s
Found: Western Swamp, during excavation of the area near the Stone Road Feature.
When: Season 13 (2025)
Type: Artifact
A corroded iron tube identified as the barrel of a hand cannon - one of the earliest forms of
firearms, originating in 12th-century China and widely used across Europe from the 1200s through the
early 1500s. Gary Drayton initially suggested the artifact could be a petronel (an early
muzzle-loading firearm), while archaeologist Laird Niven proposed it was a hand cannon.
Archaeometallurgist Emma Culligan analysed the artifact and found its mineral content to be clean,
dating it to the 1700s or older and confirming its European origin. A CT scan revealed a touch hole
- the small aperture through which a flame or slow match would ignite the powder charge - confirming
its identification as a hand cannon rather than a simple tube or ferrule. Maltese military historian
Matthew Balzan, who had worked with the team during their visit to Malta the previous season,
examined the piece and confirmed it appeared to be a hand cannon consistent with examples used in
Europe from the 1200s to the early 1500s. Balzan also raised the intriguing possibility that it may
have been repurposed as a tool for directing gunpowder to fracture rock - a technique that would
predate conventional blasting. The team suggested this could connect to the construction of the
nearby Stone Road Feature. The find adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting a Portuguese
presence on Oak Island, alongside previously discovered artifacts including a piece of a Portuguese
breech swivel gun, other cannon fragments, and shot made from volcanic rock sourced from Portuguese
colonies. Portuguese colonists are known to have been active in Nova Scotia until the mid-to-late
1500s.

**Barrote Nail (Spanish Galleon)**
Date: 1575–1600
Found: Swamp, north end
When: Season 4 (2017)
Type: Artifact
A large wrought iron nail discovered by Gary Drayton in the north end of the Oak Island swamp.
Although it initially resembled a railroad spike, antiquities expert Dr. Lori Verderame identified
it as a barrote nail of the type used in the construction of Spanish galleon decks, dated to between
1575 and 1600. Barrote nails were heavy hand-forged fasteners driven through the thick planking of
galleon decks and into the underlying beams. Their presence on Oak Island places a Spanish-built
vessel or its salvaged timbers in the immediate vicinity during the late 16th century, decades
before any recorded European settlement in the area.

**Blackened/burnt wood**
Date: Carbon dated: c. 1100 AD
Found: Eye of the Swamp
When: Season 7
Type: Material
Burnt wood from swamp centre; evidence of very early human activity

**Block and tackle hook**
Date: 1650-1690
Found: Lot 11 well spoils
When: Season 10
Type: Artifact
Hand-forged hook recovered by Gary Drayton from the spoils during excavation of the hidden well on
Lot 11 that Fred Nolan discovered in the 1970s. Carmen Legge identified the long shank as
characteristic of a block and tackle, a device invented by the Greek scientist Archimedes in 250 BC
to raise and lower heavy objects. Carmen dated the hook to 1650 to 1690.

**Blue clay layer**
Date: Unknown
Found: Money Pit, below 153 ft
When: 1897
Type: Material
30-foot layer of blue clay (hand-worked watertight mixture of clay, sand and water)

**Boatswain's whistle (bone/ivory)**
Date: Unknown; possibly walrus tusk ivory
Found: Smith's Cove
When: c. 1885 or 1901
Type: Artifact
Made of bone or ivory; could indicate Viking/Norse connections if walrus tusk; craftsmanship
suggests ancient seafaring culture

**Bone-handled knife**
Date: 1750s to late 1700s
Found: Lot 21, Daniel McGinnis foundation root cellar
When: Season 7
Type: Artifact
Bone-handled knife recovered by archaeologist Laird Niven near the bottom of the deep, rock-filled
root cellar at the Daniel McGinnis foundation on Lot 21. Laird dated it to the 1750s through end of
the 1700s, making it the oldest artifact from the McGinnis home site. The cellar featured a trap
door entrance Laird had never encountered before, and the home proved larger and the artifacts older
than anticipated.

**Borehole 10-X camera images**
Date: Unknown
Found: Borehole 10-X, 235 ft
When: 1971
Type: Document
Cameras allegedly recorded possible chests, human remains, wooden cribbing, tools in underwater
cave; images unclear and unconfirmed; 2016 divers found nothing

**Box drains (fan-shaped)**
Date: Pre-1795
Found: Smith's Cove
When: 1850
Type: Structure
Five stone-walled drains in fan shape converging at sump; designed to feed seawater to Money Pit
flood tunnel; coconut fibre filter layer above

**Brass fragment (Borehole 21)**
Date: Unknown
Found: Borehole 21, 176 ft depth
When: 1967
Type: Artifact
Thin brass embedded in putty-like blue clay, 10 ft below surrounding bedrock

**Britannia coins: 1673 (Charles II) and 1694 (William III)**
Date: 1673 and 1694 AD
Found: Shore / near Money Pit
When: Season 2+
Type: Coin
Gary Drayton find; 100+ years before Money Pit discovery; one had Templar cross on it

**British copper coin**
Date: 17th century
Found: Lot 32
When: Season 9
Type: Coin
Coin recovered by Michael John on Lot 32 that Gary Drayton identified as an old British copper,
similar to two 17th-century coins found on Lot 16 four years earlier. The coin was sent to Kelly
Bourassa for conservation. Lot 32 has also yielded a wharf spike, lead bag seal, rock stake dated to
1710-1740, and ox shoes.

**British naval officer's button**
Date: 1804-1825
Found: Lot 25 (Ball's home foundation)
When: Lagina era
Type: Artifact
Found by Alex Lagina; raises question of why naval officer visited 'simple cabbage farmer'

**Brooklyn Symbols**
Found: On the beach of Brooklyn, Nova Scotia
When: Season 10, Episode 11
Type: Carved_stone
4 symbols carved into a large boulder on the shoreline near the tripod / goose paw symbol.

**Buried structure (14 ft, swamp)**
Date: Unknown (possibly pre-Money Pit)
Found: Swamp (northern area)
When: Season 12, Episode 21 (2025)
Type: Structure
A 14-foot-long structure detected by scanner, buried approximately 4 feet below the swamp surface.
The find potentially matches historical descriptions by the late surveyor Fred Nolan of a submerged
wall in the swamp area. Located near the previously identified brick vault-like structure.

**Bush Scythe Fragments**
Date: Mid-17th century (blacksmith analysis and metal composition)
Found: Near the well on Lot 26
When: 2022
Type: Artifact
Multiple iron fragments identified as parts of bush scythes, discovered through metal detection near
the mysterious stone well on Lot 26 during Season 10. The fragments were found alongside other
artifacts including a pipe tamper, during the team's investigation of the well and its surroundings.
Blacksmith expert Carmen Legge examined the fragments and identified them as components of bush
scythes - heavy-bladed tools used to clear dense vegetation and brush. Based on their construction
style, Legge dated them to the mid-17th century, well before any known permanent settlement of Oak
Island and more than a century before the discovery of the Money Pit in 1795. The fragments were
subsequently taken to a university laboratory for further analysis. Metal composition testing
confirmed the dating, suggesting the scythes were consistent with 17th-century manufacture, though
possibly slightly later than an iron nail recovered from inside the well itself, which returned a
probable 17th-century date. The presence of bush scythes on Lot 26 is significant. These were
practical land-clearing tools, the kind a ship's crew would carry ashore to hack through
undergrowth. Their location near the well - which geoscientist Dr. Ian Spooner found to contain
elevated silver levels and which may date to considerably earlier - raises the possibility that the
well served as a known landmark, and that crews returned to the island to clear brush and locate
something previously hidden. Lot 26 was one of several lots later owned by Samuel Ball, a former
enslaved man from South Carolina who became one of Oak Island's wealthiest residents. The lot has
produced a range of pre-searcher artifacts, fueling long-standing questions about what Ball may have
found during his years on the island.

**Carved wood piece (possible tool handle)**
Date: Possibly 1632-1668 (by comparison)
Found: Swamp, southern edge
When: Season 9
Type: Artifact
Carved piece of wood discovered by Scott Barlow in the swamp that archaeologist Laird Niven said he
had never seen before. Charles Barkhouse suggested it could be part of a tool like the T-square
recovered earlier in the swamp that was dated to 1632 to 1668. Tom Nolan noted signs of rope burn on
the piece, and Marty observed the wood was already dry and could be a very dense species.

**Cast iron stove (starburst design)**
Date: Mid-17th to mid-18th century
Found: Shoreline
When: Season 12, Episode 6 (2024)
Type: Artifact
Old cast iron stove bearing a starburst design similar to a medieval button found in a previous
season. Found by metal detectors along the shoreline.

**Cast-iron cooking pot fragment**
Date: 1600s-1700s (pre-Industrial Revolution)
Found: Lot 5, between rectangular feature and round foundation
When: Season 13
Type: Artifact
Fragment of a cast-iron cooking pot with a fastener, recovered by Katya Drayton on Lot 5 from soil
disturbed when Marty used a skid steer to move a large boulder. Emma Culligan's analysis identified
high phosphorous content throughout the iron, a characteristic of pre-Industrial Revolution
manufacture that places the piece in the 1700s and possibly the 1600s. Laird Niven confirmed that
Nova Scotia had no capacity to cast iron in this period, meaning the pot was made in Europe and
brought to the island. Along with trade weights, Knights of Malta buttons, and other artifacts found
nearby, the cooking pot adds evidence that someone of European origin was active on Lot 5 and
deliberately covered up the features before the discovery of the Money Pit.

**Cement/concrete vault layer**
Date: Unknown
Found: Money Pit, 153 ft depth
When: 1897
Type: Structure
Cement-like layer encountered; 7-foot deep cement vault reported

**Chain link (Lot 5)**
Date: Unknown
Found: Lot 5
When: Season 11 (2023)
Type: Artifact
Artifact appearing to be a link in a chain, possibly used for hauling treasure. Found on Lot 5
during excavation of the stone foundation area.

**Chain with oval hand-forged links**
Date: Pre-1700s
Found: Lot 8
When: Season 10
Type: Artifact
Thin chain with oval links recovered by Jack Begley and Gary Drayton on Lot 8. Gary identified the
links as hand-forged and old, noting that a thin chain like this could have been used to secure a
strongbox or chest.

**Charcoal layer**
Date: C14: charcoal ~90 BC (148-32 BC); vegetation ~290 AD (208-372 AD)
Found: Money Pit, 30-40 ft depth
When: c. 1804
Type: Material
Charcoal embedded in a large piece of decayed vegetation, recovered from Oak Island in October 1970
by Dan Blankenship. Two fractions of this composite sample were dated separately: • Charcoal
fraction (Brock University, BGS-26): 2040 ±58 years before present → approximately 90 BC, with a
range of 148-32 BC. • Decayed vegetation - cones and plant detritus (Brock University, BGS-26B):
1660 ±82 years before present → approximately 290 AD, with a range of 208-372 AD. The charcoal
represents some of the oldest datable organic material recovered from Oak Island, pre-dating the
Common Era by over a century. The approximately 380-year age difference between the charcoal and the
surrounding vegetation likely reflects different depositional events or the inherent characteristics
of charcoal preservation versus vegetative decay. Dan Blankenship sent this sample to Dr. Jan
Terasmae at Brock University along with three other specimens on 16 October 1970. In his
accompanying letter, Blankenship described the sample as "a piece of charcoal still imbedded in a
large piece of decayed vegetation (called coconut fibre)" and recommended both the charcoal and
vegetation for C14 dating, noting that charcoal is considered a reliable material for radiocarbon
analysis. Dr. Terasmae reported the results to Kerry Ellard on 24 December 1970, noting that he had
dated two fractions of the charcoal and plant matter sample. He confirmed the charcoal date at 2040
±58 BP and the cones/detritus at 1660 ±82 BP. There was not enough of the suspected coconut fibre
in the sample for separate dating. Terasmae also identified a nearby plank (Item #2 on the Smith's
Cove Grid Plan) as eastern hemlock with a reasonably sensitive tree-ring record, suggesting it might
be possible to cross-date it with a specimen collected from a living hemlock in the Oak Island area
- an early proposal for dendrochronological analysis on the island.

**Clay Pipe Stem with "O" Inscription**
Date: 17th-18th century
Found: Lot 5, round feature excavation
When: 2025 (Season 12)
Type: Artifact
Clay pipe stem fragment discovered during excavation of the round feature on Lot 5. The stem bears
an elongated "O" marking that archaeologist Laird Niven noted he had not seen before on any Oak
Island pipe fragment. The inscription could be significant for dating activity in this area and
identifying the pipe's manufacturer or origin. Pipe maker marks were commonly used in the 17th and
18th centuries to identify workshops, particularly in England, the Netherlands, and France.

**Coconut fibre (Money Pit)**
Date: C14 dated: ~1036-1374 AD (three samples, Beta Analytic & WHOI, 2σ calibrated)
Found: Money Pit, 60 ft depth
When: c. 1804
Type: Material
Massive quantities of coconut fibre were found at various depths in the Money Pit, beginning with
the earliest excavations in the 1800s. Coconut palms (Cocos nucifera) do not grow within 1,500 miles
of Nova Scotia, making this one of the most compelling pieces of evidence for deliberate human
engineering at Oak Island. Three separate C14 tests on coconut fibre from the island consistently
date the material to the 11th-14th century: • Beta-39897 (tested October 1990): 770 ±60
BP → calibrated 1σ: 1225-1290 AD; 2σ: 1168-1374 AD. Fibre recovered by Dan Henske
from Smith's Cove beach, Summer 1990. Previously identified as coconut fibre by the Smithsonian
Institution (1919, 1930) and the Botanical Museum of Harvard University (1937). • Beta-66584
(tested October 1993): 820 ±70 BP → calibrated 1σ: 1168-1282 AD; 2σ:
1036-1298 AD. Sample physically obtained by David Tobias from behind an old board wall at Smith's
Cove (first section, north side), where it had been stored approximately 20 years in the Oak Island
museum as sample 'S-2'. • WHOI receipt 10168 / OI-3-CF2 (tested 1995-96): 765 ±35 BP
→ approximately 1185 AD (1150-1220 AD). Provided by Dan Blankenship to the Woods Hole
Oceanographic Institute. No detailed recovery information recorded. Beta Analytic confirmed that
coconut fibre is an ideal substance for C14 dating because coconut is a growth that occurs annually,
unlike tree wood which can have a significant 'old wood' effect. Dr. Murry Tamers of Beta Analytic
stated the 770 BP coconut fibre result is scientifically reliable and can be depended upon within
the 95% probability range (2 standard deviations). Richard C. Nieman of St. Louis coordinated the
initial Beta Analytic testing in 1990. He first consulted Mendel Peterson of the Smithsonian
Institution, who advised that C14 dating was the most productive approach for the fibre. Nieman also
consulted a graduate student at the Art and Archaeology Department of Washington University of St.
Louis, who confirmed C14 would be best but cautioned it would only provide a range of dates with
limited usefulness. Nieman was shocked by the medieval result, having anticipated a colonial-era
date around 1585 AD. Dr. Tamers assured him the procedures were correct and he had high confidence
in the result. Nieman concluded: "I can visualize no other reason for the presence of coconut fiber
other than its incorporation as part of the original project and until evidence is presented to the
contrary, I can only believe that it was used as a filtration mechanism by the original constructors
when the project was executed."   Recent research by David H. Neisen, Robert W. Cook, and
Christopher L. Boze has proposed a revised identification of the fibre. Based on micro and macro
botanical examination, their analysis concludes the material is not coconut coir but trunk fibre
from the Judean Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera), specifically the mesh and sheath material that
surrounds the trunk. The C14 dates remain unchanged regardless of species identification, and the
core implication holds: the fibre is medieval, pre-Columbian, and foreign to Nova Scotia. If the
revised identification is correct, it opens a direct connection to the Levant, where the Knights
Templar cultivated date palms and sugarcane near Jericho from 1116 until the Battle of Hattin in
1187.

**Coconut fibre (Smith's Cove)**
Date: C14 dated: ~810 AD (780-840 AD, WHOI AMS, 1995-96)
Found: Smith's Cove, beneath beach
When: 1850; 2014 (Season 1)
Type: Material
Coconut fibre excavated from just below low tide level within Smith's Cove on 27 July 1995. The
sample was recovered by Dan Henske - who knew the fibre's location from prior experience - in the
presence of D. Aubrey and others from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI). Henske dug down
approximately 8 inches to reach the fibre after the site was dewatered. The WHOI NOSAMS AMS
(Accelerator Mass Spectrometry) facility dated this sample at 1140 ±30 years before present
(receipt 10167, sample ID OI-5-CF3). This places the fibre at approximately 810 AD, with a date
range of 780-840 AD - making it significantly older than the three other coconut fibre samples
tested from the island, which clustered around 1130-1220 AD (a difference of approximately 330
years). This age discrepancy is notable. The WHOI researchers hypothesized that they may have dated
a subsample of the same material previously tested by Beta Analytic (receipt 10168 / OI-3-CF2, which
dated to 765 ±35 BP / ~1185 AD), as the ages are indistinguishable from the Beta Analytic
results for the other sample provided by Blankenship. However, the Smith's Cove beach sample
(OI-5-CF3) is distinctly older. The fibre was heavily decomposed, consisting of only about 5% carbon
by weight - a low percentage for most vegetative materials. Despite this decomposition, AMS
technology (which requires only very small samples) enabled accurate dating. The WHOI team conducted
Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analysis through the U.S. Geological Survey in Woods Hole,
Massachusetts. The SEM photo-micrographs were sent to two palm experts for identification: •
Dr. Scott Zona of the Fairchild Tropical Garden in Miami suggested the fibres might be husk fibres
of a coconut, but noted his comparison with modern fibres was inconclusive. • Prof. (Emeritus)
Natalie Uhl of Cornell University concluded that the SEM photo-micrographs resemble fibrous bundle
sheaths in palm stems. However, without the full bundle (including the xylem vessel structure), she
could not make a conclusive genus and species identification. She is working with a colleague, Dr.
Francisco Guanchez from Venezuela, a specialist on the genus Leopoldinia, which has long been
exploited for fibre. For comparison, the WHOI team also obtained SEM photo-micrographs of mesocarp
coconut fibre from Cocos nucifera, a coconut commonly found in the tropics. Notable similarities
exist between the Oak Island fibre and the reference coconut fibre, though final confirmation from
palm and coconut specialists was still pending at the time of the April 1996 draft report. The WHOI
report identified four possible pathways by which coconut fibre may have reached Oak Island: (1)
planted by previous searchers, (2) natural transport by Gulf Stream and inshore currents, (3)
dunnage discharged at Oak Island by a previous ship involved in the oak wood trade, or (4) brought
and used by ancient voyagers for flood tunnel filtration purposes. The researchers noted that Triton
Associates' claim of finding the fibre could not be discounted, and that the possibility of previous
searchers or others planting the material also could not be excluded. They were actively researching
Gulf Stream transport with Natalie Uhl and her colleagues.   Recent research by David H.
Neisen, Robert W. Cook, and Christopher L. Boze has proposed a specific identification for the
fibre. Based on micro and macro botanical examination, their analysis concludes the material is
trunk fibre from the Judean Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera), specifically the mesh and sheath
material that surrounds the trunk, rather than coconut coir. This aligns with the caution expressed
by both Zona and Uhl in the original WHOI study, where neither expert could make a conclusive
coconut identification. The C14 dates remain valid regardless of species, and the pre-Columbian age
of the material is not in dispute. If the revised identification is correct, it points directly to
the Levant, where the Knights Templar cultivated date palms near Jericho from 1116 until the Battle
of Hattin in 1187.

**Coin - Portuguese Tornês (Pitblado coin)**
Date: Minted 1369-1370 under King Ferdinand I (Fernando I) of Portugal. XRF-confirmed by Emma Culligan.
Found: Claimed: Money Pit auger drilling at depth. Provenance unverified  -  presented as Pitblado/Archibald family heirloom
When: Original incident: 1849 (Truro Company drilling). Presented to team: Season 13, 2025
Type: Coin
A billon (.375 silver) Tornês coin from the reign of Portuguese King Ferdinand I (Fernando I, "O
Formoso"), minted at Miranda do Douro between 1369 and 1370. Value: 1 Tornês = 72 Dinheiros.
Obverse: Portuguese royal shield flanked by roses with mint letter "M" above. Latin inscription:
FERNANDVS D G REX PORTVGALIE AL ("Ferdinand, by the Grace of God, King of Portugal and the
Algarve"). Reverse: Latin inscription from Psalm 118: SI DOMINVS MICHI AVDIVTOR NON TIMEBO QVID
FAVIT ("If the Lord is my helper, I shall not fear what man can do to me"). Features a cross design
identified by researcher Judi Rudebusch as resembling a Templar cross, and a six-pointed star
similar to symbols at Fonte Arcada Church in northern Portugal. Presented to the Oak Island team in
Season 13, Episode 1 ("The Comeback") by Steve Salomon, who identified himself as a relative of
James Pitblado and members of the Archibald family. Salomon claimed the coin is a family heirloom
that may be the object Pitblado was witnessed pocketing from an auger bit during Truro Company
drilling operations in 1849. The original Pitblado incident is one of Oak Island's most enduring
mysteries. During the Truro Company's fourth drilling of the Money Pit, fellow crew member John
Gammel witnessed foreman James Pitblado wipe dirt off an object retrieved by the auger and slip it
into his pocket. When confronted, Pitblado promised to present the item at the next directors'
meeting but left the island that night and never returned. He and Charles Dickson Archibald (manager
of the Acadian Iron Works at Londonderry, Nova Scotia) subsequently attempted to purchase the
eastern end of Oak Island where the Money Pit is located, but were denied. Pitblado lived to age 81,
dying in 1903 without ever publicly revealing what he found. Emma Culligan's archaeometallurgical
report noted the coin is in excellent condition with little wear and no abrasive marks.

**Coin with possible cross design**
Date: Medieval
Found: Near Money Pit
When: Season 2, Episode 2
Type: Coin
Coin embedded with what appears to be a cross symbol.

**Concrete/cement wall**
Date: Unknown
Found: Smith's Cove
When: Season 6 (2018-19)
Type: Structure
Unexpected concrete found in cove area; Rick Lagina noted Romans had concrete

**Copper coin (swamp)**
Date: 17th century
Found: Swamp
When: Lagina era
Type: Coin
Possibly Spanish origin; theory that Spanish explorers hid treasure

**Copper shards (decorative box)**
Date: Unknown
Found: Lot 5
When: Season 11 (2024)
Type: Artifact
Copper shards examined by blacksmith expert Carmen Legge, who speculated they could have come from a
decorative jewelry box.

**Copper sheeting (decorative)**
Date: Unknown; not local copper
Found: Lot 8
When: Season 11 (2023)
Type: Artifact
Decorative copper piece; conservator unfolded it carefully; not of local origin

**Copper ship nails (pair, 1720-1760)**
Date: 1720-1760 (Carmen Legge)
Found: Lot 5 - circular stone foundation
When: Season 12, Episode 14 (2025)
Type: Artifact
Two copper nails found near the circular stone foundation on Lot 5 by Gary Drayton and Jack Begley.
Artifact expert Carmen Legge determined they are ship-related and dated between 1720 and 1760,
supporting theories of maritime activity on the island.

**Cornish miner's pick**
Date: Unknown
Found: Money Pit area, 127 ft depth
When: 1931
Type: Artifact
Identified as Cornish type; could be from original constructors or previous searchers

**Crib spikes (multiple)**
Date: 1650-1800
Found: Smith's Cove
When: Season 6 (2018-19)
Type: Artifact
Used to make wharves, derricks, and platforms; identified by blacksmith Carmen Legge

**Crossbow bolt (Wroclawski/Dunfield)**
Date: Medieval/Viking Age; pre-1300s (Ladby Viking Museum assessment)
Found: Oak Island (exact location unrecorded; recovered by Robert Dunfield in the 1960s)
When: 1960s (presented to team Season 11)
Type: Artifact
A hand-forged iron crossbow bolt recovered from Oak Island by Robert Dunfield during his excavation
in the 1960s. The artifact's exact find location was never recorded. It passed to Oak Island
researcher Paul Wroclawski, who had established a relationship with Dan Blankenship in the 1990s and
spent years researching the island's earliest inhabitants. After Paul's death in 2014, his son Eric
preserved the piece. Eric Wroclawski met Rick Lagina and Doug Crowell in Halifax and presented the
bolt. Doug identified it as one of three crossbow bolts found on the island over the years, noting
the other two had been lost. The crossbow was documented as early as 500 B.C. but revolutionized
warfare 1,500 years later in Europe and the Holy Land during the Crusades. Doug's first reaction on
seeing the artifact in person was that it was much smaller than he had expected from photographs.
The team brought the artifact to Denmark, where Ladby Viking Museum curator Ane Jepsen Nyborg
examined it alongside a replica from her collection. She confirmed the bolt matches pieces from
local archaeological digs and dated it to the early medieval period through the Viking Age,
pre-1300s. The Oak Island Compendium had previously argued the artifact was a peavey pike, a
removable point from a logging tool common on the island, but Doug's observation that the piece was
smaller than expected may have undermined that identification.

**Dandy button**
Date: 1700s
Found: Samuel Ball's property
When: Season 4, Ep. 8
Type: Artifact
Decorative button from 18th-century clothing

**Decorative brass boat fitting**
Date: Colonial era
Found: Smith's Cove, intertidal zone
When: Season 5
Type: Artifact
Decorative brass fitting recovered by Gary Drayton while searching the intertidal zone at Smith's
Cove during low tide. Gary identified it as having come from a boat. Found on the same day as the
lead cross and lead spoon handle.

**Decorative iron hinges (pair, Spanish-style)**
Date: Colonial era (Spanish style)
Found: Lot 12 dumpsite
When: Season 5
Type: Artifact
Two decorative iron hinges recovered by Gary Drayton at the dumpsite on Lot 12, marked on Fred
Nolan's survey maps. Gary identified them as the type used on chests or boxes, similar to ones he
has found on Spanish shipwreck sites. The hinges raise the possibility of a connection to the three
missing chests of privateer Captain James Anderson and to the folding skeleton key Fred Nolan found
on the island.

**Decorative keyhole plate**
Date: Pre-1800
Found: Tom Nolan's lot
When: Season 5
Type: Artifact
Floral ornate style; unlikely used by farmers; possibly from treasure chest; matches skeleton key
and chest hinge found elsewhere

**Divider Compass**
Found: Found in the Dunfield spoils of the Money Pit
When: Season 13
Type: Artifact
Part of a divider, used for building and alignments.

**Drilled rocks (survey stones)**
Date: Unknown
Found: Various locations
When: Historical
Type: Artifact
Drill holes in stones used for surveying; possibly by original architects

**Eelgrass layer**
Date: Unknown
Found: Money Pit, 60 ft depth
When: c. 1804
Type: Material
Bed of eelgrass found alongside coconut fibre

**English nail (1750s, Shaft 6)**
Date: 1750s (English origin, Emma Culligan)
Found: Shaft 6 / Money Pit area
When: Season 12, Episode 16 (2025)
Type: Artifact
Nail confirmed by metallurgist Emma Culligan as English in origin, dating to the 1750s. The team
speculated it could be from a 1600s William Phips treasure chest.

**Evans Stone - 13-branched tree carving in rock**
Date: Unknown
Found: Lot 14, North shore
When: Lagina era
Type: Carved_stone
Carved tree with 13 branches; matches George Washington's Appeal to Heaven flag design; 13
significant to Knights Templar

**Flagstone layer**
Date: Pre-1795
Found: Money Pit, 2 ft depth
When: 1795
Type: Structure
Circle of flat stones lining the depression discovered by Daniel McGinnis and friends

**Flat decking wood (carbon dated)**
Date: 1516-1674 (carbon dated)
Found: Swamp, southern edge
When: Season 9
Type: Material
Flat piece of wood resembling decking, exposed by Billy Gerhardt in the southern edge of the swamp,
an area where numerous pieces of possible ship components have been found dating as far back as 660
AD. Steve Guptill reported the piece was found twenty feet northwest of where a ship's railing was
recovered the previous year. Carbon dating returned a date range of 1516 to 1674, consistent with
the many 16th and 17th-century items recovered from the swamp.

**Flat Stone with Hooked X**
Date: Unknown
Found: In the swamp
When: Season 4, Episode 3
Type: Carved_stone
A flat stone slab discovered on Oak Island bearing a distinctive hooked X symbol - a marking
identified by Charles Barkhouse and later examined by geologist Phil Finck of the Nova Scotia
Department of Natural Resources. Finck confirmed that while most markings on the stone's surface are
natural glacial striations, the hooked X itself appears to be deliberately carved rather than a
product of geological processes. Forensic geologist Scott Wolter has identified the hooked X as a
medieval rune adopted by the Knights Templar, a symbol he has documented at multiple sites across
North America and Europe in connection with pre-Columbian exploration theories. The presence of a
potentially Templar-associated marking on Oak Island adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting
medieval European activity on the island centuries before the Money Pit's discovery in 1795. The
stone was examined during the same investigation period that produced significant findings in the
Oak Island swamp, including a wooden plank carbon dated to 1680-1735 and metallic anomalies detected
by Matt Savelle of Canadian Seabed Research Ltd. using a Geonics EM-61 MK IIA metal detector at
Mercy Point and the central-western swamp edge.

**Flower Button**
Date: 1700s
When: Season 12, Episode 9
Type: Artifact
A significant gilded gold button with a floral pattern, discovered near the Lot 5 excavation site.
Analyzed by Emma Culligan, the 18th-century artifact shows high phosphorus levels, suggesting it
belonged to a British military officer or a gentleman of high status.

**Fluke anchor**
Date: Unknown
Found: Money Pit area, 127 ft depth
When: 1931
Type: Artifact
Found alongside axe and pick at same depth

**Folded copper/brass piece (decorated)**
Date: Post-1500s; ~95% copper, 5% zinc (brass). Possibly late 1700s.
Found: Lot 8
When: Season 10, Ep. 6 (2022)
Type: Artifact
Folded brass sheet with intricate repoussé geometric designs, folded three times over. Composition
approximately 95% copper and 5% zinc, making it technically brass of European origin. Laird Niven's
initial assessment suggested military origin. Archaeologist Andre Costopoulos (University of
Alberta) proposed it may be a gorget, a neck ornament worn as part of European military uniforms and
also by North American Indigenous warriors. The British gave gorgets to their Mi'kmaw allies after
the War of 1812. The decoration suggests possible Indigenous origin rather than European, possibly
made from reworked European trade brass or gilding metal (Pinchbeck, manufactured in the UK from the
early 1700s). The 5% zinc content rules out native copper and dates the metal source to post-1500s
European manufacture. In a follow-up analysis, Dr. Edwin Barnhart of the Maya Exploration Center
stated that nothing in the Americas was ever alloyed in this way, making the piece definitively
European. He noted the geometric patterns are universal and difficult to attribute to a specific
culture or period, but believed it was decorative and possibly a religious object.

**Folding skeleton key (cross-shaped)**
Date: Unknown
Found: Oak Island
When: Unknown (Fred Nolan find)
Type: Artifact
Folding skeleton key found by the late Fred Nolan on Oak Island. When folded, the blade forms the
shape of a cross. Tom Nolan showed the key to Rick Lagina and Charles Barkhouse while granting
access to his father's survey maps. The cross shape when folded has led to speculation about
connections to religious or fraternal orders active on the island.

**Forest Axe Heads (3)**
Date: Early 1700s or earlier (archaeologist assessment)
Found: Lot 32, near the southwestern corner of the swamp
When: 2020
Type: Artifact
Three hand-forged single-bit axe heads discovered in close proximity on Lot 32 by Gary Drayton and
Peter Fornetti during metal detection in Season 8. The lot sits near the southwestern corner of the
swamp, between a ship's wharf and the rectangular anomaly later identified on neighbouring Lot 30.
Archaeologist Laird Niven examined the axe heads and confirmed they were certainly not modern. He
identified them as forest axes - lightweight tools used for cutting limbs off trees rather than
felling whole trunks. The concentration of three axe heads in such a small area led Gary Drayton to
suggest the location was once the site of some sort of work camp. Drayton believed the Lot 32 axe
heads were likely the same age as artifacts recently found on nearby Lot 15, including another axe
head, ox shoes, and a copper coin with a square hole - all assessed as early 1700s or older. The
cluster of finds prompted Niven to note that the number of artifacts indicated significant past
activity in the area. The discovery came in the same episode where Corjan Mol and Chris Morford
identified two points of interest on the island based on their geometric analysis - one of which, a
shallow depression on Lot 11 near the western edge of the swamp, appeared to show evidence of prior
excavation. The narrator suggested a possible connection between this feature and the Lot 32 axe
heads.

**Garden Shaft**
Date: Wood dated as early as 1735
Found: Money Pit area
When: Lagina era
Type: Structure
82-ft structure initially thought to be searcher shaft; now believed to be key to mystery; predates
Money Pit discovery by 60 years; water samples show gold traces

**George III "Cartwheel" twopence coin**
Date: 1797 (Boulton, Soho Mint)
Found: Unexplored area of island
When: Season 6 opener
Type: Coin
Well-preserved copper coin found under large boulder. A large copper twopence coin featuring the
face of King George III. This specific style of coin was only minted in 1797 and was made of copper
instead of the usual silver. This caused the coin to be much larger than its twopence counterparts,
which led to the coins being commonly known as a cartwheel.

**Glass fragments**
Date: 18th-19th century
Found: Shaft 6 spoils
When: Season 6
Type: Artifact
Found with pottery and pipe stem in Shaft 6 spoils

**Gold chain links (3)**
Date: Unknown
Found: Money Pit, below 98 ft
When: 1849
Type: Artifact
Three small links resembling old watch chain; brought up from boring through supposed chest/chamber
area

**Gold traces in water samples**
Found: Money Pit boreholes / Garden Shaft
When: Season 9+ (multiple seasons)
Type: Sample
Water samples from Borehole C-1 and Garden Shaft show gold above natural background levels; wood
samples from Garden Shaft also contain trace gold

**Gold-colored knob**
Date: Pre-modern
Found: Along stone pathway, swamp
When: Season 8+
Type: Artifact
Sandy Campbell believes it to be far from modern; possibly from a jewel chest

**Gold-Copper Alloy Fragments (Tumbaga)**
Date: Pre-colonial to colonial era
Found: Money Pit area
When: Season 9 (2022)
Type: Artifact
Small fragments of gold-bearing metal recovered from the Money Pit area. Analysis by geoscientist
Dr. Christa Brosseau revealed a composition of approximately 65 percent gold and 26 percent copper,
with a small amount of silver. Brosseau identified the alloy as consistent with rose gold, but Marty
Lagina noted the chemical composition also matched tumbaga, the gold-copper alloy widely used by
Inca and Aztec civilisations and later melted down by Spanish conquistadors into bars. Tumbaga was
not a single standardised alloy but an umbrella term for a range of gold-copper compositions, with
gold content varying from as little as 3 percent to as much as 97 percent. The presence of a
gold-copper alloy in the Money Pit does not confirm a South American origin, as copper-gold alloys
also occur naturally and were produced in medieval Europe, but it is consistent with the Spanish
Connection theory.

**Gold-gilded copper button**
Date: Unknown (colonial era or earlier)
Found: Lot 5 - stone foundation
When: Season 11 (2024)
Type: Artifact
Copper button gilded with a thin layer of gold, found by archaeologist Jamie Kouba on the same day
as the 90% silver tassel piece in the Lot 5 stone foundation. The gold gilding suggests it belonged
to someone of status or military rank.

**Gold-plated brooch (leaded glass gem)**
Date: 14th century or earlier (threading technique)
Found: Near Daniel McGinnis's home (Lot 18)
When: Season 6, Ep. 1 (2018)
Type: Artifact
Gold-plated brooch with a leaded glass gemstone, found by Gary Drayton and Rick Lagina while metal
detecting near the home of Daniel McGinnis - one of the three boys who discovered the Money Pit in
1795. This was the team's second brooch find after the rhodolite garnet brooch from Season 5.
Gemologist Charles Lewton-Brain identified the stone as leaded glass rather than a genuine gem, but
noted that a threaded technique used on the brooch dates the jewelry to the 14th century or earlier.
Subsequent electron microscope analysis by Dr. Christa Brosseau and Dr. Xiang Yang confirmed that
part of the brooch is made of actual gold.

**Gold-plated coin**
Date: 1700s
Found: Smith's Cove
When: Season 6, Ep. 8
Type: Coin
Found alongside wrought iron spike

**Goose Paw symbol (Brooklyn, NS)**
Date: Unknown (possibly medieval)
Found: Brooklyn, Nova Scotia (near Oak Island)
When: Discovered by Isaac Rafuse, Corjan Mol
Type: Artifact
Stone carving of a goose paw symbol discovered by researcher Corjan Mol in Brooklyn, Nova Scotia,
near Oak Island. The goose paw (patte d'oie) was a common marker used by the stonemasons of the
Knights Templar and appears on the cornerstones of numerous Templar churches across Europe. The
symbol signifies the webbing of a goose's foot. Similar goose paw carvings were also examined by Mol
and the Oak Island team in Liverpool, Nova Scotia (Season 10, Episode 11), approximately 50 miles
southwest of Oak Island, alongside other carved symbols with possible Christian and Templar
connections.

**Grapeshot (iron cannon ball)**
Date: 17th-18th century
Found: Lot 16
When: Season 5, Ep. 8
Type: Artifact
Small iron ball fired from ship cannons; clear evidence of naval/military presence

**H+O stone**
Date: Unknown
Found: Oak Island surface
When: Historical
Type: Carved_stone
Stone with H and O inscribed; translated to Greek letters Eta and Theta

**Half Roman coin**
Date: c. 300 BC-600 AD (Roman)
Found: Lot 5 (centre)
When: Season 10 (2022)
Type: Coin
Found by Gary Drayton; numismatist Sandy Campbell determined Roman origin; possibly Constantius II
(337-355 AD); oldest coin-type artifact on island at time. Numismatists were Sandy Campbell and
Umberto Moruzzi (Italy). Metallurgical analysis showed it was arsenical bronze whose chemical make
up matched ancient Roman mines in Spain and Sardinia.

**Hand-forged iron pintle**
Date: Type dates as far back as 2000 BC
Found: Lot 8, near boulder feature
When: Season 13
Type: Artifact
Hand-forged iron pintle, a type of pivot pin used for door and gate hinges, recovered by Gary
Drayton on Lot 8 near the massive boulder feature. The design type dates as far back as 2000 BC.
Blistering on the metal suggests considerable age. A similar pintle was found on Lot 15 earlier in
Season 13. The proximity to the boulder adds to the growing body of evidence that the feature was
deliberately constructed.

**Hand-forged nail (pre-1795)**
Date: Before 1795 (predates Money Pit)
Found: Lot 5
When: Season 12, Episode 21 (2025)
Type: Artifact
Nail discovered by archaeologist Fiona Steele on Lot 5, dated to before the 1795 discovery of the
Money Pit.

**Hand-forged rose head spike**
Date: Pre-1780, possibly 1600s
Found: GAL-1 spoils pile
When: Season 5
Type: Artifact
Large hand-forged rose head spike pulled from deep beneath the surface of the GAL-1 spoils pile by
Alex Lagina, Jack Begley, Peter Fornetti, and Gary Drayton. Gary identified it as pre-1780 and
possibly as old as the 1600s, noting the symmetrical head and petal-shaped hammer marks
characteristic of handmade construction. Dan Blankenship, then 94 years old, examined the spike at
his home and confirmed it was not a railroad spike, urging the team to have it analyzed and dated.

**Hand-wrought iron spike (12th-13th century)**
Date: 1100s-1300s (metallurgical analysis)
Found: Lot 5 - stone foundation
When: Season 11 (2024)
Type: Artifact
Large hand-wrought iron spike found by Helen Sheldon in the Lot 5 stone foundation. Metallurgist
Emma Culligan determined that the high sulphur content, lack of manganese, and purity of the iron
dated it to the 1100s-1300s. Too thin to be a nail and not a file - function remains unknown.

**Hand-wrought nail + nut/washer**
Date: Unknown
Found: South shore, 60-ft deep dome shaft
When: October 31, 1967
Type: Artifact
Found at bottom of accidentally discovered shaft beneath stone triangle area

**Handmade nail (barrel or treasure chest)**
Date: 1600s-1700s
Found: Lot 5
When: Season 12, Episode 17 (2025)
Type: Artifact
Iron artifact identified as a handmade nail, possibly from a barrel or treasure chest. Testing
confirmed it dates to the 1600s or 1700s, aligning with the William Phips treasure theory.

**Handwrought iron hinge (small, chest)**
Date: Pre-1795
Found: Borehole 8-A, Money Pit area
When: Season 7
Type: Artifact
Small handwrought iron hinge found at the wash table by Jack Begley and Steve Guptill during the 8-A
excavation. Archaeologist Laird Niven identified it as non-mining-related and possibly from a chest.
Recovered alongside hand-hewn ax-cut wood, leather fragments, and a massive oak timber consistent
with the oak-log platforms described by Daniel McGinnis during the original 1804 excavation.

**Head Stone (human face/sword)**
Date: Unknown
Found: Centre of Nolan's Cross
When: 1981
Type: Carved_stone
Boulder at centre with carved human face and sword image; traits associated with Templar tombs

**Hornfels Rock**
Date: Unknown
Found: Lot 5
When: 1998
Type: Carved_stone
Carved stone found by Robert Young on Lot 5

**Human bone fragments (2 individuals)**
Date: Carbon dated: 1678-1764 AD
Found: Borehole H8, Money Pit, ~160 ft
When: Season 5 (c. 2017)
Type: Artifact
DNA sequencing: one European (haplogroup H), one Middle Eastern (haplogroup U); soft tissue and hair
attached to one fragment

**Inscribed stone (90-foot stone)**
Date: Unknown origin
Found: Money Pit, approximately 80–90 ft depth
When: c. 1803–1804 (Onslow Company excavation)
Type: Carved_stone
The stone passed through several hands after its discovery. John Smith, who owned the land
containing the Money Pit, used it as a fireback in his chimney for years. It was later taken to A.O.
Creighton's bookbindery in Halifax, where it served as a beating stone used to flatten leather. By
the time it reached Halifax, the inscription had reportedly been nearly obliterated through years of
use. The stone was last seen around 1912 and is now lost. No photographs, rubbings, or tracings of
the original inscription survive. The most famous translation was offered by Reverend A.T. Kempton
in 1949 and appeared in Edward Rowe Snow's book that same year: "Forty feet below, two million
pounds are buried." However, the cipher on which this translation was based cannot be traced back
beyond the early 20th century, and modern researchers have raised serious questions about its
authenticity. Harvard professor Barry Fell's 1799 examination found no symbols on the stone he
inspected, and W.S. Bowdoin reported finding no inscription when he examined the stone in 1909. A
separate cipher discovered by Knights Templar researcher Zena Halpern, referred to as La Formule,
appears to work with the Kempton cipher when the symbols are transcribed into French. In 2018, gyro
survey expert Tory Martin discovered a stone near the Money Pit with unusual markings, dubbed the
"Tory Stone," which some believe may be the original inscribed stone. Its identity remains
unconfirmed.

**Iron and lead strap (chest/box)**
Date: Unknown
Found: Lot 5
When: Season 11 (2024)
Type: Artifact
Shards made from iron and lead. Carmen Legge suggested it was a strap from an old box or chest.
Found in the Lot 5 stone foundation area.

**Iron barrier**
Date: Unknown
Found: Money Pit, 171 ft depth
When: 1897
Type: Structure
Iron layer encountered during deep drilling operations

**Iron box or chest strap**
Date: Late 1600s to late 1700s
Found: Lot 22, near Lot 4
When: Season 9
Type: Artifact
Iron strap recovered by Michael John on Lot 22. Carmen Legge identified it as a box or chest strap
from the late 1600s to late 1700s, noting the rounded end is typical of straps used on heavy trunks.
The thickness indicates it would have held hardware, china, or silverware rather than something like
clothing.

**Iron cargo hook (Lot 11 well)**
Date: Expert dated: 1650-1690 (Carmen Legge)
Found: Lot 11, north side of swamp  -  excavated from old well spoils
When: Season 10, Ep. 17 (2023)
Type: Artifact
A wrought iron hook discovered by Gary Drayton in the spoils excavated from an old well on Lot 11,
on the north side of the swamp. Billy Gerhardt used his excavator to dig up the well after Oak
Island landowner Tom Nolan recalled that in the 1970s, he and his father Fred Nolan had found an old
well in this area with pottery in the bottom. The Nolans had refilled the well at the time.
Blacksmith expert Carmen Legge examined the hook and determined it was designed for winching heavy
cargo - not a simple water bucket hook. He insisted the hook was clearly intended for lifting
something much heavier than water. Carmen dated the artifact to between 1650 and 1690, placing it
firmly in the pre-discovery period, roughly a century before the Money Pit was found in 1795. Rick
Lagina noted that the Lot 11 well was of identical design and construction to the well previously
investigated on Lot 26, where geoscientist Ian Spooner had found elevated silver concentrations and
wood dating to approximately 800 years old (~1220 AD). The similarity in construction between these
two wells, located on opposite sides of the island, suggests they may have been built by the same
group or during the same period of activity. The 17th-century dating of the hook is significant in
the context of other colonial-era finds on Oak Island, including the William Phips-era iron found on
Lot 5 and various artifacts dating to the 1600s recovered across the island. The hook's function as
a heavy cargo winch component raises questions about what was being moved on or off the island
during this period.

**Iron chopping knife**
Date: Mid-1700s
Found: Lot 8, near boulder feature
When: Season 13
Type: Artifact
Small iron chopping knife recovered by Gary Drayton near the massive boulder feature on Lot 8. Gary
dated the artifact to the mid-1700s. Found in the same area where Billy Gerhardt had plowed topsoil
to allow metal detection of artifacts connected to the boulder feature.

**Iron hinge (massive)**
Date: Pre-1800; possibly early 1600s
Found: Smith's Cove
When: Season 6, Ep. 16
Type: Artifact
Very old hinge; Carmen Legge described as 'very, very old'; could relate to flood tunnel
construction

**Iron projectile (Lot 26, possible Roman pilum)**
Date: Roman era (1st century BC - 5th century AD) per antiquities expert; iron with manganese confirmed by SEM
Found: Lot 26 beachfront, southwest shore
When: Season 6, Ep. 3 (2018)
Type: Artifact
A hand-forged iron object with a tapered point, recovered roughly ten inches below the surface on
the Lot 26 beachfront by Gary Drayton, Jack Begley, and geophysicist Mike West. The beach was once
the property of 18th-century privateer Captain James Anderson, who fled the United States after
spying for the British and faced treason charges from Governor Thomas Jefferson. The team was
surveying with an EM61 deep-scanning detector capable of sensing metal up to 20 feet underground.
Gary initially identified the artifact as a crossbow bolt, dating it between 1000 and 1500 AD.
Archaeologist Laird Niven noted the piece was finely made with hardened iron showing minimal rust.
Marty Lagina argued that a weapon, unlike a cross or keepsake, indicates actual activity on the
island when it was lost. At St. Mary's University in Halifax, Dr. Christa Brosseau and Dr. Xiang
Yang performed scanning electron microscope analysis confirming the metal is iron with manganese, an
element used in iron production since as early as the ninth century BC. California antiquities
expert Gabriel Vandervort then re-examined the artifact. After initially suspecting a medieval
European origin, he found the long neck inconsistent with crossbow bolts and reclassified the object
as a Roman pilum, a throwing javelin carried by legionnaires from the first century BC through the
fifth century AD. The thin iron neck was designed to penetrate armor and break off inside the
target. Vandervort noted such artifacts are rare even in Europe and virtually unheard of in North
America. A strikingly similar tapered iron object was later recovered at Smith's Cove among the
slipway spoils.

**Iron Staple (Quadrilateral)**
Date: Well before 1795
Found: Lot 13, in the ground around the Quadrilateral
When: Season 10
Type: Artifact
A large hand-forged iron staple discovered embedded in the wall of the Quadrilateral excavation on
Lot 13 during Season 10 of The Curse of Oak Island. The staple was found while the team excavated
the buried 32-foot boulder formation first documented by Fred Nolan in 1993. Blacksmithing expert
Carmen Legge examined the staple and identified it as a fastener used in a rope and pulley system
for moving massive boulders into position. Staples of this type have been used throughout history in
the assembly of large stone and wooden structures. Legge assessed the piece as ancient, possibly
dating to the medieval period - a conclusion that, if correct, would place the construction of the
Quadrilateral well before the 1795 discovery of the Money Pit. Archeometallurgist Emma Culligan
performed an XRF analysis confirming the staple was 98% iron, with trace amounts of silicon,
aluminium, manganese, calcium, sulphur, and phosphorous. She described this composition as
indicative of the furnace type and smelting technology used in older metalworking, consistent with
Legge's medieval assessment. The staple's context is significant. It was found within a deliberately
constructed feature consisting of three layers of stacked multi-ton boulders sealed with blue clay -
the same waterproofing material found at 40 feet in the Money Pit and at the Eye of the Swamp. Burnt
sticks recovered from the same site matched charred material found beneath the Stone Road. The
staple provides direct evidence of the mechanical effort involved in building the Quadrilateral and,
if its dating holds, places organised heavy construction activity on Oak Island centuries before the
first known treasure hunters arrived.

**Iron swages (2 blacksmith tools)**
Date: Dated as far back as 14th century
Found: Lot 21
When: 2019
Type: Artifact
Tunnelling tools used to sharpen rock drills; evidence of intense mining operations

**Jewelled brooch (rhodolite garnet)**
Date: 16th-17th century (400-500 years old)
Found: Lot 8 / near Lot 21
When: Season 5, Ep. 16 (2018)
Type: Artifact
First confirmed gold found on Oak Island; rhodolite garnet in copper-silver brooch; cloisonné
technique; same lead isotope as lead cross (pre-15th c. ore)

**Keg bottom (wooden)**
Date: Pre-1795
Found: Borehole OC-1, approximately 147 feet depth
When: Season 7
Type: Artifact
Rounded wooden piece with a tapered edge and stave, identified as the bottom of a small barrel or
keg, recovered from borehole OC-1 at approximately 147 feet. The find connects directly to the 1861
Shaft Six story, in which a worker narrowly escaped drowning during a sudden flood and grabbed the
circular end of a keg as he fled. Hand-hewn timbers from undocumented construction also appeared at
this depth.

**King George II coins (multiple)**
Date: 1700s
Found: Samuel Ball's property
When: Season 4, Ep. 8
Type: Coin
Multiple coins from reign of George II

**Kingdom Stone (Malkuth)**
Date: Unknown (predates modern search era)
Found: Kingdom point - Tree of Life / Nolan's Cross
When: May 25, 2003 (Petter Amundsen)
Type: Carved_stone
Large flat stone discovered buried just below the surface at the 'Kingdom' (Malkuth) Sephirot point
by Norwegian researcher Petter Amundsen during his May 2003 investigation of Oak Island. Amundsen
had projected the Kabbalistic Tree of Life onto Nolan's Cross and found that the distances between
the conical boulders matched the corresponding Sephirots. The Kingdom Stone was found at the base
point of this projected Tree of Life. A similar flat stone was also found at the 'Victory' (Netzach)
point. After discovery, the stone was re-buried by Dan Blankenship to hide it from rival treasure
hunter Fred Nolan. Featured on The Curse of Oak Island Season 1, Episode 4 (The Secret of Solomon's
Temple), where Amundsen guided the Laginas to the general area but inadvertently selected the wrong
stone to unearth.

**Knights of Malta uniform button**
Date: Centuries old (estimated pre-18th century)
Found: Lot 5
When: Season 12, Episode 20 (2025)
Type: Artifact
Military-style button uncovered on Lot 5 that closely resembles uniform buttons worn by the Knights
of Malta. Side-by-side comparison with historical Maltese uniforms showed striking similarity.
Researchers John Edwards and Scott Clarke presented 18th-century texts and maps suggesting a link
between the Knights Templar, the Knights of Malta, and Oak Island.

**L-shaped wooden structure**
Date: Pre-1795
Found: Smith's Cove
When: 1970s; re-found Season 6
Type: Structure
Second timber structure discovered adjacent to U-shape; built in two distinct phases

**Large boulder (TEFERET location)**
Date: Unknown
Found: North portion of swamp
When: Season 11
Type: Structure
Unnaturally placed boulder at proposed Kabbalistic Tree of Life TEFERET location; suggested by
Petter Amundsen and John Edwards

**Large log with Roman numerals (65 ft)**
Date: Dendro: trees felled c. 1770
Found: Smith's Cove, beneath shore
When: 1970
Type: Artifact
2-foot diameter, 65-foot spruce log; Roman numeral carpenter's marks; part of U-shaped structure

**Large-diameter pipe stem (Shaft 6)**
Date: 1680-1710 (Laird Niven)
Found: Shaft 6 tunnel / RP-1 shaft
When: Season 12, Episode 18 (2025)
Type: Artifact
Largest diameter pipe stem ever found on the island. Recovered from the Shaft 6 tunnel area.
Archaeologist Laird Niven dated it between 1680 and 1710. Linked to William Phips theory.

**Lead artifact (scalloped, Sardinian lead)**
Date: Unknown; pre-modern
Found: Lot 5
When: Season 10+
Type: Artifact
Ornate lead piece with scalloped edges and two holes; XRF shows lead not from North America;
consistent with southern European/Sardinian origin

**Lead Bag Seal - Leeds, with Golden Fleece**
Date: 1500s
Found: Lot 8
When: Season 13, Episode 10
Type: Artifact
Lead bag seal, found by Katya Drayton on Lot 8. The seal features the sheepskin of the Golden
Fleece, which was only used by the City of Leeds, known for its wool trade.

**Lead Bag Seal - London, I. Lloyd Army Packers**
Date: 1808 or older (possibly 1500s)
Found: Lot 5
When: Season 11 (2023)
Type: Artifact
Lead bag seal stamped "I. Lloyd Packers London," identified as army cloth packers. Compositional
match with the 14th-century lead cross. Used for half a ton of military cloth. Laird Niven dates the
seal to the 1700s but suspects it could be older based on the use of an "I" in place of a "J," a
convention that changed around 1524.

**Lead Bag Seal - Norwich Cloth**
Date: 1638-1714
Found: Lot 32
When: Season 8, Episode 25 "Silver Lining"
Type: Artifact
A lead cloth seal bearing guild certification markings consistent with the English textile trade of
the 17th and early 18th centuries. The seal features a distinctive motif of the number four atop a
cross - a symbol used by English cloth makers' guilds to certify undyed cloth. The initials on the
front face identify the specific guild, while the reverse would originally have borne the scratched
initials of the individual weaver. The symbol is not associated with the London guild, which used a
different mark, suggesting the seal originated from a regional cloth-producing centre. Independent
research points to Norwich as a likely source. Norwich was one of England's most important textile
cities, home to a thriving weaving guild that certified cloth for domestic use and export. The city
discontinued the use of cloth seals around 1705, and the guild's records were destroyed at that
time, placing the seal's probable date of manufacture before that year. Cloth seals of this type
were pressed onto bales of fabric as quality certification before shipment. Their presence at
colonial sites across the Atlantic - including Jamestown, Virginia - is well documented and
indicates organised trade in English textiles. The seal's arrival on Oak Island is consistent with
British commercial or military supply activity during the colonial period. The find is one of
several lead bag and cloth seals discovered on Oak Island, each pointing to different origins and
time periods within the broader English textile trade.

**Lead cross**
Date: Pre-15th century; possibly 900-1300 AD
Found: Smith's Cove / near shore
When: Season 5, Ep. 10 (2017)
Type: Artifact
Lead with square hole at top; isotope analysis matched medieval lead mines in southern France
(Cévennes/Montagne Noire near Rennes-le-Château); resembles Templar crucifix carving at
Domme Prison, France

**Lead Decorative Piece**
Date: Carbon dated before 1400 by Tobias Skowronek of the German Mining museum
Found: in a clearing, opposite the McGinnis family foundation
When: Season 6, Episode 18
Type: Artifact
A long, narrow piece of lead with a slight curve, discovered alongside a smaller fragment that fits
together as part of a larger object. Both ends feature square-shaped terminals reminiscent of the
square hole on the Smith's Cove lead cross. The surface bears a raised floral pattern identified by
geochemist Tobias Skowronek of the German Mining Museum as evidence of cloisonné - a medieval
metalwork technique in which artists soldered strips of metal onto an object's surface, then filled
the compartments with colored glass or gemstones. Skowronek's chemical analysis revealed that the
lead isotope data from this artifact is identical to that of the lead cross found at Smith's Cove,
meaning both objects originated from the same ore deposit in France and date to before the 15th
century. The two pieces were found on opposite sides of the island - this fragment on Lot 21 in the
west and the cross at Smith's Cove in the east - yet share the same pre-1400s provenance.
Significance is High - the second piece of lead confirmed to match the Smith's Cove lead cross
isotopically, establishing that pre-15th-century European material was distributed across multiple
locations on Oak Island, not concentrated in a single deposit site.

**Lead ingot (musket ball making)**
Date: 1700s
Found: Samuel Ball's property
When: Season 4, Ep. 8
Type: Artifact
Used for making musket balls; evidence of military presence

**Lead spoon handle**
Date: Colonial era
Found: Smith's Cove, intertidal zone
When: Season 5
Type: Artifact
Lead spoon handle recovered by Gary Drayton while searching the intertidal zone at Smith's Cove
during low tide, on the same day as the lead cross discovery. Found alongside a decorative brass
fitting believed to have come from a boat.

**Lead tag (Mediterranean origin)**
Date: Pre-15th century
Found: Smith's Cove, near wharf structure
When: Season 7 (2019)
Type: Artifact
Impure lead with 2% tin, 2% antimony; highest tin ratio seen by analyst; lead not of North American
origin; mined in Mediterranean (Italy/France/Spain)

**Leaf/Fern Brooch**
Found: Lot 21
When: Season 7, Episode 4
Type: Artifact
A decorative brooch bearing a unique design of twin coils of rope surmounted by a fern-like leaf.
Has a Maritime flavour. Conservator Kelly Bourassa stated he had never seen another artifact like
it.

**Leather book binding fragments**
Date: Pre-1890 (testing)
Found: Borehole H8 spoils, Money Pit
When: Season 5 (c. 2017)
Type: Artifact
15+ pieces of vegetable-tanned leather; determined to be ancient book binding material

**Leather boot heel**
Date: Dated as early as 1492
Found: Borehole 8-B spoils, Money Pit
When: Season 9+
Type: Artifact
Believed to have come from boot of a prominent individual

**Leather Boot Sole**
Date: 1830-1900
Found: North Swamp
When: 2025 (Season 12)
Type: Artifact
Oak-tanned leather boot sole discovered during excavation of a new area in the North Swamp, closer
to the shore. Leather expert Joe Landry examined the piece at the Research Center, identifying it as
a heavy-weight sole consistent with boots - possibly military issue or civilian boots purchased from
military surplus. Landry dated the leather to 1830-1900 based on the tanning method and
construction. The show connected the find to Anthony Graves, who reportedly paid for goods in
Chester with Spanish silver coins during this period, though such coins were common currency
throughout Nova Scotia at the time.

**Lifting chain (wharf cargo)**
Date: Very old (pre-colonial, per Carmen Legge)
Found: Swamp area
When: Season 11 (2024)
Type: Artifact
Chain examined by blacksmith expert Carmen Legge, who determined it was used to lift a chest onto a
wharf and described it as really, really old. Found in the swamp area near the stone roadway,
supporting the theory that the roadway was used to transport heavy cargo from ships.

**Lot 8 Giant Boulder**
Date: Pre-1795 (undetermined age)
Found: Lot 8
When: Season 13
Type: Structure
Massive boulder feature on Lot 8 that has become one of the most significant investigative targets
on Oak Island. The boulder was manipulated by human hands and held in place by smaller stones placed
evenly around its perimeter, a construction technique reminiscent of megalithic sites in France and
northern Spain where large stones were deliberately positioned and supported by smaller keystones.
The formation conceals a large void underneath that extends into an extensive network of chambers
described as a matrix that would not occur naturally. Dr. Ian Spooner conducted soil analysis of
sediment extracted from directly beneath the boulder. Lead levels registered at 140 parts per
million, more than eleven times the normal baseline of 12 parts per million measured elsewhere on
the island. The lead is migrating through layers of ash and coal consistent with burning or smelting
activity. Rick Lagina proposed the boulder may cover a ventilation shaft, citing the ancient
practice dating to classical Greece of setting fires at the base of mine shafts to force air
circulation while smoke rose through a separate channel. Spooner found the theory plausible and
described the boulder as one of the most interesting rocks on the island. A snake camera inserted
beneath the boulder captured images of a possible iron stake, what appeared to be a pearl, and at
greater depth, lumps with golden, yellowy veins that the team observed had the color and luster of
gold. Rick called it potentially the most substantial discovery ever made on the island. The
archaeologists, including Laird Niven, gave approval to proceed with lifting the boulder using a
crane, setting the stage for one of the most anticipated operations in the history of the Oak Island
treasure hunt. Artifacts recovered from the surrounding soil include a hand-forged iron chopping
knife dated to the mid-1700s and a hand-forged iron pintle of a type dating as far back as 2000 BC,
both found by Gary Drayton after Billy Gerhardt plowed the topsoil to allow metal detection.

**Man-made stone tunnel**
Date: Unknown
Found: Near Samuel Ball's home
When: Lagina era
Type: Structure
Stone-lined tunnel near Ball's property; possibly path to vault

**Marlinespikes (pair)**
Date: Early 17th century onward
Found: Swamp, near Eye of the Swamp
When: Season 7
Type: Artifact
Two large iron spikes recovered by Gary Drayton near the Eye of the Swamp, initially thought to be
cribbing spikes similar to those found at Smith's Cove. Blacksmithing expert Carmen Legge identified
them as marlinespikes, tools used by sailors from the early 17th century onward for splicing and
tying rope on ships. The finding adds to evidence that a large vessel was once present in what is
now the swamp.

**Masonic 'G' stone**
Date: 1967 recovery
Found: Smith's Cove
When: Historical
Type: Carved_stone
Stone carved with the letter "G" inside a rectangle, a symbol associated with Freemasonry and,
through it, the Knights Templar. Recovered by Dan Blankenship at Smith's Cove in 1967. Photo
copyright by Alessandra Nadudvari.

**Masonic Stone of Port Royal (1606)**
Date: 1606 (inscribed)
Found: Granville shore opposite Goat Island, Annapolis Basin, Nova Scotia
When: 1827
Type: Carved_stone
A flat slab of trap rock approximately two and a half feet long by two feet broad, bearing the date
1606 and the Masonic square and compasses carved into its natural surface. Discovered in 1827 on the
peninsula extending from the Granville shore opposite Goat Island in the Annapolis Basin - the site
of the original French settlement at Port Royal established by Champlain and De Monts. The stone was
first documented by Judge Thomas Chandler Haliburton, who described the inscription as deeply cut in
large Arabic figures, though weathered by more than two centuries of exposure. Dr. Charles T.
Jackson of Harvard independently confirmed the find, describing it as a gravestone partly covered
with sand on the shore. The prevailing theory, supported by Haliburton and later scholars including
Hon. A. W. Savary, identifies it as a gravestone marking the burial of a French artisan who died on
or around November 14, 1606 - a colonist fatally wounded by Indians near Cape Cod and buried upon
the expedition's return to Port Royal. The square and compasses were a common trade emblem of French
craft guilds and the Compagnonnage, used by masons, carpenters, and stone cutters - all trades
documented among the Port Royal colonists by Lescarbot. The stone passed from Haliburton to his son
Robert Grant Haliburton, then in 1868 was loaned to the Royal Canadian Institute in Toronto via Sir
Sandford Fleming. It was exhibited there until 1876, when during construction of a new building a
workman inadvertently mortared it into a wall. Despite Sir Sandford Fleming offering a $1,000
reward, the stone has never been recovered. The building, now 58 Richmond Street East in Toronto,
has been searched multiple times without success. The stone represents the earliest known trace of
craft guild symbolism in North America, predating documented Freemasonry in Canada by over a
century.

**McGinnis Gold Cross**
Date: 1550-1700
Found: In the Money Pit
When: McGinnis era
Type: Artifact
A small gold cross, a McGinnis family heirloom allegedly discovered by Daniel McGinnis in the Money
Pit over 200 years ago. Composed of 22-24 carat rose gold, cast in the Spanish West Indies
1550-1700. Holes once housed emeralds. Dr. Lori Verderame examined the gold cross in Season 4,
Episode 15. She identified it as a Spanish colonial Christian cross cast in rose gold of 22 to 24
carats, dating between 1550 and 1700. The irregularly shaped piece was originally set with emeralds
that were pried out, and the casting style places its origin in the Spanish Indies, likely Mexico or
Peru.

**Metal bits with fleur-de-lis design**
Date: 1700s
Found: Lot 21
When: Season 6
Type: Artifact
Possibly from cap of French military officer

**Metal fragment with gold traces**
Date: Unknown
Found: Borehole D-2, Money Pit area
When: 2021
Type: Artifact
Small metal piece; XRF analysis revealed traces of embedded gold

**Metal in pieces**
Date: Unknown
Found: Money Pit, ~98-104 ft depth
When: 1849
Type: Material
Described as loose metal pieces between oak chests/layers; some speculated to be coins ('pieces of
eight')

**Metal object from 171-foot void**
Date: Unknown
Found: Money Pit, 171-foot void
When: Season 3
Type: Artifact
Small metal object recovered by Jack Begley from sediment pumped out of a 21-foot void discovered at
171 feet depth in the Money Pit area. The object appears to have three vertical slash marks on one
end and what looks like an overlay or plating. Jack detected the non-ferrous object using a Minelab
CTX 3030 metal detector. The team noted that the object's shape bears a curious resemblance to the
outline of Oak Island itself. Considered potentially significant as it came directly from the deep
void.

**Metal pieces (200 ft depth)**
Date: Unknown
Found: Boreholes, 200 ft depth
When: 1960s-70s
Type: Artifact
Various metal fragments brought up from extreme depths

**Metal pistol tag with name**
Date: 1700s
Found: Samuel Ball's property
When: Season 4, Ep. 8
Type: Artifact
Possible tag from bottom of pistol with etched name; some believe it was Ball's own

**Metal token (copper, mysterious symbols)**
Date: Possibly 1300+ years old
Found: Lot 15 (between Swamp and Money Pit)
When: Lagina era
Type: Artifact
High copper content with iron and zinc; possibly connected to 16th-century European religious
leaders or Viking explorers per Dr. Edwin Barnhart

**Mi'kmaq pottery**
Date: 500-2,500 years old
Found: Swamp, southeast corner near stone road
When: Season 9
Type: Artifact
Fragment of delicate pottery discovered by archaeologist Laird Niven in the southeast corner of the
swamp, identified as Mi'kmaq in origin and estimated at 500 to 2,500 years old. The discovery
triggered a work stoppage as CCH (Culture and Heritage) required consultation with the Acadia First
Nation and the Mi'kmaq Rights Initiative before excavation could continue. Four acres of the island
were subsequently designated as requiring special permission before work could proceed. Laird noted
he did not believe the nearby stone structures were constructed by the Mi'kmaq.

**Miner's oil lamp (whale oil)**
Date: 19th century or earlier
Found: Money Pit auxiliary tunnel, 65 ft
When: 1937
Type: Artifact
Found with unexploded dynamite during Gilbert Hedden's excavation

**Musket Ball (Lead Shot)**
Date: Pre-1700
Found: Lot 5 circular structure
When: Season 11, 2023
Type: Artifact
Lead musket ball found by Gary Drayton and Rick Lagina during metal detection on Lot 5, recovered
alongside the ramrod guide in the same episode. Archeometallurgist Emma Culligan determined the lead
to be pure and not modern, estimating it dates to before 1700. Found in the spoils around the
circular stone structure on Lot 5, the musket ball adds to a growing collection of military-related
artifacts from the lot, supporting theories of a military presence on the island during the 17th or
18th century.

**Musket Flintlock Mechanism**
Date: 1500s-1800s
Found: Lot 8
When: 2022
Type: Artifact
Flintlock mechanism from a musket rifle, discovered by Gary Drayton and Marty Lagina while metal
detecting on Lot 8. A CT scan by archaeologist Laird Niven revealed the internal workings beneath
heavy encrustation. The team concluded the musket was not British in origin - Niven suspected it
could be French, though a Portuguese origin was also considered. The find strengthened the theory of
pre-colonial European activity on Oak Island, particularly in connection with Portuguese naval
expeditions and possible Templar links.

**New Ross Well Symbol**
When: Season 4, Episode 2
Type: Carved_stone
Possible carved tripod symbol inside the well at New Ross

**Nolan's Cross (5 boulders)**
Date: Dated by archaeoastronomer Adriano Gaspani to 1217 AD
Found: Island interior
When: 1981
Type: Structure
A formation of six large cone-shaped boulders arranged in the shape of a cross, discovered in 1981
by Fred Nolan, a surveyor and Oak Island landowner. Nolan, who surveyed every feature of his
property with precision, noticed emerging geometric patterns along his sight lines and investigated
the intersection points, where he uncovered the boulders. The cross measures 360 feet wide by 867
feet tall, oriented northeast to southwest. Five boulders were labelled Cones A through E, with a
sixth boulder at the centre bearing features described as a carved human face and sword image,
traits associated with Templar tomb effigies. None of the boulders were found seated in glacial
till, indicating they are not in natural positions deposited by glaciers but were deliberately
placed by human hands. Fred Nolan found items beneath Cone B, including pieces of a wrought iron
stove and cutlery, though their current whereabouts are unknown. In Season 10, the team visited
archaeoastronomer Professor Adriano Gaspani in Italy. Gaspani identified six stars that aligned with
the positions of the Nolan's Cross boulders and dated their placement to approximately 1200 AD. In
Season 11, Gaspani extended his analysis to the five stone cairns on Lot 15, concluding they were
likely constructed by the same group of people around the same period. The dating coincides with the
carbon dating of the paved area in the swamp, also dated to the 1200s, and with Zena Halpern's
theory that Templar knights made voyages to Oak Island beginning in 1179 AD. The formation is not
unique. At Temple Beeld on the North York Moors in Yorkshire, England, five megaliths stand in a
configuration that mirrors the Oak Island boulders. The Temple Beeld formation measures
approximately 100 feet by 57 feet, with the central stone offset from the geometric centre, exactly
as on Oak Island. The land on which Temple Beeld stands was held by the Templar knight William de
Villiers, documented Templar property. The arm angles of the Temple Beeld formation have been
measured: the vertical axis runs at approximately 150 degrees from north, with the arms opening at
approximately 60 and 150 degrees from the axis. These measurements are, within the margin of error
imposed by centuries of weathering, identical to the corresponding angles of the Oak Island
formation. Two megalithic formations on opposite sides of the Atlantic, same number of stones, same
angular geometry, same off-centre placement of the central stone, one on confirmed Templar land in
England. Researcher Brian Pharoah identified sacred numbers in the cross's proportions: 144, 288,
360, 432, 740, and 864. He demonstrated that these figures appear in the construction measurements
of Chartres Cathedral, Rosslyn Chapel, and the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Pharoah concluded that the
cross functions as an astronomical calendar aligned with equinoxes and solstices, with the
constellation Cygnus and its Northern Cross asterism playing a prominent role. Norwegian researcher
Petter Amundsen projected the Kabbalistic Tree of Life onto Nolan's Cross and found the distances
between boulders matched the corresponding Sephirots, discovering buried flat stones at the Kingdom
(Malkuth) and Victory (Netzach) points.

**Oak leaf and acorn (Restall collection)**
Date: Pre-1795 (recovered circa 1960s)
Found: Smith's Cove flooding system
When: 1960s (Robert Restall Sr.)
Type: Material
Oak leaf and acorn recovered by treasure hunter Robert Restall Sr. from the Smith's Cove flooding
system roughly 60 years before being presented to the team by his daughter Lee Lamb. Botanist Dr.
Rodger Evans examined the specimens and confirmed the acorns are markedly different from native red
oak, raising the possibility that a non-indigenous species was deliberately brought to the island.
Evans noted the acorns would not survive drifting across the Atlantic in salt water, meaning someone
had to carry them. The material is too old for DNA testing.

**Oak log platforms (multiple)**
Date: Pre-1795
Found: Money Pit, every 10 ft (10-90 ft)
When: 1795-1804
Type: Structure
Cut timber platforms fitted into sides of the pit at regular 10-foot intervals; tool/pick marks
visible on clay walls

**Oak stumps (Mercy Point)**
Date: Carbon dated: 1450-1640 AD
Found: Mercy Point, swamp edge
When: Season 2 (2014)
Type: Material
Appear rooted to swamp floor; tree expert Joe Peters determined they could not have grown submerged,
suggesting prior dry land

**Ornate Facted Glass Jewel**
Date: Early to mid-1700s (post-1734)
Found: Lot 5 circular structure
When: Season 12, 2024
Type: Artifact
Faceted glass jewel discovered by archaeology assistant Todd Langseth during excavation near the
circular stone structure on Lot 5. Initially thought to possibly be a diamond, closer inspection
suggested it was glass. The piece was sent to the lab where archeometallurgist Emma Culligan
performed XRF analysis, confirming it was glass with high lead content and not modern. Culligan
dated it to the early to mid-1700s and identified it as a French artificially simulated gemstone - a
technique introduced in France in 1734. Such stones could have been worn by either men or women and
likely indicated someone of wealth. The team speculated a possible connection to the Duc d'Anville
expedition of 1746.

**Ornate Floral Button**
Date: 1600s - 1700s estimated
Found: Lot 5 Stone Foundation - close to the starburst button
When: Season 12, Episode 22
Type: Artifact
Copper/bronze button with apparent floral design, heavily corroded with green patina. Found in close
proximity to the Starburst button that was later compared to Knights of Malta uniform buttons by
Maltese military heraldry expert Denis Darmanin. Sent to Emma Culligan for lab analysis. Found by
Ethan Green.

**Ornate metal ring (flowered)**
Date: Unknown; possibly Spanish
Found: Swamp
When: Season 7, Ep. 19
Type: Artifact
Finely detailed design; gemologist confirmed possibly Spanish silver ring

**Overton Stone**
Date: Possibly 15th-16th century (Portuguese Age of Discovery)
Found: Overton, Nova Scotia (off-island)
When: c. 2009 (reported); Season 3, Episode 4 (2015)
Type: Carved_stone
The Overton Stone is a large glacial boulder located on the Atlantic coast near Overton, Nova
Scotia, split into two halves each roughly the size of a small car. On the vertical, south-facing
surface of the inland half, a deeply carved inscription combines Christian and Mi'kmaw symbols: a
stylised cross with outward-flaring arms enclosed in an oval with four dots, a pair of crossed
Native tobacco leaves overlaid by an eagle feather, and a three-day-old evening crescent moon. The
carving was cut into the stone's thick weathering patina using what appears to be a hard steel
chisel, and repatination has begun in the deepest cuts, suggesting significant age. The stone was
first reported around 2009 by local resident Beverly Wells-Pinkney and subsequently investigated by
historian Terry J. Deveau, who introduced it to Rick Lagina and Charles Barkhouse in Season 3,
Episode 4 - an episode that took its title from the stone. Deveau's analysis identified the cross as
stylistically consistent with padrão crosses left by Portuguese explorers during the Age of
Discovery, particularly the cross carved at Yellala Rock on the Congo River by Diogo Cão's
expedition in 1485. Portuguese padrão crosses were closely associated with the Order of Christ, the
Portuguese successor to the Knights Templar, whose cross adorned Portuguese sails throughout the era
of global exploration. Deveau proposed that the carving commemorates a friendship treaty between
Portuguese explorers and the local Mi'kmaq people. The tobacco leaves and eagle feather carry deep
spiritual significance in Mi'kmaw culture, while the crescent moon corresponds to their tradition of
observing the lunar cycle. Historical evidence supports sustained Portuguese-Mi'kmaq contact: Lopo
Homem's 1554 map shows Mi'kmaw place names on the Cape Breton coast, and explorer Joam Alvares
Fagundes conducted expeditions and founded a colony in Nova Scotia as early as the 1520s. The Bay of
Fundy itself takes its name from the Portuguese "Rio Fundo." A separate, later carving of the
initials "HT" and the date "06/07" appears one metre below the main inscription, likely carved by
someone attempting to calibrate the weathering rate in order to estimate the age of the original
work. Deveau also noted an area below the main carving where the stone surface appears to have been
deliberately removed - possibly to destroy a date that would have validated a Portuguese territorial
claim. The stone's relevance to Oak Island lies in the broader pattern of evidence for pre-colonial
Portuguese activity in Nova Scotia connected to the Knights Templar's successor order, consistent
with theories that Templar-linked Europeans operated in the Mahone Bay region centuries before the
Money Pit's 1795 discovery.

**Ox shoes (multiple)**
Date: Various
Found: Along stone pathway / swamp area
When: Multiple seasons
Type: Artifact
Multiple finds along stone road; evidence of heavy transport using oxen

**Parchment fragment**
Date: Unknown
Found: Money Pit, 153 ft depth
When: 1897
Type: Artifact
Tiny piece of parchment with ink markings ('vi' or 'wi'); found on auger bit by Dr. A.E. Porter;
grain-of-rice sized

**Parchment scrap (H8)**
Date: Medieval or later
Found: Borehole H8 spoils, Money Pit
When: Season 5 (c. 2017)
Type: Artifact
Additional parchment fragment found in same borehole spoils as bone and leather

**Paved area / stone wharf**
Date: Radiocarbon: wood beneath dated to c. 1200 AD
Found: Centre of triangular swamp
When: Season 7 (2019-20)
Type: Structure
Massive stone feature determined to be at least 300 years old; further evidence swamp is man-made;
extends toward Money Pit

**Paving stone ramp/incline**
Date: c. 500 years old
Found: Swamp
When: Season 10 (2022)
Type: Structure
Connects 800-year-old paved area to 500-year-old stone pathway; builders had foreknowledge of
existing paved area

**Peat deposits (Beach Pits 2 & 8)**
Date: C14: Beach Pit 2 peat ~10 AD (30 BC-50 AD); Beach Pit 8 peat ~390 BC (425-355 BC)
Found: South shore barrier beach, opposite swamp
When: July 1995 (WHOI field investigation)
Type: Sample
Peat samples from two beach pits along the south shore barrier beach of Oak Island, dated by the
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) using AMS (Accelerator Mass Spectrometry) in 1995-1996.
These represent the oldest reliably dated organic deposits from the island. • Beach Pit 2
(OI-BP-2, receipt 10169): Peat from approximately 8 feet below mean sea level (MSL), along the south
shore barrier beach across from the swamp. Dated to 1940 ±40 years before present → approximately
10 AD (range 30 BC to 50 AD). This corresponds roughly to the time of Alexander the Great's
childhood in Macedonia. • Beach Pit 8 (OI-BP-8, receipt 10170): Peat from approximately 10 feet
below MSL, same barrier beach area. Dated to 2340 ±35 years before present → approximately 390 BC
(range 425-355 BC). These peat layers were deposited at or above sea level in a marsh/sediment water
interface environment. Their depths below current MSL provide critical data for calculating the rate
of relative sea-level rise at Oak Island: • Beach Pit 2 yields a minimum relative sea-level rise
of 1.25 mm/year (approximately 0.4 feet per century) • Beach Pit 8 yields a relative sea-level
rise of 1.3 mm/year (approximately 0.43 feet per century) Both samples indicate consistent rates of
relatively sea-level rise, suggesting that at the time the coconut fibres were deposited (some
800-1100 years ago), Smith's Cove was at a sea level approximately 3.4 to 5 feet below present
levels. This means evidence left by people working at the site during this period must be referenced
to a substantially lower shoreline, and the area that searchers know as Smith's Cove would have been
above water during the period 800-1100 AD. The WHOI researchers concluded that flood tunnel outlets
and inlets should be sought farther seaward than where the search has traditionally focused.

**Pick Axe**
Found: Borehole RF-1
When: Season 11, Episode 16
Type: Artifact
Found in borehole RF-1, testing indicates it came from Southeast France, Northern Italy, or parts of
Scandinavia.

**Piece of chain + bone**
Date: Unknown
Found: Neighbouring borehole to H8
When: Lagina era
Type: Artifact
Chain found with bone; linked to theory of chained individuals buried with treasure

**Pink glass bead (17th century)**
Date: 17th century
Found: Lot 5
When: Season 12, Episode 20 (2025)
Type: Artifact
Pink glass bead matching another bead found earlier in Season 12. Experts suggest it dates to the
17th century, reinforcing the theory that European visitors arrived on Oak Island long before modern
settlements were established.

**Pipe stem**
Date: 18th-19th century
Found: Shaft 6 spoils (wash plant)
When: Season 6
Type: Artifact
Found among spoils from Shaft 6 near Money Pit

**Porcelain fragments**
Date: Unknown
Found: Various boreholes
When: 1960s-70s
Type: Artifact
Pieces found at depths suggesting non-natural placement

**Possible booby trap spike**
Date: Unknown (possibly original construction)
Found: Borehole 8-A, approximately 114 feet depth
When: Season 7
Type: Artifact
Pointed metal object recovered from the spoils of borehole 8-A at approximately 114 feet, alongside
hand-hewn timbers and leather fragments. Blacksmithing expert Carmen Legge identified it as a
possible booby trap spike, designed to injure anyone who stepped on it. If correct, this suggests
the original Money Pit builders may have installed physical traps beyond the known flood tunnel
system.

**Possible box drain entrance**
Date: Pre-1795
Found: Smith's Cove
When: Season 6+
Type: Structure
Stone formation matching description of original 1850 box drain discoveries; coconut fibre found
with it

**Pottery (18th century)**
Date: Early 18th century
Found: Lot 5, stone circle
When: Season 10+
Type: Artifact
Found within stone circle structure during investigation

**Pottery pieces (Lot 12 dump site)**
Date: Unknown
Found: Lot 12, 2 ft depth
When: Lagina era
Type: Artifact
Found in area marked as 'ancient dumpsite' on Fred Nolan's maps; possibly left by depositors

**Pottery shard with raised leaf design**
Date: Pre-1795
Found: Borehole H-8, approximately 150 feet depth
When: Season 5
Type: Artifact
Fine piece of pottery with a raised leaf design recovered from the spoils of borehole H-8 at around
150 feet, within the ten-foot void where the team believed they had encountered the collapsed Money
Pit. The decorative nature of the piece suggests it was not utilitarian ware left by previous
searchers.

**Pottery shards (mercury traces, Hedden find)**
Date: 1936 recovery (age unknown)
Found: Lot 12 dumpsite
When: 1936 (Gilbert Hedden)
Type: Artifact
Pottery shards with traces of mercury found by treasure hunter Gilbert Hedden at the Lot 12 dumpsite
in 1936. The mercury traces connect to the theory that Sir Francis Bacon preserved documents in
mercury before burying them on Oak Island, as detailed in his 1620 work Novum Organum. The dumpsite
was marked on Fred Nolan's survey maps and confirmed by the Lagina team when they excavated the
exact location and recovered additional pottery.

**Pottery shards (Staffordshire pearlware)**
Date: 1700-1800 AD
Found: Money Pit, 192 ft underground
When: Lagina era
Type: Artifact
Imitation Chinese porcelain; Blue Willow pattern (1810s-1840s); deepest human-made object recovered
on island

**Professionally cut gemstone**
Date: Likely medieval
Found: Lot 5
When: Season 12 (2024)
Type: Artifact
High-quality cut gemstone implying presence of wealthy individuals; unlike everyday pocket-change
finds

**Purple-stained wood fragment**
Date: Unknown
Found: Borehole H8 spoils, Money Pit
When: Season 5+
Type: Artifact
Color resembles Tyrian blue dye used by royalty/church; possibly fragment of bookbinding

**Putty layer**
Date: Unknown
Found: Money Pit, 50 ft depth
When: c. 1804
Type: Material
Thick layer of putty (ship's putty/sealant) across a timber platform

**Quadrilateral boulder formation**
Date: Before 1795
Found: Lot 13, found by Fred Nolan
When: 1993
Type: Structure
A 32-foot-long formation of deliberately stacked multi-ton boulders discovered buried beneath the
surface of Lot 13 in 1993 by surveyor and treasure hunter Fred Nolan. Nolan documented the feature
in his unpublished book but was unable to determine its purpose before his death in 2016. His son
Tom later shared the manuscript with the Lagina team, prompting excavation in Season 10. The dig
revealed three layers of massive boulders stacked deliberately and buried underground. Beneath the
stones, at roughly four feet depth, the team found a thick seam of blue clay - a material that does
not occur naturally in that area of the island. Geoscientist Dr. Ian Spooner confirmed the clay
could not have formed there geologically. The same distinctive blue clay has been found at 40 feet
in the original Money Pit, where it served as a waterproof sealant, and at the Eye of the Swamp.
Additional clay layers showed signs of burning or intense heat, and burnt sticks recovered from the
site matched charred material previously found beneath the Stone Road in the swamp. A large
hand-forged iron staple was found embedded in the excavation wall. Blacksmithing expert Carmen Legge
identified it as a fastener from a rope and pulley system used to move massive stones into position,
and assessed it as potentially medieval in origin. Archeometallurgist Emma Culligan's XRF analysis
confirmed it was 98% iron with trace elements consistent with older furnace technology. The
combination of stacked boulders, waterproofing clay, burnt material, and a potentially medieval
fastener points to a deliberate, labour-intensive construction predating the 1795 discovery of the
Money Pit.

**Ramrod (musket rifle)**
Date: Unknown (colonial era)
Found: Swamp
When: Season 12, Episode 21 (2025)
Type: Artifact
A ramrod believed to have been used in a musket rifle, discovered by Gary Drayton in the swamp area.
The find adds to growing evidence of military presence on the island.

**Ramrod Guide**
Date: 1600-1800
Found: Lot 5 circular structure
When: Season 11, 2023
Type: Artifact
Metal ramrod guide found by Gary Drayton and Rick Lagina during metal detection on Lot 5. Initially
thought to be a gun sight, lab analysis revealed it to be a ramrod guide - a component mounted on
the stock of a muzzleloading firearm to hold the ramrod in place. A scan revealed markings reading
"VIIII," which do not form a standard Roman numeral for nine, suggesting they may be counting or
tally marks rather than a number. The find adds to growing evidence of military presence on Oak
Island.

**Rectangular structure (Lot 30)**
Date: Unknown
Found: Lot 30
When: Season 10 (2022)
Type: Structure
Massive rectangular feature measuring approximately 100 by 150 feet, detected through surveying by
Ian Spooner and Steve Guptill on Lot 30. Too rectangular to be natural. Located close to the ancient
ship wharf discovered on Lot 32.

**Red dye emerging at Smith's Cove**
Found: Money Pit → Smith's Cove
When: 1896; Season 6 (fluorescent dye test)
Type: Sample
Red paint/dye poured into flooded pit allegedly exposed exit holes at beach; fluorescent dye test in
Season 6 confirmed red water at Smith's Cove

**Ring bolt in rock**
Date: Unknown
Found: Smith's Cove shoreline
When: Pre-1909
Type: Artifact
Reportedly seen by early searchers; Bowdoin found no evidence 1909

**Ring bolts**
Date: Unknown
Found: Swamp area
When: Lagina era
Type: Artifact
Interpreted as part of transport/mooring system

**Rock stake (ship anchor)**
Date: 1710-1740
Found: Lot 32
When: Season 9
Type: Artifact
Large spike with a mushroomed head from repeated use, recovered by Marty Lagina and Gary Drayton on
Lot 32. Carmen Legge identified it as a rock stake that would have been used to anchor a ship or
drag cargo ashore. He dated it to 1710 to 1740, a range that aligns with the 1746 French ship's log
Doug Crowell found in 2019, which describes a deep pit being dug and treasure buried during a
mission to retake Acadia.

**Roman coin (Season 12)**
Date: 200-300 AD
Found: Lot 5
When: Season 12 (2024)
Type: Coin
Additional Roman coin; expert analysis confirmed Roman origin

**Roman Coin Claudius II**
Date: 250 - 270 AD
Found: Lot 5
When: Season 13, Episode 2
Type: Coin
A copper-alloy coin bearing the image of Roman Emperor Claudius II, discovered on Lot 5 during
Season 13 of The Curse of Oak Island. The coin was unearthed by metal detectorist Katya Drayton in
the southern portion of Lot 5, in an area where several Roman-era coins had previously been
recovered. In the lab, archeometallurgist Emma Culligan performed an XRF scan revealing a
composition of copper, iron, calcium and silver - a mix she noted was consistent with an older coin.
A CT scan of the heavily worn surface revealed what appeared to be a Roman portrait, which she
identified as Claudius II and dated to approximately 250-270 AD. Culligan observed that the coin
appeared to have been in its location for a considerable period of time. Numismatist Sandy Campbell
subsequently examined the coin at the research centre and confirmed the identification. He noted
that the CT scan appeared to show a figure holding an oak leaf on the reverse - an iconographic
detail consistent with known Claudius II coinage. Campbell described it as the most remarkable of
all the Roman coins discovered on the island to date, and confirmed the 3rd-century dating,
consistent with Culligan's findings. He also noted that coins of this type continued to circulate as
currency well into the 1500s, making the question of when the coin was actually deposited on Oak
Island - as team member Tom Nolan pointedly observed - the real million-dollar question. Claudius
II, known as "Gothicus" for his decisive victories against Gothic invaders, ruled during the Crisis
of the Third Century from 268 to 270 AD. His antoninianus coinage - originally a silver denomination
that had been debased to copper-alloy by his reign - was minted in enormous quantities across the
empire and remained in wide circulation for centuries after his death from plague in 270 AD. The
coin is the sixth Roman-era coin recovered from Lot 5, an area of Oak Island with no known history
of habitation. The concentration of Roman coinage in a single uninhabited lot remains one of the
more puzzling patterns in the Oak Island archaeological record.

**Roman coins (multiple, Season 11)**
Date: One: BC era (2000+ years); One: 100-300 AD; One: possibly Indian 6th-8th c.; One: Tudor 1500s
Found: Lot 5
When: Season 11 (2023)
Type: Coin
Four coins found in single day; two confirmed Roman; one possibly Indian (unprecedented); one Tudor
English

**Ruler/set square**
Date: Unknown
Found: Smith's Cove area
When: Historical
Type: Artifact
A fragment of a hand-forged wrought iron ruler or framing square, discovered near the buried log
structures at Smith's Cove. The numbers and calibrations were engraved by hand and are in English
measure, indicating it was made by or for an English-speaking craftsman. Research scientists at
STELCO (the Steel Company of Canada) examined the artifact and estimated it was manufactured prior
to 1783 - placing it at least twelve years before the discovery of the Money Pit in 1795.The
artifact was photographed and documented by Robert Dunfield II, whose father Robert Dunfield
conducted major excavation operations on Oak Island in the 1960s.Historical Context: A framing
square is a precision construction tool used for measuring and marking right angles in woodworking
and structural building. Its presence near the Smith's Cove log structures is significant because it
points to organized, skilled construction activity at the cove well before the first known treasure
hunters arrived on the island. The hand-forged construction and hand-engraved calibrations indicate
pre-industrial manufacture. The use of English measure rather than French metric narrows the origin
to a British or colonial English-speaking context. This is consistent with the 18th-century British
colonial presence in Nova Scotia, though it does not rule out an earlier English origin. Smith's
Cove is the site where an elaborate artificial drainage system was discovered, including fan-shaped
box drains constructed from wooden planks, a U-shaped structure, and large quantities of coconut
fibre - some of which has been carbon-dated to the medieval period. The ruler fragment adds to the
evidence that the cove was the site of a major, engineered construction project requiring precision
tools and skilled labour.

**Rusty hook**
Date: 1700s or earlier
Found: Lot 26
When: Season 6
Type: Artifact
Could have been used to unload cargo from ships

**Seaweed sample  -  modern control (Smith's Cove, 1995)**
Date: C14: Modern (WHOI AMS, 1995-96)
Found: Smith's Cove, storm high tide mark
When: 25 July 1995
Type: Sample
A sample of recent seaweed collected from the storm high tide mark along Smith's Cove on 25 July
1995, sampled by DGA and BG during the WHOI field investigation. This fibrous, seaweed-mat material
was submitted as a methodological control - if the radiocarbon dating system was working correctly,
a recently deposited seaweed sample should return a modern date. The result confirmed expectations:
WHOI receipt 10164, sample ID OI-ICF1, returned a modern radiocarbon age, validating the reliability
of the AMS dating process used for all other Oak Island samples in the WHOI study. Importantly,
comparison of this seaweed with the purported coconut fibre from Smith's Cove showed distinctly
different morphology, confirming that the fibre-like material found beneath the beach is not simply
misidentified seaweed - a hypothesis that had been raised by some skeptics. The WHOI report noted
this comparison was "of no interest in interpreting coconut fibre history" because the two materials
were clearly different.

**Ship spikes (numerous)**
Date: Various; 17th-18th century
Found: Swamp and across island
When: Multiple seasons
Type: Artifact
Found from Swamp to Money Pit; possibly from docking wharf for unloading cargo

**Ship's wooden pin**
Date: Pre-1795
Found: Swamp, southern edge
When: Season 9
Type: Artifact
Pointed piece of wood pulled from the swamp by Billy Gerhardt, identified by Gary Drayton as a
ship's pin. The find came from the same area where numerous pieces of possible ship components have
been found, including a ship's railing carbon dated to 660-770 AD. The War Room consensus supported
identification as a probable ship component.

**Silver button**
Date: Mid-18th century
Found: Isaac Point
When: Lagina era
Type: Artifact
Possibly from military uniform

**Silver Spanish ring**
Date: Possibly 16th-17th century
Found: Swamp
When: Season 7 (2019-20)
Type: Artifact
Ornate flower design; determined by gemologist Charles Lewton-Brain to be possibly Spanish silver

**Silver tassel piece (90% silver)**
Date: Unknown - ancient (pre-colonial)
Found: Lot 5 - stone foundation
When: Season 11 (2024)
Type: Artifact
Hand-forged piece containing 90% silver, part of a decorative tassel. Found by archaeologist Jamie
Kouba in the Lot 5 stone foundation. The high silver content meant this was technically classed as
actual treasure. Archaeologist Laird Niven stated that in 40 years of work, he had never found
anything like it.

**Silver traces ('dump-truck load')**
Found: Money Pit boreholes
When: Season 8 (2020-21)
Type: Sample
Water sampling in numerous boreholes provided 'scientific proof' of substantial silver deposit deep
underground

**Skeleton key**
Date: Pre-1800
Found: Oak Island
When: Season 5, Ep. 12
Type: Artifact
Shown by Tom Nolan; links to keyhole plate and chest hinge

**Slipway (wooden)**
Date: Dendro: red spruce dated 1771
Found: Smith's Cove
When: Season 6 (2018-19)
Type: Structure
Large wooden structure; possibly a wharf/dock for unloading cargo; predates Money Pit by 24 years

**Small horseshoe (mule/pony)**
Date: Unknown
Found: Lot 16
When: Season 5, Ep. 8
Type: Artifact
Part of trio of finds on Lot 16

**Smith's Cove timber structures (Blankenship, 1969-70)**
Date: C14: oak peg ~860 AD (720-1000); beam ~1135 AD (1025-1245)
Found: Smith's Cove, inside cofferdam area
When: August-November 1969; August-October 1970
Type: Structure
During Dan Blankenship's excavation of Smith's Cove in 1969-1970, a complex of wooden structures was
uncovered inside the cofferdam area. These structures were meticulously documented and multiple
samples were submitted for carbon dating, yielding medieval dates that stunned the researchers. The
excavation work began in August 1969 when Blankenship and Gerald Dorey dug with pick and shovel at
extreme low tide to expose flood tunnel workings. After finding one tunnel entrance, they extended
the search and at the next low tide discovered additional structures approximately 8 feet below the
surface. --- STRUCTURES UNCOVERED --- Item #1: An inclined ramp approximately 9' wide and 90' long.
The logs forming this ramp were described as "very old" and when followed toward shore, the remains
of a higher dock (of much newer construction) were found on top. Rocks 2-3' thick were placed over
the lower ramp. Item #2: A "U"-shaped structure alongside the ramp and just south. The northern side
extended over 45' long with a front of about 65'; the southern side over 30' but had been destroyed
toward shore. This structure was built primarily from a large spruce log 12-20 inches in diameter,
notched with a 6" × 7" spruce timber secured by a 2" thick oak peg. Timbers were spaced about 4'10"
on center. Across this log on one end were found 2 timbers lying loose with 2 notches in one end. A
sketch was enclosed. Roman numerals are cut into the log at each location. Heavy 2" planks
(hardwood) were secured to the bottom of the angle pieces. These timbers were sawn by hand. Item #3:
A neat row of 2" timbers approximately 3' long, in good condition - identified as an attempt at
building a dam. Item #4: A row of 1-3/4' boards laid horizontally and tight together, about 5' high
- apparently an attempt to stop water. Item #5: Two or three horizontal boards laid 6" apart with
clay in between - another apparent attempt to stop water. Item #6: A searchers' shaft only 18"
behind Item #5, about 4' wide and 8' long. Item #7: A piece of metal pipe found about 6' deep below
the original beach level, approximately 3" diameter and 14" long. Item #8: Two pieces of
pottery/dish taken from the vicinity of Item #1. Item #9: A nail dug out of the loose-laying timber
on Item #2. (Stelco analysis pending.) Item #10: A piece of dish and a piece of mug found under the
ramp. Item #11: A wooden box 18" wide and 24" long. The sides are 4" × 6" oak, the bottom is 2"
oak, and the ends are 1" spruce. One end of the oak sides is beveled and an oak dowel is in one side
only. Found at least 2 feet below the bottom of the large log on the inside corner of Item #2,
apparently hidden. --- CARBON DATING RESULTS --- • Oak peg from timber structure (sent by McCabe
to Geochron, October 1969): Geochron GX-1692: 1090 ±140 C-14 years BP → A.D. 860 (range 720-1000)
Sample identified as "wood, probably cedar" by Geochron. • Inclined beam from timber structure
(sent by McCabe to Geochron, October 1969): Geochron GX-1691: 815 ±110 C-14 years BP → A.D. 1135
(range 1025-1245) Sample identified as "wood, probably pine" by Geochron. Kerry Ellard's 15
September 1970 letter to Dr. Terasmae confirms: "As far as the samples are concerned, I should point
out that they were taken from a wooden structure uncovered below water level in an area which we
have recently enclosed with a coffer dam. We think that the timber is spruce and that the peg is
oak. The log is almost certainly spruce. Both samples have probably been thoroughly saturated with
sea water, since further along the log toward the water, there was considerable damage by sea
worms." The Smith & Coles law firm letter of 14 October 1969 provides additional context: the wood
structure was uncovered embedded about 5-6 feet below the seabed, beyond the perimeter of the
original coffer dam, generally in line with the so-called cave-in shaft and Money Pit. The wood had
been submerged in sea water for 7 years and the find was considered sufficiently significant to
warrant testing. Two of the four pieces enclosed were believed to be oak and the other two spruce.
Harold Kruger of Geochron cautioned that both samples gave ages around 1000 years and that the wood
fragments came from rather large trees which "may have had a rather substantial age at the time of
fabrication." He emphasized that radiocarbon dating measures when the tree formed, not when the wood
was worked.

**Spanish 11 Maravedis coin**
Date: 1598 AD
Found: Beach at Smith's Cove
When: 1965
Type: Coin
Found by student; one of oldest coins on island

**Spanish 8 Maravedis coin**
Date: c. 1600 AD
Found: Swamp
When: Season 4 (c. 2016)
Type: Coin
Similar to 11 Maravedis; Spanish colonial period

**Spike (1700s wrought iron)**
Date: 1700s
Found: Smith's Cove
When: Season 6, Ep. 8
Type: Artifact
Shorter and thicker than other spikes found on island; found with gold-plated coin

**Spike coated in limestone/concrete**
Date: 18th century or earlier
Found: H8 spoils, Money Pit
When: Season 5, Ep. 10
Type: Artifact
Found in same borehole spoils as human bone fragments

**Spruce platform**
Date: Pre-1795
Found: Money Pit, 98 ft depth
When: 1849
Type: Structure
Platform hit by Truro Company pod-auger boring; beneath it layers of oak, 'metal in pieces', another
spruce layer, and clay

**Square nails**
Date: Late 1700s
Found: Lot 5
When: Season 10+
Type: Artifact
Hand-forged square nails suggesting 18th-century activity

**Square-shaped hatch**
Date: Unknown
Found: Western side of island
When: Lagina era
Type: Structure
Discovered after 14th-century map indicated hatch location; possible back entrance to Money Pit

**Staffordshire slipware pottery**
Date: 1675-1770
Found: Lot 5, round feature
When: Season 13
Type: Artifact
Fragment of Staffordshire slipware pottery unearthed by archaeologist Fiona Steele at the round
feature on Lot 5. Laird Niven dated the piece to 1675-1770, representing some of the earliest
pottery found in the feature. Staffordshire slipware was a type of lead-glazed earthenware produced
in Staffordshire, England, characterized by trailed slip decoration.

**Starburst button (lead-tin)**
Date: Possibly 13th century
Found: Lot 5, stone foundation area
When: Season 11 (2024)
Type: Artifact
Fragile button with distinctive starburst design, made of an unusual lead-tin alloy. Laird Niven
identified examples dating back to the 13th century. Later compared side-by-side with Knights of
Malta uniform buttons (S12E20), suggesting a possible connection to the military order. A cast iron
stove found nearby on Lot 5 bore a similar starburst design, dated mid-17th to mid-18th century.

**Sticks/organic matter (Eye of the Swamp)**
Date: Carbon dated: 1674-1700 AD
Found: Eye of the Swamp
When: Season 7
Type: Material
From possible 300-year-old clay mine in swamp

**Stone and cement foundation (Smith's Cove)**
Date: Undated (pre-1795 based on context)
Found: Smith's Cove, 150 ft south of beach, 2 ft below grade
When: November 1969
Type: Structure
A large stone and cement foundation discovered by Dan Blankenship during the November 1969 Smith's
Cove excavation, shaped like a horseshoe and found approximately 2 feet below the grade and about
150 feet south of the Smith's Cove beach. Blankenship described it as "quite massive." Dimensions:
roughly 12 feet wide and 25 feet long, with the open end toward the shore. The width of the footing
varied from 20 inches to 30 inches and averaged approximately 3 feet deep. All the stones were
cemented together in a mass, with the footing approximately 2 feet deep. The earth inside the
horseshoe appeared slightly whiter than outside, and the earth toward the shore showed evidence of
extensive heat - burnt deep red with patches of white in layers. Pieces of charcoal and coal were
found in this area. Blankenship noted that the remains of a stone-paved road from this area toward
the Money Pit were still discernible. He speculated on two possible interpretations: (1) it could
have been the site of a steam boiler used by searchers working on the coffer dam, though he
personally doubted this as he could not conceive the usefulness of a steam engine for such an
operation; or (2) more likely in his view, it was the site of an original open hearth furnace where
metalwork - including the manufacture of bricks and clays - could have been performed. This
structure was found in the same excavation campaign that uncovered the medieval-dated timber
structures (Items #1-#11) inside the cofferdam, and its proximity to those structures, the stone
road remnants, and the evidence of industrial-scale heating activity suggests it may be connected to
the original depositor's operations on the island.

**Stone Cairns**
Date: 1217
Found: Lot 15, between the Swamp and Money Pit
When: First documented by Fred Nolan; analyzed Season 11 (2024)
Type: Structure
Five pyramid-shaped stone constructs arranged on Lot 15, originally dubbed "Pirate Piles" by the
late Fred Nolan. The cairns point toward the swamp. In Season 11, archaeoastronomer Professor
Adriano Gaspani analyzed the positioning of the cairns and determined they were built in alignment
with the stars, sun, and the moon's position in the night sky. By calculating how long ago those
alignments were exact, Gaspani dated their construction to approximately 1250 AD - the same period
he attributes to Nolan's Cross (dated 1200 AD). Gaspani concluded that both monuments were built by
the same group and attributed the work to the Knights Templar. Metal detecting near the cairns by
Gary Drayton recovered a decorated lead strip suspected to be medieval. Analysis revealed
similarities to a twisted lead artifact from Lot 13 with Scandinavian origins, raising the
possibility of Viking involvement alongside the Templars.

**Stone circle structure (13 ft diameter)**
Date: 18th century artifacts found within; matches Money Pit dimensions
Found: Lot 5, near shoreline
When: Season 10 (2022)
Type: Structure
Man-made circular feature 13 ft across with notches every 4 ft; same dimension as original Money
Pit; previously dismissed as old cellar by Laird Niven

**Stone pathway / road**
Date: Carbon-14 dated ~800 AD (approximately 1200 years old)
Found: Swamp, leading to Money Pit area
When: Season 8 (2020-21)
Type: Structure
Stone-lined roadway connecting swamp wharf to Money Pit area; possibly used for transporting heavy
cargo Carbon-14 dating of wood taken from the pathway revealed it dates back approximately 1200
years to ~800 AD, making it one of the oldest dated structures on Oak Island. This date was revealed
in the Season 11 finale.

**Stone Shot (Lot 16)**
Date: 15th-16th century
Found: Lot 16, near the swamp
When: Season 9
Type: Artifact
A small round stone ball spotted by metal detectorist Gary Drayton on Lot 16, near the swamp.
Drayton recognised it immediately as an old gun stone, a type of projectile fired from small
deck-mounted cannons.\r\n\r\nGeologist Dr. Robert Raeside analysed the composition and identified it
as an olivine-bearing rock containing olivine gabbro and basalt, confirming it was volcanic in
origin and could not have come from Nova Scotia. Raeside concluded the stone most likely originated
from the Canary Islands or the Azores, both heavily associated with early trans-Atlantic voyages by
Spanish and Portuguese navigators.\r\n\r\nA second, nearly identical gun stone was found the
following year along a possible pathway between the swamp and the Money Pit, with the same volcanic
composition. The Portuguese were among the first to use these types of small shipboard cannons, and
the Azores were a Portuguese territory and a key staging point for Atlantic crossings.

**Stone Shot (Money Pit)**
Date: 15th-16th century
Found: Money Pit - E-5.25 shaft spoils
When: Season 8
Type: Artifact
A small stone cannonball unearthed from more than 100 feet deep in the Money Pit area. Treasure
hunter Michael John and surveyor Steve Guptil discovered the projectile in 2020 while searching
spoils excavated from the E-5.25 shaft.\r\n\r\nAnalysis confirmed the stone was volcanic in
composition, matching material commonly found in the Azores islands of Portugal. The depth at which
it was found, well below the surface and within the Money Pit excavation zone, suggests it was
deposited long before the 1795 discovery and may have been part of the original works.\r\n\r\nThe
find was significant as it placed Portuguese-linked material not just on the surface of Oak Island
but deep within the Money Pit itself, connecting the growing body of Portuguese evidence on the
surface to whatever lies below.

**Stone Triangle**
Date: Unknown
Found: South shore, above high-water mark
When: 1897
Type: Structure
Equilateral triangle of beach stones pointing true north; medial line extends directly through Money
Pit 210 ft away; resembles large sextant; discovered by Captain Welling

**Stone well (Lot 11)**
Date: Pre-1795 (identical construction to Lot 26 medieval well)
Found: Lot 11, north side of swamp, near Anthony Graves house site
When: Season 10, Ep. 17 (2023)
Type: Structure
An old stone well on Lot 11, north of the swamp, first discovered by Fred Nolan and his son Tom in
the 1970s. At the time, the Nolans found pottery in the bottom of the well and subsequently refilled
it. The well was re-excavated in Season 10 by Billy Gerhardt after the team's interest in island
wells was reignited by Ian Spooner's discovery of elevated silver and medieval-dated wood in the Lot
26 well. Rick Lagina immediately noted that the Lot 11 well was of identical design and construction
to the Lot 26 well - both are crudely and roughly built stone-lined wells, a construction style that
Ian Spooner had noted was consistent with significant age and contrasted with the more refined
stonework typical of 18th- and 19th-century Nova Scotian construction. Excavation of the well spoils
produced several notable finds, including a wrought iron cargo hook dated by blacksmith expert
Carmen Legge to 1650-1690. Tom Nolan recalled the pottery his father had found in the well decades
earlier, adding to the evidence of pre-discovery activity in this area. The well's location near the
former house site of Anthony Graves is notable. Graves was a 19th-century Oak Island landowner who,
according to local legend, would row to Chester and pay for goods using gold and silver Spanish
coins - leading some researchers to speculate that Graves may have discovered treasure on his
property. The proximity of this well to the Graves house, combined with the 17th-century cargo hook
found in its spoils, deepens the mystery of what activity was taking place on this part of the
island before the Money Pit discovery. No direct C14 dating has been performed on the well structure
itself. The date confidence is set to low because, while the identical construction to the Lot 26
well (~1220 AD) and the 17th-century artifacts found within it suggest pre-1795 origins, no lab
dating has been applied to the structure. Further analysis of the pottery and wood from the well
could help establish a firmer date range.

**Stone well (never freezes)**
Date: Possibly 800+ years old
Found: Lot 26, south side of Oak Island
When: Season 10, Ep. 11 (2023)
Type: Structure
A crudely built stone well on Lot 26, on the south side of Oak Island, first noticed by Rick Lagina
during a winter walk years before its investigation. Despite snow and ice covering the ground, the
well remained unfrozen - a peculiarity that prompted further study. In Season 10, geoscientist Ian
Spooner investigated the well by extracting water samples and a piece of wood from the bottom that
he believed had been used in its construction. The wood was carbon dated to approximately 800 years
old (~1220 AD), placing it squarely within the medieval period alongside the coconut fibre deposits
(1036-1374 AD) and the Smith''s Cove timber structures (720-1245 AD). The water sample returned with
elevated silver content, making the Lot 26 well one of the few locations outside the Money Pit area
where silver has been detected. Spooner noted that the well's crude and rough construction style was
itself consistent with significant age, contrasting with the more refined stonework typical of 18th-
and 19th-century Nova Scotian construction. The well's location on the south side of the island, far
from the Money Pit and Smith's Cove, suggests that activity during the medieval period was not
confined to the northeastern corner of the island. Combined with the elevated silver readings, the
well raises the possibility of a broader operational footprint by whoever was working on Oak Island
800 years ago. Subsequent episodes saw archaeologist Laird Niven and his team expand their
investigation to include a nearby stone wall on Lot 26 with a massive oak tree growing out of it.
The reasoning was that the wall must pre-date the tree, so dating the tree would provide a minimum
age for the wall. An expert consulted by the team suggested that if someone wanted to hide evidence
of underground digging, the middle of a wall would be an ideal concealment location.

**Submerged coin (possibly Chinese)**
Date: Unknown
Found: Off northern coast (underwater)
When: Season 11 (2023)
Type: Coin
Found by Tony Sampson while diving; provincial law prevented extraction at time

**Swivel Gun Metal**
Date: Pre-16th century (material composition)
Found: Lot 4
When: Season 9 (2021)
Type: Artifact
A fragment of metal unearthed by Gary Drayton on Lot 4, in an area marked on Zena Halpern's map as
"The Hole under the Hatch." Dr. Christa Brosseau of Saint Mary's University in Halifax analysed the
piece and identified it as bell metal, a copper alloy historically used in the manufacture of
cannons and bells. Brosseau noted that the composition was consistent with cannon material, possibly
of Portuguese origin. The find was later referenced in Season 10 when a similar piece of bell metal
was discovered on Lot 8. The artifact adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting Portuguese
activity on Oak Island, alongside volcanic stone shot traced to the Azores, a stone road with
Portuguese construction characteristics, and a hand cannon fragment found in the western swamp.

**Toe tap (leather and copper)**
Date: Pre-modern
Found: Lot 4
When: Season 10
Type: Artifact
Piece of leather with copper alloy and three nail holes, identified as a toe tap, recovered by Rick
Lagina and Gary Drayton on Lot 4. A toe tap is a small metal plate attached to the sole of a shoe or
boot to reduce wear.

**Tory Martin Stone**
Date: Unknown
Found: near the Money Pit
Type: Carved_stone
Tory Martin’s stone refers to a flat rock he discovered near the Money Pit site that bears
unusual, seemingly carved markings which is potentially non-natural as it resembles runic script.
The crew brought it into the war room for laser scanning and comparison with other inscribed stones.

**Trapezoid-Shaped Wood Piece**
Date: 1683-1735 (radiocarbon)
Found: Triangle Swamp excavation
When: 2022
Type: Artifact
A deliberately shaped trapezoid piece of wood recovered from the Oak Island swamp during excavation
by Gary Drayton and Billy Gerhardt in Season 9. It was found alongside several other worked wood
pieces, including planks that may have been oars, a large wooden pin identified as a probable fid (a
tool used to splice rope on sailing ships), and assorted lumber. Marine archaeologist Dr. Lee Spence
examined the finds in the War Room and confirmed that most of the recovered wood pieces could easily
be nautical in origin. While the fid was specifically identified as likely coming from a large
sailing vessel, the trapezoid piece resisted definitive identification. Spence could only describe
it as a shaped wooden object of unknown specific function. One possibility raised is that it may be
part of a forward seat from a small rowing vessel. Radiocarbon dating placed the trapezoid piece
between 1683 and 1735 - firmly in the pre-discovery colonial period and consistent with a growing
body of evidence pointing to significant activity on Oak Island decades before the Money Pit was
found in 1795. A second unidentified wood piece recovered from the swamp around the same time
returned a nearly identical date range of 1680 to 1740, reinforcing the pattern. The dating aligns
with Dr. Ian Spooner's analysis of the Eye of the Swamp, which indicated the swamp itself was
disturbed by human activity between 1674 and 1700. The convergence of these dates across multiple
independent finds strengthens the case for organized operations in the swamp during the late 17th to
early 18th century.

**Treasure chest hinge**
Date: Pre-1800
Found: Oak Island
When: Season 4, Ep. 15
Type: Artifact
Iron hinge consistent with treasure chest construction

**U-shaped wooden structure**
Date: Dendro: 1769 (trees felled)
Found: Smith's Cove, tidal zone
When: 1970s; fully excavated Season 6 (2018-19)
Type: Structure
Large formation of logs with Roman numeral marriage marks; purpose debated: slipway, crane base, or
barn roof; 25 years before Money Pit discovery

**Unknown tunnel (east-west)**
Date: Unknown
Found: Beneath Garden Shaft, 95 ft
When: Season 10 (2022)
Type: Structure
Previously unknown tunnel detected in 3 different boreholes; runs east-west through 'Baby Blob' area
where gold/silver traces detected

**Venetian glass beads (multiple)**
Date: 15th-16th century
Found: Lot 5
When: Season 11 (2024)
Type: Artifact
Multiple colorful beads recovered from Lot 5, identified as Venetian glass. Expert analysis
confirmed they are very old and were once considered a precious commodity. Venetian glass beads were
widely traded across Europe and the Americas from the 15th century onwards.

**Wharf pin (large iron)**
Date: Colonial era
Found: Swamp, northern region near cobblestone pathway
When: Season 12
Type: Artifact
Large metal pin recovered by Jack Begley from the northern swamp near the cobblestone pathway and
survey stakes. The team identified it as a possible wharf pin, consistent with other maritime
hardware found in the swamp including rock stakes, marlinespikes, and ship components.

**Wharf pin nail (1700s)**
Date: 1700s
Found: Lot 5
When: Season 12, Episode 19 (2025)
Type: Artifact
Nail thought to be a wharf pin from the 1700s, found on Lot 5. Supports evidence of maritime
activity connected to the island.

**Wood slat and wooden stake (Triton Alliance, 1981)**
Date: C14: slat ~280 AD (210-350); stake ~250 AD (170-250)
Found: Unknown  -  possibly Nolan's property
When: Pre-1981 (submitted March 1981)
Type: Material
Two wood samples submitted to the Brock University Geological Sciences Radiocarbon Lab by Triton
Alliance Ltd. for the Oak Island Project, analysed in March 1981 by technician Howard Melville.
These returned remarkably ancient dates: • Wood slat #1 (BGS-677): 1670 ±70 years before present
→ approximately 280 AD (range 210-350 AD) Analysed 4 March 1981. Benzene produced: 4.2162g.
Counting time: 3000 minutes. Disintegrations: 102,750. • Wooden stake #2 (BGS-678): 1700 ±80
years before present → approximately 250 AD (range 170-250 AD) Analysed 6 March 1981. Benzene
produced: 4.0357g. Counting time: 3000 minutes. Disintegrations: 98,960. Both samples received full
pretreatment: removal of foreign material, removal of humic acid, distilled water wash, and acid
leach. Unused portions were dried and stored. Howard Melville's cover letter to David C. Tobias of
Triton Alliance (23 March 1981) noted: "The age reported for carbon dating represents the age for
that portion of the tree from which your sample came. I have dried your samples and put them into
storage. If you wish them returned, please notify me and I will gladly do so." The Les MacPhie
summary table notes these samples had "no details on location" with a query mark next to "Nolan?"
suggesting they may have been recovered from Fred Nolan's property. If these dates are accurate and
the samples represent worked wood (the designation "slat" and "stake" implies deliberate shaping),
they would represent some of the oldest evidence of human woodworking activity on or near Oak
Island, contemporary with the late Roman Empire. However, significant caveats apply: (1) the
provenance is uncertain; (2) the "old wood effect" means the trees could have been much older than
when they were worked; (3) no information exists about whether these were clearly tool-worked
specimens or naturally shaped wood. The confidence level is set to medium due to these
uncertainties.

**Wood, clay, charcoal (various boreholes)**
Date: C14 range: 1490-1970 AD (multiple samples); one glacial deposit ~25,000 BP
Found: Various boreholes
When: 1960s-70s
Type: Material
Multiple wood samples recovered from deep boreholes and shafts across the Money Pit area, carbon
dated between 1969 and 1996 by three separate laboratories. These represent the first systematic
attempt to date subsurface structures at Oak Island. --- THE FIRST OAK ISLAND C14 TEST (1969) ---
The very first carbon dating of Oak Island material was initiated by Michael J. Needham of T'ang
Management Inc., Toronto. On 25 April 1969, Needham wrote to Harold Kruger at Geochron Laboratories,
Cambridge, Massachusetts, enclosing three wood samples and requesting dating within a tolerance of
±10 years. He stressed urgency as the results would influence an upcoming drilling program
commencing the week of 12 May 1969. Of the three samples, only one (Sample A, GX-1584) was large
enough to date. Samples B (GX-1585) and C (GX-1586) were marked "TOO SMALL TO BE DATED." Kruger
reported the results on 3 June 1969. • Becker Hole 24, 193 ft depth - Wood chips reported by David
Tobias, recovered 29 May 1967: Geochron GX-1584: 375 ±85 C-14 years BP → A.D. 1575 (range
1490-1660) Kruger noted: "Taking into consideration the analytical error associated with the age
determination there is a possibility that the wood is very early colonial in age, although it is
equally possible that it is just slightly pre-colonial and was emplaced by natural processes.
Certainly the wood bears no relationship to glacial deposits since most of these have ages of almost
10,000 years or older." Donald C. Webster forwarded these results to Dan Blankenship on 10 June
1969, noting: "I think the carbon dating is quite interesting as it substantiates that the wood is
from the date which we have predicted" - a reference to the time period associated with the
publication "Adventures of the Sea." --- GEOCHRON SECOND BATCH (1969) --- Michael J. McCabe of Helix
Investments Ltd. sent two additional wood samples to Geochron on 30 October 1969. Kruger reported on
19 December 1969: • Oak peg from timber structure, Dan Blankenship, Oct 1969: Geochron GX-1692:
1090 ±140 BP → A.D. 860 (range 720-1000) Identified as "wood, probably cedar." Comment: "The wood
may of course have had a significant age before fabrication." • Inclined beam from timber
structure, Dan Blankenship, Oct 1969: Geochron GX-1691: 815 ±110 BP → A.D. 1135 (range 1025-1245)
Identified as "wood, probably pine." Comment: "The wood may of course have had a substantial age
prior to fabrication." Kruger cautioned McCabe: "As you will see both of these samples give ages in
the vicinity of 1000 years... the fragments of wood may have come, in each case, from rather large
trees. This means, of course, that they may have had a rather substantial age at the time of
fabrication. The radiocarbon age determination does not necessarily date the age of fabrication but
rather the time at which each particular tree was formed." --- TERASMAE / BROCK UNIVERSITY (1970)
--- Dr. Jan Terasmae of Brock University dated six samples from the Oak Island Exploration project
(number 69126), reported 23 October 1970: • Wood (chips) from BH 202, 125 ft: BGS-16A -
approximately 25,000 years BP (estimate only). This is glacial deposit material, not human-worked.
Terasmae noted the sample could have originated from non-glacial beds of mid-Wisconsinan age
incorporated into glacial deposits of late-Wisconsinan age. In the case of sample BGS-16A, only an
estimate of age is given because the sample was smaller than the minimum weight required for
meaningful reliability. • Wood from BH 103 (Heddon Shaft), 144 ft: BGS-16B - 174 ±85 BP → ~1776
AD (range 1691-1861) • Wood "Off shore": BGS-16C - 305 ±115 BP → ~1645 AD (range 1530-1760) •
Wood (chips) from BH 9 (Chappell Shaft), 198-206 ft: BGS-24 - 104 ±124 BP → ~1846 AD (range
1722-1970) Terasmae noted: "In the case of sample B.G.S. 24 there is a suggestion of contamination
by modern wood material (presence of small round twigs) during the drilling operation." • Wood
"Upright" from 1-T: BGS-25A - 380 ±150 BP → ~1570 AD (range 1420-1720) • Wood "Peg" from 2-T:
BGS-25B - 274 ±159 BP → ~1676 AD (range 1517-1835) Terasmae summarized: "It would appear that
most of the submitted material has an average age of 250 or 260 years." He cautioned that some
variance was caused by uncertainty about whether wood samples came from the inside or outside of
logs, and that radiocarbon dates should be refined through comparison with dendrochronology. ---
WHOI / NOSAMS AMS (1995-96) --- • Wood from borehole 10X, 165 ft, provided by Dan Blankenship
(probably from 1971): WHOI receipt 10165 / OI-W6: 120 ±35 BP → ~1830 AD (range 1795-1865) •
Wood from borehole 10X(?), provided by Dan Blankenship (probably from 1971): WHOI receipt 10166 /
OI-W7: 75 ±30 BP → ~1875 AD (range 1845-1905) The WHOI draft report (April 1996) noted that the
provenance of both wood samples was unclear - whether they came from a log, worked wood, or
inner/outer portions of the wood. Both dated to modern times, approximately 100 years old, and were
considered of limited interpretive value. --- BROCK UNIVERSITY / MELVILLE (1981) --- Howard Melville
at Brock University dated two samples for Triton Alliance Ltd.: • Wood slat #1: BGS-677 - 1670
±70 BP → ~280 AD (range 210-350) Analysed 4 March 1981. Full pretreatment applied. • Wooden
stake #2: BGS-678 - 1700 ±80 BP → ~250 AD (range 170-250) Analysed 6 March 1981. Full
pretreatment applied. The summary table notes these had "no details on location" with a query mark
suggesting they may be from the Nolan property. If accurate, these dates (~250-280 AD) would
represent some of the oldest worked-wood dates from Oak Island.

**Wooden cargo barrel fragments**
Date: Dated as early as 15th century
Found: Swamp, near stone wharf
When: Season 8+
Type: Artifact
Found by Rick Lagina while investigating stone wharf; possible treasure container

**Wooden keg barrel pieces**
Date: Colonial era
Found: Swamp, northern region near cobblestone pathway
When: Season 13
Type: Artifact
Two pieces of wooden keg barrel, one a top and the other a bottom, recovered by Gary Drayton from
deep in the bog in the northern region of the swamp near sections of cobblestone pathway. Gary noted
that the French, English, and Spanish historically used kegs to transport and store treasure coins,
and suggested that lab analyst Emma Culligan may be able to determine through XRD testing what the
keg once contained.

**Wooden ship's railing**
Date: Carbon dated: 660-770 AD
Found: Southern border of swamp
When: Season 8 (2020-21)
Type: Artifact
Oldest artifact found on Oak Island at time of discovery; strong evidence of ancient maritime
presence

**Wooden T-square / masonic tool**
Date: Unknown
Found: Swamp
When: Season 8 (2020)
Type: Artifact
Believed to be a masonic tool or T-square; found during swamp investigation

**Wound glass bead (forest glass, Normandy)**
Date: As early as 10th century
Found: Lot 5
When: Season 12, Episode 21 (2025)
Type: Artifact
Wound glass bead found by archaeologist Fiona Steele on Lot 5. Metallurgist Emma Culligan confirmed
it is made from forest glass, characterized by high potassium and low sodium content, and likely
originated in Normandy, France. Forest glass production was common in medieval Northern France.

**Wrought iron scissors**
Date: Pre-mid-19th century
Found: Smith's Cove, beneath flood system
When: 1967
Type: Artifact
Identified by Smithsonian as typical Spanish-American manufacture prior to mid-19th century

**Wrought iron spike (swamp)**
Date: Late 1600s-early 1700s
Found: Swamp
When: Lagina era
Type: Artifact
Consistent with spikes used on Spanish galleons

**Yarmouth Runic Stone**
Date: c. 1000 CE (if Norse, unconfirmed)
Found: Yarmouth Harbour, Nova Scotia
When: 1812
Type: Artifact
A 400-pound slab of quartzite measuring roughly 79 cm by 51 cm, featuring a 13-character inscription
on its naturally smooth face. Discovered in 1812 by retired British Army surgeon Dr. Richard
Fletcher in a salt marsh at the head of Yarmouth Harbour, Nova Scotia, near the Tusket River. The
inscription has been interpreted as Norse runes, early Basque, Old Japanese, Hungarian, and
Mycenaean Greek, among other theories. The most persistent reading comes from Henry Phillips Jr.,
who in 1884 translated it as "Hako's son addressed the men," linking it to Thorfinn Karlsefni's
expedition of c. 1007 CE. Olaf Strandwold offered the alternative: "Leif to Eric raises this
monument." Skeptics, including Norway's leading runic expert Dr. Liestol (1966) and University of
Toronto archaeologist A.D. Fraser, have argued the markings are not genuine runes. Fletcher's own
descendants believed he carved it as a practical joke. The stone traveled internationally before
World War I, exhibited in Oslo and stored in London at the Canadian Pacific Railway offices during
the war. It returned to Yarmouth in 1918 and has been housed at the Yarmouth County Museum since the
1960s. Alex Lagina visited the museum in the summer of 2018 to examine the stone firsthand. Museum
director Nadine Gates and historian Terry Deveau presented it alongside other regional artifacts
suggesting pre-Columbian European contact with Nova Scotia, strengthening the case for Norse
activity in the region explored in the show's Viking theory.

Total artifacts cataloged: 238

---

# RESEARCH SITES

Off-island locations investigated for their connection to the Oak Island mystery.
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites

**Abbey of Alet-les-Bains**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/abbey-of-alet-les-bains
Type: Monastery
Location: Alet-les-Bains, Aude, France
Medieval abbey built on the foundations of a Roman temple, situated 7 miles north of Rennes-le-Château in southern France. A carving at the old baths depicts the symbolic transfer of Templar knowledge into Freemasonry.
The Abbey of Alet-les-Bains is a medieval monastic complex in the commune of Alet-les-Bains in the
Aude department of southern France, approximately seven miles north of the village of
Rennes-le-Château. The abbey was built on the foundations of a Roman temple and became an
important religious centre during the medieval period, serving as the seat of a bishopric from the
9th century. The town's thermal baths, known since Roman times, attracted visitors throughout the
medieval and early modern periods. The surrounding Languedoc region was a stronghold of both Cathar
Christianity and the Knights Templar during the 12th and 13th centuries, and the landscape between
Alet-les-Bains and Rennes-le-Château is rich with sites connected to both traditions.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 2, Marty and Alex Lagina traveled to southern France with author and researcher Kathleen
McGowan. At the old baths of Alet-les-Bains, they met Tobi, a modern-day Knight Templar and Templar
historian. Tobi showed the group a carving depicting a Templar cross with a flash descending through
angel wings into a handshake, a symbol he explained represents the transfer of Templar knowledge
into Freemasonry. The carving provided a visual link between the Templar order and the Masonic
tradition that has been connected to Oak Island through multiple lines of evidence, including the
Masonic affiliations of early searchers, the Masonic membership of Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the
geometric symbolism embedded in Nolan's Cross. When asked about Oak Island, Tobi pointed to the
carved stone found at the centre of Nolan's Cross and described what had been identified as a sword
on its surface as a possible Templar tomb marker, suggesting the stone may mark a burial or
repository rather than simply serving as a geographic reference point.

**Arni Magnusson Institute for Icelandic Studies**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/arni-magnusson-institute-for-icelandic-studies
Type: Educational
Location: Reykjavik, Reykjavik, Iceland
Iceland's principal research institute for the preservation and study of medieval manuscripts, housing one of the world's most significant collections of Norse and Latin texts from the medieval period.
The Arni Magnusson Institute for Icelandic Studies in Reykjavik is the custodian of Iceland's
medieval manuscript heritage. Named after the 17th-century Icelandic scholar Arni Magnusson, who
spent decades collecting manuscripts across Scandinavia, the institute preserves and studies one of
the world's most important collections of Norse sagas, historical chronicles, and Latin texts dating
from the 11th through 14th centuries. Iceland's monastic tradition, which included more than 15
active houses between the 11th and 14th centuries, produced and preserved manuscripts that document
Norse exploration, navigation, and settlement across the North Atlantic.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 11, Rick Lagina, Doug Crowell, Alex Lagina, Peter Fornetti, and the research team visited
the institute as part of an extended European research trip. Curator Professor Gunnlaugsson
presented a manuscript written in Latin and Norse that named four specific stars, one of which was
Arcturus, a reference star for the geometric alignment of Nolan's Cross on Oak Island. Emiliano
Sacchetti noted that the Cistercian scriptorium at Morimondo in Italy had produced over 100
manuscripts during the 13th century and that this monastic literary tradition eventually reached
Iceland through its network of religious houses. During the examination, Doug Crowell identified the
ribbon-like symbol from the Lot 8 copper piece appearing multiple times within the manuscript text,
strengthening the case for a connection between medieval European manuscript traditions and symbolic
artifacts found on Oak Island.

**Bianzano Castle**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/bianzano-castle
Type: Castle
Location: Bianzano, Bergamo, Italy
Thirteenth-century castle in the province of Bergamo, northern Italy, believed by researchers to have served as the Italian headquarters of the Knights Templar. Its walls encode celestial alignments matching those found in Nolan's Cross on Oak Island.
Bianzano Castle is a 13th-century fortification in the province of Bergamo in northern Italy,
perched on a hilltop overlooking the Cavallina Valley. Researchers believe the castle served as the
Italian headquarters of the Knights Templar during the 13th century. The structure is notable for
its geometric precision: archaeoastronomer Professor Adriano Gaspani has demonstrated that the
castle's external walls are aligned with the rise and set of the Cygnus constellation and oriented
toward the star Arcturus. The castle's interior contains carved symbols including an eight-pointed
star that Gaspani identifies as Polaris in medieval iconography, a form used to design octagonal
church structures and for celestial alignments. The precision of these astronomical references has
led researchers to conclude that the castle was designed by individuals with advanced knowledge of
celestial navigation and geometry.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 11, Rick Lagina, Doug Crowell, Alex Lagina, and Peter Fornetti visited the castle with
Emiliano Sacchetti and Professor Gaspani. Gaspani revealed that the castle's external walls align
with the rise and set of the Cygnus constellation and point toward the star Arcturus, the same
celestial references he had identified as encoded in Nolan's Cross on Oak Island. He concluded that
whoever designed Bianzano Castle belonged to the same cultural environment as whoever placed Nolan's
Cross, directly linking the Italian Templar headquarters to the geometric layout of the Oak Island
monument. Inside the castle, Doug noticed an eight-pointed star that Gaspani identified as Polaris
in medieval iconography. Emiliano then presented Gaspani with the Cremona Document and asked him to
consider the navigational devices it describes, particularly the Abetor. Gaspani demonstrated a
reconstruction he had built, showing how this tool could guide a vessel across the Atlantic on a
fixed route and could also have been used to lay out Nolan's Cross. The demonstration provided a
direct mechanical link between medieval Italian Templar navigation and the physical features found
on Oak Island.

**Brooklyn Nova Scotia**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/brooklyn-nova-scotia
Type: Historic_site
Location: Brooklyn, Nova Scotia, Canada
Historic South Shore community formerly known as Newport, situated just miles from Oak Island. Stone carvings found in Liverpool, Nova Scotia, during a Season 10 visit were identified by Corjan Mol as Templar stonemason marks matching those in medieval European churches.
Brooklyn is a historic community on the South Shore of Nova Scotia, formerly known as Newport,
situated in close proximity to Oak Island and the broader Mahone Bay region. The surrounding area,
including the nearby town of Liverpool, contains stone carvings and carved symbols that have
attracted the attention of researchers investigating pre-colonial European activity in Nova Scotia.
Liverpool, located on the province's South Shore approximately 75 miles southwest of Oak Island, was
an important port during the colonial era and has yielded carved stone markers that some researchers
connect to medieval European traditions.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 10, Rick Lagina, Charles Barkhouse, and Corjan Mol visited Liverpool, Nova Scotia, after
being contacted by Isaac Rafuse, who believed stone carvings near the water might relate to Oak
Island. At the site, Isaac and Nick Fralic showed them a triangle shape that had been carved into
rock for as long as anyone could remember. Initial speculation centred on a British broadhead, a
symbol used since the 14th century, but Corjan identified the symbol as a goose paw, the mark of
Masonic stonemasons for the Knights Templar in medieval Europe, found on cornerstones of confirmed
Templar churches in northern Portugal, Spain, southern France, Italy, and Sardinia. Corjan noted
that broadheads were never placed on rock, making the Templar identification more consistent. Isaac
then led the group to another stone bearing a cross, a circle, and a half circle with a dot. Corjan
identified a globus cruciger, a circle with a cross on top representing Christianity's dominion over
the world, dating the symbol to the fifth century. The discovery of Templar stonemason marks on the
Nova Scotia coastline provided physical evidence of a medieval European symbolic presence in the
region beyond Oak Island itself.

**Centre of Geographic Sciences (COGS)**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/centre-geographic-sciences-cogs
Type: Educational
Location: Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia, Canada
Nova Scotia Community College campus in Lawrencetown housing rare historical documents. Research into Acadian genealogical records revealed a marriage between the Rochefoucauld and Dugua families, connecting the alleged Templar map to the founder of French Acadia.
The Centre of Geographic Sciences (COGS) is a campus of the Nova Scotia Community College located in
Lawrencetown, Nova Scotia. The centre maintains a collection of rare historical documents related to
Nova Scotia and Acadian history, including genealogical records, colonial-era maps, and
administrative documents from the French settlement period. The archive is particularly valuable for
researchers investigating the connections between French noble families, the early colonial
administration of Nova Scotia, and the broader network of Templar and Masonic activity in the
region.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 5, Alex Lagina, Peter Fornetti, Charles Barkhouse, and Doug Crowell traveled to the Centre
of Geographic Sciences to search rare Nova Scotia and Acadian documents. In a genealogy of the Dugua
family, they discovered that a Francois de La Rochefoucauld married into the line of Pierre Dugua,
the founder of the first French colony in Nova Scotia. The Rochefoucauld name had already appeared
on the alleged 14th-century Templar map provided by researcher Zena Halpern, and the marriage
connection placed the family directly within the administrative lineage of French Acadia. The team
also noted that Dugua's personal cartographer was Samuel Champlain, whose otherwise meticulous maps
conspicuously omit Mahone Bay, a 25-by-20-mile body of water containing more than 360 islands. The
omission raised the question of whether Champlain was directed to leave the area off his charts to
protect something hidden on Oak Island, a theory that gained additional weight from the
Rochefoucauld-Dugua family connection.

**Château de la Rochefoucauld**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/chateau-de-la-rochefoucauld
Type: Castle
Location: La Rochefoucauld, Charente, France
Ancestral seat of the De la Rochefoucauld family in Charente, France, one of the oldest noble families in Europe with documented ties to the Knights Templar. The Rochefoucauld name appears on Zena Halpern's controversial 1347 map of Nova Scotia, and archival research has linked the family to a French fleet dispatched to Nova Scotia in the eighteenth century reportedly carrying treasure.
The Château de la Rochefoucauld stands above the River Tardoire in the town of La Rochefoucauld in
Charente, southwestern France. It has been in continuous possession of the same family for over a
thousand years, making the De la Rochefoucaulds one of the longest-established noble dynasties in
Europe. The castle's origins date to around 980 AD, when Foucauld, Lord of La Roche, built the first
fortification on the site. The current structure is a blend of medieval defensive architecture and
Renaissance elegance, with a monumental spiral staircase modelled on those at the royal châteaux of
the Loire Valley. The family's Templar connections are documented. Members of the De la
Rochefoucauld line served in the Crusades and maintained ties to the military orders throughout the
medieval period. The family's lands in Charente and Poitou sat within the same region as major
Templar commanderies, and the Rochefoucauld name appears in records associated with Templar
patronage and land grants. The family survived the suppression of the Templars in 1312 and continued
to hold positions of power through the Renaissance and into the modern era, producing diplomats,
military commanders, and one of France's greatest writers of maxims, François de La Rochefoucauld
(1613-1680).
Oak Island Connection: The Rochefoucauld connection to Oak Island operates on two levels. The first is cartographic: the
family name appears on the controversial map attributed to 1347 that researcher Zena Halpern
presented to the team, which purports to show Nova Scotia with marked locations including what some
researchers interpret as Oak Island. If authentic, the map would place French knowledge of the Nova
Scotian coast nearly two centuries before any documented voyage, within the period immediately
following the Templar suppression. The second is military, and it is one of the best-documented
naval operations in colonial history. In June 1746, the largest French armada ever sent to the New
World sailed from Ile d'Aix under the command of Admiral Jean-Baptiste Louis Frederic de La
Rochefoucauld de Roye, Duc d'Anville. The fleet comprised over 70 vessels, 20 warships, 32
transports, and 21 auxiliary craft, carrying 3,000 veteran troops and 10,000 sailors. Louis XV had
personally commissioned the expedition to retake Louisbourg, recapture Acadia, burn Boston, and
ravage New England. Its destination was Chebucto, the harbour the British would later rename
Halifax, barely fifty miles from Oak Island. The expedition was a catastrophe. Storms scattered the
fleet off Sable Island. Typhus and scurvy killed thousands. D'Anville himself died on September 27,
six days after arriving at Chebucto, and was buried on Georges Island in the harbour. His
replacement attempted suicide. Of the 13,000 men who left France, only a few thousand returned. The
land forces coordinating with the fleet were commanded from Acadia by Nicolas Antoine II
Coulon-de-Villiers, the same man who claimed descent from Philippe de Villiers de L'Isle Adam and
whose grandfather held the old Templar commandery at Valpendant. A Rochefoucauld leading the fleet.
A Villiers commanding on shore. Both families with deep Templar roots, converging on the same
stretch of Nova Scotian coast in the same operation.

**Church of Fonte Arcada**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/church-of-fonte-arcada
Type: Church
Location: Fonte Arcada, Póvoa de Lanhoso, Portugal
Church in the parish of Fonte Arcada in Póvoa de Lanhoso, northern Portugal, where the Knights Templar received one of their earliest European land grants. Considered by researcher Corjan Mol to be the oldest Templar commandery in Portugal.
The Church of Fonte Arcada stands in the parish of Fonte Arcada in the municipality of Póvoa de
Lanhoso in northern Portugal. The church was donated to the Knights Templar by Lady Teresa in 1126,
during the earliest period of the order's establishment in the Iberian Peninsula. During the
Crusades, Templar knights arrived in Portugal at the invitation of King Afonso I, who granted them
land and wealth in exchange for military assistance in battling the Moors. Researcher Corjan Mol
considers Fonte Arcada the oldest Templar commandery in Portugal, while Templar historian Joao
Fiandeiro describes the church as "God's fortress," reflecting its dual role as a religious site and
a fortified position during the Reconquista.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 9, Rick Lagina, Doug Crowell, Alex Lagina, and Peter Fornetti traveled to Portugal with
researcher Corjan Mol and Templar historian Joao Fiandeiro. Their first stop was the Church of Fonte
Arcada, where the group searched the walls for symbols and mason marks. Alex discovered a carving
that matched a symbol found on the 90 Foot Stone from the Oak Island Money Pit, one that could
represent a maker's mark identifying the person who carved the original stone. Outside the church,
Corjan showed the group a Templar cross on the exterior wall. Doug Crowell noticed a circle with a
dot at its centre, a symbol that also appears on the 90 Foot Stone and the H/O stone and is believed
to represent gold. When Doug asked Joao whether the H/O stone could be of Portuguese origin, Joao
replied that if the Portuguese were on Oak Island, they could have made it. Corjan added that the
same circle-and-dot symbol appears over the entrance to the castle of Tomar, the Templar
headquarters in Portugal. The visit established direct parallels between Portuguese Templar symbolic
traditions and markings on two of Oak Island's most significant artifacts.

**Church of Santa Maria Nuova**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/church-of-santa-maria-nuova
Type: Church
Location: Viterbo, Roma, Italy
Medieval church in Viterbo, built in 1080, containing carved Templar symbols including four-dot crosses and Latin inscriptions that Alex Lagina proposed could be decoded as "Here Templar Gold," matching symbols on the Oak Island H/O stone.
The Church of Santa Maria Nuova is a Romanesque church in Viterbo, central Italy, built in 1080
during a period when the city served as a centre of papal and religious authority. The church
predates the formal founding of the Knights Templar in 1119, but its walls and pillars bear carved
symbols and inscriptions that researchers have connected to the order's later presence in the
region. The church is situated in a city that served as temporary headquarters for Pope Alexander IV
in the 13th century, and its medieval fabric has been preserved with relatively few later
alterations, making it a valuable site for studying early medieval religious and military-order
symbolism. Templar investigator Gianluca Di Prosper, who has spent more than two decades researching
medieval activity in the Viterbo region, considers the church a key site in tracing Templar
movements through central Italy.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 10, Rick Lagina, Doug Crowell, Alex Lagina, Peter Fornetti, and Corjan Mol visited the
church guided by Templar investigator Gianluca Di Prosper and translator Emiliano Sacchetti. Inside,
Peter Fornetti spotted a symbol matching one found on the H/O stone from Oak Island. Gianluca
explained that four-dot crosses mark special places associated with the Templars, the Holy Grail, or
the Holy Shroud. As the group continued through the church, Alex found the Latin letters HIC carved
on a pillar, which Emiliano translated as "here." Nearby they noticed a letter A that Gianluca
identified as a compass reference, and a square symbol he described as more Masonic in character but
anomalous given the church's 11th-century construction date. Alex photographed the carving and
demonstrated how, with a few pen strokes, the I could become a cross with four dots and the C a
circle with a dot at its centre, recreating the symbols found on the H/O stone. The resulting
decoded message, Alex proposed, reads "Here Templar Gold." The discovery suggested that the H/O
stone from Oak Island may contain a cypher based on a symbolic tradition rooted in medieval Italian
church architecture.

**Dartmouth Heritage Museum (Evergreen House)**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/dartmouth-heritage-museum
Type: Museum
Location: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
Once the home of celebrated Nova Scotian folklorist Dr. Helen Creighton, a distant relative of Augustus Oliver Creighton whose Halifax bookstore was the last known location of the legendary 90-foot stone from the Money Pit.
The Dartmouth Heritage Museum occupies the Evergreen House in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, a property
purchased by Dr. Helen Creighton in 1919. Creighton was one of Nova Scotia's most celebrated
folklorists, spending decades collecting songs, stories, and supernatural accounts from communities
across the Maritime provinces. The museum now preserves her collections and the heritage of the
Dartmouth area. The property is of particular interest to Oak Island researchers because of Helen
Creighton's family connection to Augustus Oliver Creighton, a partner in the A.O. Creighton
bookstore in Halifax where the legendary 90-foot stone from the Money Pit was last documented before
it disappeared. The bookstore closed its doors in 1919, the same year Helen Creighton purchased the
Evergreen House.
Oak Island Connection: The museum's connection to Oak Island centres on the missing 90-foot stone, one of the most
important artifacts in the island's history. During the original excavation of the Money Pit,
searchers reportedly found a large carved stone at a depth of 90 feet bearing mysterious symbols
that were later interpreted as an encoded message reading "Forty feet below, two million pounds lie
buried." The stone eventually made its way to a Halifax bookstore operated by Augustus Oliver
Creighton, where it was used as a binding stone. When the bookstore closed in 1919, the stone
vanished from the historical record. In Season 4, researcher Paul Troutman and Doug Crowell
identified the Creighton family connection between the bookstore and Dr. Helen Creighton. In Season
7, Rick Lagina, Peter Fornetti, Doug Crowell, and Billy Gerhardt traveled 52 miles to the museum
following a lead Rick received at Dan Blankenship's funeral. Kevin Rideout told Rick that over 40
years earlier, a museum curator had pointed out a stone in the backyard said to have come from Oak
Island. Museum curator Terry Eyland took the group to the grounds, where Rideout estimated the stone
had been embedded beneath a large rhododendron bush. The team did not locate the stone during the
initial visit but planned to return with a government excavation permit. The possibility that the
90-foot stone, or another significant Oak Island artifact, may rest on the Evergreen House property
remains an open line of investigation.

**Fontana Grande**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/fontana-grande
Type: Historic_site
Location: Viterbo, Roma, Italy
Iconic 13th-century fountain in the medieval quarter of Viterbo, a city in central Italy that served as temporary papal headquarters and contained multiple sites connected to the Knights Templar.
The Fontana Grande is the oldest and most prominent of Viterbo's medieval fountains, dating to 1212.
It stands in the Piazza della Rocca in the heart of the city's historic centre, a symbol of
Viterbo's importance during the 13th century when the city served as temporary seat of the papal
court under Pope Alexander IV. Built from local peperino stone in a cross-shaped basin design, the
fountain reflects the architectural ambition of a city that rivaled Rome in political and religious
influence during the medieval period. Viterbo's historic quarter, the San Pellegrino district, is
one of the best-preserved medieval urban landscapes in Italy, retaining its 12th- and 13th-century
streets, towers, and churches largely intact.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 10, Rick Lagina, Doug Crowell, Alex Lagina, Peter Fornetti, and Corjan Mol traveled to
Viterbo as part of a research trip to Italy, guided by Templar investigator Gianluca Di Prosper and
translator Emiliano Sacchetti. The city's 13th-century importance as a papal and Templar-connected
centre made it a natural destination for investigating the European origins of symbols found on Oak
Island. The team's principal discovery in Viterbo took place at the nearby Church of Santa Maria
Nuova, where they identified four-dot crosses, Latin inscriptions, and carvings matching the H/O
stone. Viterbo's concentration of medieval religious and military-order architecture provided
broader context for understanding the symbolic traditions the Templars carried across Europe and
potentially to the New World.

**Fort Point Museum**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/fort-point-museum
Type: Museum
Location: La Have, Nova Scotia, Canada
National Historic Site at the mouth of the LaHave River, just 20 miles from Oak Island. Originally established as a French stronghold in 1632 by Isaac de Razilly, a high-ranking Knight of Malta who arrived with 300 elite men and sailed into Mahone Bay.
Fort Point is a National Historic Site at the mouth of the LaHave River in LaHave, Nova Scotia,
approximately 15 miles south of Oak Island. The site marks the location of the French stronghold
originally established in 1632 by Isaac de Razilly, a high-ranking Knight of Malta who arrived in
Nova Scotia with 300 elite men and founded the French colony of Acadia. De Razilly served as the
first governor of Acadia and maintained close ties to the Knights of Malta throughout his brief
tenure, which ended with his unexpected death in July 1636. The site has been recognized as
historically significant since the 19th century and today functions as a museum and interpretive
centre documenting the early French colonial presence in the region.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 13, Alex Lagina, Peter Fornetti, Judi Rudebusch, and Emiliano Sacchetti traveled to Fort
Point to meet local historian and author Joan Dawson. Dawson confirmed that the Venetian trade beads
found on Lot 5 of Oak Island were the same type Isaac de Razilly would have used for fur trading
with the Mi'kmaq people. She noted that de Razilly wrote to the leader of the Knights of Malta
suggesting they establish a monastery in Nova Scotia, that he sailed into Mahone Bay with two local
priests, and that a journal from the expedition describes an island filled with oaks. Dawson also
confirmed that several of de Razilly's possessions, including chests, went missing after his
unexpected death in 1636. When shown the French flintlock plate found on Lot 8 of Oak Island, she
considered it consistent with de Razilly's well-armed forces. Emiliano presented a volume from
researcher John Edwards' book series containing Masonic codes, Hebrew writings, and a hand-drawn map
of Oak Island; Dawson recognized the author Josephus and stated that such a book was exactly what a
Knight of Malta would have kept in his library. The visit strengthened the connection between de
Razilly's Acadian colony and early activity on Oak Island.

**Halifax Club**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/halifax-club
Type: Historic_site
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Historic gentlemen's club built in 1862 by Scottish-Canadian stonemason George Lang, where a member reportedly told his son in 1982 that the legendary 90-foot stone from the Money Pit was embedded in the building's floor.
The Halifax Club is a historic private club in Halifax, Nova Scotia, built in 1862 by
Scottish-Canadian stonemason George Lang. The building features original stone foundations and has
served as a gathering place for Halifax's political and business establishment for more than 160
years. The club's potential connection to Oak Island centres on a report that a member told his son
in 1982 that the legendary 90-foot stone from the Money Pit was embedded somewhere in the building's
floor. The 90-foot stone, originally recovered from the Money Pit by the Onslow Company in 1804, was
last documented at the A.O. Creighton bookstore in Halifax, where it was displayed in the window and
later used as a cutting board for leather book jackets before the bookstore closed in 1919.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 4, Alex Lagina, Charles Barkhouse, Doug Crowell, and Kel Hancock searched for the missing
90-foot stone in Halifax. After examining the former A.O. Creighton bookstore building, now the
Halifax Seed Company, and finding no trace of the stone in its basement, Dr. Allan Marble of the
Royal Nova Scotia Historical Society directed the group to the Halifax Club. A search of the club's
basement and sub-basement revealed a large limestone slab, but its dimensions did not match the
historical descriptions of the 90-foot stone. The investigation did not rule out the club entirely,
as the building's extensive stonework and the specificity of the 1982 account suggest the stone may
be embedded in an area that was not accessible during the initial search.

**Hyde Park Roosevelt Estate**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/hyde-park-roosevelt-estate
Type: Museum
Location: Hyde Park, New York, United States of America
The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park, New York, where archival documents revealed the specific treasure theory that drove Roosevelt's lifelong interest in Oak Island.
The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum is located on the grounds of the Roosevelt
family estate in Hyde Park, New York, along the Hudson River. Established in 1941, it was the first
presidential library in the United States and houses millions of pages of documents, photographs,
and personal papers spanning Roosevelt's political career and private interests. Among the archives
are materials documenting Roosevelt's fascination with Oak Island, including correspondence with his
Harvard classmate Duncan Harris, who served as his personal liaison to the treasure hunt, and
records related to his investment in the 1909 Bowdoin expedition that attempted to recover whatever
lay at the bottom of the Money Pit.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 4, Rick and Alex Lagina traveled to Hyde Park with Paul Troutman and Doug Crowell to
review Roosevelt's Oak Island archives. The team discovered a document from Duncan Harris,
Roosevelt's Harvard classmate and personal Oak Island liaison, that revealed the specific theory
behind FDR's interest: a lady-in-waiting to Marie Antoinette was reportedly ordered to smuggle the
queen's gold and jewels out of France as the Revolution turned bloody in 1792. According to the
account, the woman fled to Canada and claimed the jewels were buried in Mahone Bay. Roosevelt heard
the story through his grandfather Warren Delano Jr.'s connections to the Truro Company, one of the
earliest organized excavation efforts on Oak Island. He apparently believed this narrative and
invested in the 1909 Bowdoin expedition based on it. The team noted that if the lady-in-waiting
could be identified by name, it would represent the first direct link between a real historical
figure and the Oak Island deposit. Roosevelt's involvement remains one of the most high-profile
connections between an American president and the Oak Island mystery.

**Kilwinning Abbey**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/kilwinning-abbey
Type: Monastery
Location: Kilwinning, Scotland, United Kingdom
Tironensian monastery founded around 1162 in Ayrshire, Scotland. The Tironensian order were expert builders of underground tunnel systems, and researchers believe the abbey received Templar treasure smuggled from La Rochelle after the order's suppression in 1307.
Kilwinning Abbey is the ruins of a Tironensian monastery founded around 1162 in the town of
Kilwinning in North Ayrshire, Scotland. The Tironensian order was a group of builder monks founded
in Tiron, France, in 1109 who constructed more than 100 abbeys and priories across France, England,
Ireland, Wales, and Scotland. The Tironensians were not only expert builders above ground but were
also highly skilled at constructing underground tunnel systems, including passages believed to
connect Rosslyn Chapel to a nearby castle. Kilwinning is also traditionally associated with the
origins of Scottish Freemasonry; the Mother Lodge Kilwinning No. 0, considered the oldest Masonic
lodge in Scotland, claims a direct connection to the abbey and the builder traditions it preserved.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 2, Rick, Marty, and Alex Lagina visited Kilwinning with Dave Blankenship, Charles
Barkhouse, and researchers Kathleen McGowan and Alan Butler. Butler explained that after King Philip
IV of France ordered the arrest of the Knights Templar on Friday, October 13, 1307, eighteen ships
believed to be carrying precious Templar cargo left the port of La Rochelle and sailed for Scotland.
Scotland was a safe haven because King Robert the Bruce had been excommunicated by the Pope, placing
the entire country beyond Rome's reach. Butler and McGowan argued that the Templar treasure,
including what they identified as the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail, was brought into the
nearby harbour at Saltcoats and then moved to Kilwinning Abbey. The Tironensian connection is
significant because the engineering sophistication required to build the Money Pit's flood tunnel
system and underground vault would be consistent with the Tironensians' documented expertise in
underground construction. McGowan and Butler proposed that the Knights Templar formed a secret
alliance with the Tironensians and later the Freemasons to transport and conceal sacred objects,
ultimately hiding them on Oak Island.

**Kverkarhellir Cave**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/kverkarhellir-cave
Type: Cave
Location: Seljaland, Southern Region, Iceland
Human-made cave in southern Iceland dating to the 9th century, carved into the volcanic landscape by an Irish Christian monastic order around 800 A.D. and later occupied by Vikings from 874 A.D. through the 13th century.
Kverkarhellir Cave is a human-made underground chamber in southern Iceland, carved into the volcanic
rock by an Irish Christian monastic order around 800 A.D. The cave predates the Norse settlement of
Iceland, which began in 874 A.D. when Vikings conquered the island and occupied existing sites,
including Kverkarhellir, which they used through the 13th century. The cave represents a rare
overlap between two distinct cultural traditions in the North Atlantic: the early Irish Christian
monastic movement, which established hermitages and religious communities across remote Atlantic
islands, and the Norse expansion that followed and absorbed these earlier settlements. The cave's
walls bear carved symbols left by both cultures over centuries of occupation.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 11, Rick Lagina, Doug Crowell, Alex Lagina, Peter Fornetti, and the team visited
Kverkarhellir Cave during their Scandinavian and Icelandic research trip. Historian Roberto Pagani
led the group through the underground caverns. Inside, the team discovered a cross carving that
resembled the lead cross found at Smith's Cove on Oak Island, as well as similar carvings observed
at Templar sites in France and Italy during earlier research trips. Back in the War Room, Doug
recapped the symbols encountered across the entire European trip that also appeared on Oak Island.
Alex presented the cave carving from Iceland alongside images of the lead cross, and the group
discussed the growing evidence of a symbolic tradition connecting Irish monastic, Norse, and Templar
cultures across the North Atlantic. The Kverkarhellir cross established that the lead cross design
was not unique to any single tradition but existed within a centuries-old symbolic language shared
across cultures with documented connections to Atlantic navigation.

**L'Anse aux Meadows**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/l-anse-aux-meadows
Type: Ancient Site
Location: L'Anse aux Meadows, Newfoundland, Canada
UNESCO World Heritage Site and the only confirmed Norse settlement in North America, scientifically dated to 1021 AD. Located on the northern tip of Newfoundland, roughly 600 miles from Oak Island. Butternut wood found among the remains proves the Norse explored as far south as New Brunswick or Nova Scotia, placing Viking activity within reach of Mahone Bay.
L'Anse aux Meadows sits on the northernmost tip of Newfoundland, on a grassy terrace overlooking
Epaves Bay. It was discovered in 1960 by Norwegian explorer Helge Ingstad and his archaeologist wife
Anne Stine Ingstad, who spent the next eight years excavating the site. What they uncovered were the
remains of eight Norse buildings: three dwellings, a forge with iron slag and a stone anvil, a
carpentry workshop, and several smaller structures. Radiocarbon dating and, more recently, a solar
storm marker in the tree rings of cut wood have fixed the occupation to approximately 1021 AD. The
settlement was not a permanent colony. Archaeologists interpret it as a seasonal base camp, a
gateway station used by Norse crews exploring the coastline further south. The buildings could house
between seventy and ninety people. The forge produced iron nails from local bog iron, likely for
ship repair. The carpentry workshop contained wood shavings from plank production. Everything about
the site points to a logistical hub for expeditions deeper into the continent. The most significant
find for the Oak Island question is butternut. Butternuts and butternut wood were recovered from the
site, but the butternut tree (Juglans cinerea) does not grow in Newfoundland. Its northernmost range
is New Brunswick and the coast of Nova Scotia. For butternut to be present at L'Anse aux Meadows,
someone had to bring it back from at least 600 miles to the south. The Norse sagas describe exactly
this kind of journey. The Saga of the Greenlanders and the Saga of Erik the Red both describe a
place called Hop, a sheltered bay with wild grapes, self-sown wheat, and abundant salmon, located
south of the base camp. Researchers have proposed various locations for Hop, from the Miramichi
River to Passamaquoddy Bay to the coast of Nova Scotia itself. The site was designated a UNESCO
World Heritage Site in 1978, the first cultural site to receive the designation. Parks Canada
maintains the archaeological remains under protective cover, with a reconstructed Norse longhouse
and outbuildings open to visitors. The original artifacts, including the ring-headed bronze pin,
iron rivets, a bone needle, and a spindle whorl indicating the presence of women, are held at the
Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau, Quebec.
Oak Island Connection: The connection between L'Anse aux Meadows and Oak Island rests on two facts: the Norse were
physically present in Atlantic Canada around 1021 AD, and they explored significantly further south
than Newfoundland. The butternut evidence alone places Norse crews in the coastal zone that includes
Nova Scotia and Mahone Bay. Several artifacts on Oak Island have returned dates consistent with this
period. The stone wharf in Smith's Cove was dated by archaeoastronomer Adriano Gaspani to
approximately 1200 AD. Coconut fibre from the Money Pit has been radiocarbon dated to medieval
ranges. While no artifact on Oak Island has been directly attributed to Norse construction, the
question is no longer whether the Vikings could have reached the island. The question is whether
they did. The Villiers Bloodline theory adds another dimension. The De Villiers family emerged from
Norman soil barely a century after Rollo's Norse settlers accepted land from the French crown in
911. Godefroy de Villiers appears in the records around 1013, just eight years before the Norse
occupation at L'Anse aux Meadows. The Norse who settled Normandy and the Norse who crossed the
Atlantic were separated by one or two generations at most. Atlantic seafaring was a living
capability within the wider network from which the De Villiers emerged.

**Lordly House Museum**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/lordly-house-museum
Type: Museum
Location: Lordly House Museum, Nova Scotia, Canada
The Lordly House Museum is a historic house museum located in the seaside village of Chester, Nova Scotia, Canada.
The Lordly House Museum is a historic house museum located in the seaside village of Chester, Nova
Scotia, Canada. It occupies a beautifully restored Georgian-era home built around 1806 that once
belonged to Charles Lordly, a prominent merchant and the first municipal clerk of the Municipality
of the District of Chester. Inside, visitors experience a glimpse of 19th-century life through
period rooms furnished with authentic artifacts and interpretive displays reflecting the
region’s social and cultural history. The house itself, with its original fireplaces,
parlours, kitchen, dining room and bedrooms, offers insight into the lifestyle of an upper-class
family in early Nova Scotia. Surrounded by a park and playground, the museum also forms part of the
Chester Municipal Heritage Society’s efforts to preserve and promote local heritage. This
location is particularly appealing for travelers interested in maritime history, local culture, and
heritage architecture on Nova Scotia’s scenic South Shore.
Oak Island Connection: In The Curse of Oak Island Season 6, Episode 10 (“Fingers Made of Stone”), the Oak
Island research team travels inland to Chester’s Lordly House Museum to consult historical
records related to the centuries-old treasure hunt on Oak Island. There they access archival
documents, including a 1936 letter from early treasure hunter Gilbert Hedden, which describes an
underground wooden structure found at Smith’s Cove on Oak Island. This historic correspondence
helps the team deepen their understanding of earlier discoveries and theories about structures and
possible water systems on the island. This scene highlights Lordly House Museum not just as a
heritage site, but as a real-world repository of local historic Oak Island research materials that
have informed some of the show’s investigations.

**Lunenburg Academy**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/lunenburg-academy
Type: Historic_site
Location: Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada
National Historic Site atop Gallows Hill in Lunenburg, roughly 20 miles southwest of Oak Island. The nearby South Shore Genealogical Society holds an 1883 map labelling Oak Island properties with the notation "Kidd's Treasure."
Lunenburg Academy is a National Historic Site situated atop Gallows Hill in the town of Lunenburg,
Nova Scotia, approximately 20 miles southwest of Oak Island. The imposing wooden building,
constructed in 1895, served as the town's primary educational institution for over a century.
Lunenburg itself is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognized for its remarkably preserved colonial
grid layout and wooden architecture dating to its founding by British Protestants in 1753. The
town's South Shore Genealogical Society maintains an important archive of regional historical
documents, land records, and maps spanning several centuries of Nova Scotia history.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 4, Charles Barkhouse and investigative journalist Randall Sullivan traveled to the South
Shore Genealogical Society in Lunenburg. Archivist Stephen Ernst produced an 1883 A.F. Church
Company map of the area that labelled Oak Island properties by household name and included a
handwritten notation reading "Kidd's Treasure," a direct reference to the 17th-century pirate
Captain William Kidd, who was hanged in 1701 after offering to trade his life for a mysterious
treasure he claimed was buried somewhere east of Boston. The map also identified the McGinnis
family, one of the founding families connected to the 1795 Money Pit discovery, as property owners
on the island. The "Kidd's Treasure" notation on an official surveying company map demonstrated that
the pirate treasure theory was well established in the local community by the late 19th century.

**Maritime Museum of the Atlantic**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/maritime-museum-of-the-atlantic
Type: Museum
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Canada's oldest and largest maritime museum, located on the Halifax waterfront, housing an extensive collection of historic vessels, naval artifacts, and maritime heritage exhibits spanning centuries of Atlantic seafaring.
The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic sits on the Halifax waterfront in Nova Scotia and is the oldest
and largest maritime museum in Canada. Its permanent collection includes small craft from the Age of
Sail through the 20th century, artifacts from the Titanic recovered off the coast of Nova Scotia,
and extensive exhibits documenting the 1917 Halifax Explosion. The museum's holdings include period
longboats, naval equipment, and ship components that serve as important reference material for
identifying maritime artifacts found across the province.
Oak Island Connection: During Season 9, Doug Crowell and project manager Scott Barlow visited the Maritime Museum of the
Atlantic to examine a historic longboat with an intact bulkhead. The visit was prompted by the
recovery of a trapezoid-shaped wooden piece from the Oak Island swamp, found at a depth of ten feet
and carbon dated to 1683 to 1735. Dr. E. Lee Spence had already identified the piece as broken
woodwork originally nailed to another structural element. At the museum, Doug and Scott found that
the longboat's bulkhead construction closely matched the trapezoid artifact from the swamp,
providing further evidence that ship components may be buried beneath the wetland. Doug presented
photographs from the museum visit to the team in the War Room for comparison.

**Mug & Anchor Pub**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/mug-and-anchor-pub
Type: Historic_site
Location: Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada
English-style pub at 643 Main Street overlooking Mahone Bay harbour, serving as an informal gathering point where the Oak Island team regularly discusses findings, reviews research, and debates theories over drinks.
The Mug and Anchor Pub is an English-style pub at 643 Main Street in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia,
overlooking the harbour and the bay that contains Oak Island. The pub has served as an unofficial
extension of the War Room across multiple seasons, providing a relaxed setting where team members
discuss the day's findings, review research, and debate theories. Its location in Mahone Bay, the
nearest mainland town to Oak Island, makes it a natural gathering point before and after operations
on the island.
Oak Island Connection: The Mug and Anchor has hosted numerous significant discussions across the show's history. In Season
5, historian Doug Crowell presented research at the pub into the La Rochefoucauld family, whose name
appears on the alleged 14th-century Templar map provided by researcher Zena Halpern. Doug traced the
Rochefoucaulds as a prominent French noble house dating to the 10th century with direct connections
to the Crusades through the Lusignan family, who ruled in Jerusalem. The presentation set the stage
for the team's visit to the Centre of Geographic Sciences, where the Rochefoucauld-Dugua marriage
connection was discovered. In Season 7, the team discussed Carmen Legge's identification of a burned
ship strap dating to 1710-1790 and a mid-18th-century pickax at the pub, connecting the artifacts to
the ship-shaped anomaly in the swamp and the theory that a vessel was deliberately burned and sunk
there. The pub also featured in Season 7 when the team toasted to the swamp after five experts from
four disciplines confirmed the paved area was man-made.

**New Ross**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/new-ross
Type: Historic_site
Location: New Ross, Nova Scotia, Canada
Inland Nova Scotia community where a property owner in the 1970s claimed to have uncovered the stone foundations of a pre-Columbian castle, sparking theories that Henry Sinclair constructed a Templar fortress here following his alleged 1398 voyage to the New World. In Season 4, Rick Lagina, Charles Barkhouse and Doug Crowell investigated the site, where professional diver Tony Sampson explored a mysterious stone-lined water well and discovered a stone bearing what he suggested might be the Eye of Providence. Zena Halpern's controversial 1179 map labels a point near this location as "RhoDon." The site remains central to theories connecting the Knights Templar, the Sinclair family, and the Baronets of Nova Scotia to Oak Island.
Photo of the well copyright Alessandra Nadudvari, shown with kind permission.

**Northville Farms Heritage Centre**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/northville-farms-heritage-centre
Type: Museum
Location: Centreville, Nova Scotia, Canada
A heritage centre in Centreville, Nova Scotia, where blacksmithing expert Carmen Legge regularly examines Oak Island artifacts, identifying their age, origin, and function based on decades of experience with historical metalwork.
Northville Farms Heritage Centre is located in Centreville, Nova Scotia, and serves as a working
heritage site preserving traditional rural trades and craftsmanship. The centre is home to
blacksmithing expert Carmen Legge, whose extensive knowledge of historical metalwork and forging
techniques has made him an indispensable resource for the Oak Island team. Carmen's workshop at
Northville Farms functions as an informal laboratory where iron, steel, and copper artifacts
recovered from the island are brought for expert identification, dating, and analysis based on their
construction methods, tool marks, and metallurgical characteristics.
Oak Island Connection: Northville Farms has become one of the most frequently visited off-island research locations across
multiple seasons. In Season 8, Doug Crowell and Scott Barlow brought Carmen Legge a mysterious metal
artifact discovered in Dan Blankenship's archived files, originally found in the swamp during the
1970s. Carmen identified it as part of a large cannon, noting its layered metal construction and
traces of burnt gunpowder in its exhaust ports, and dated the piece to the mid-1400s. In the same
season, Charles Barkhouse, David Fornetti, and Dan Henskee returned to Northville Farms with a
burned iron rod recovered near the stone pathway at the swamp's northeastern border. Carmen
identified it as an eyebolt used for anchoring or securing parts of ships, dating it to as far back
as the late 1600s. Carmen Legge's identifications at Northville Farms have consistently pushed the
timeline of human activity on Oak Island well before the 1795 discovery of the Money Pit. His
analysis of hinges, fasteners, and military hardware has provided critical dating evidence and
helped connect individual artifacts to broader patterns of European activity in Nova Scotia.

**Roman Road of Alqueidao da Serra**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/roman-road-of-alqueidao-da-serra
Type: Ancient Site
Location: Alqueidão da Serra, Porto de Mos, Portugal
A 2,000-year-old Roman stone road under active archaeological restoration in central Portugal, whose construction closely resembles the cobblestone road and paved features discovered in the Oak Island swamp.
The Roman Road of Alqueidao da Serra is an ancient paved route in central Portugal dating back
approximately 2,000 years to the period of Roman occupation of the Iberian Peninsula. The road is
under active archaeological restoration led by archaeologist Jorge Figueiredo, who has documented
its construction techniques including the use of fitted stone surfaces, drainage features, and
layered foundations designed to support heavy traffic across varied terrain. Roman road-building
technology spread throughout Europe during and after the imperial period, and was adopted and
adapted by subsequent cultures including the Portuguese, who employed similar techniques in their
own infrastructure projects through the medieval period and the Age of Discovery.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 9, Rick Lagina, Doug Crowell, Alex Lagina, and Peter Fornetti traveled to Portugal with
historical researcher Corjan Mol and Templar historian Joao Fiandeiro. At Alqueidao da Serra,
archaeologist Jorge Figueiredo showed the group the 2,000-year-old Roman stone road he was
restoring, which closely resembled the paved road discovered in the Oak Island swamp. Joao explained
that larger stones would have been used as a base when building such a road through swampland. Jorge
confirmed that other cultures, including the Portuguese, could have copied the Roman construction
technology, and showed the team a stone path nearly identical to the cobblestone path found on Oak
Island the previous year. When shown photographs of the Oak Island road, Jorge agreed that the
Portuguese could have built it and confirmed the technology originated in Europe. Earlier in the
investigation, antiquities expert Terry Deveau had independently concluded the Oak Island road was
Portuguese and similar to roads built in Europe during the 1500s. The comparison at Alqueidao da
Serra provided direct physical evidence supporting a Portuguese origin for infrastructure found on
Oak Island.

**Ross Farm Museum**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/ross-farm-museum
Type: Museum
Location: New Ross, Nova Scotia, Canada
Living history agricultural museum in New Ross, Nova Scotia, roughly 20 miles north of Oak Island. Home to blacksmithing expert Carmen Legge, who has examined hundreds of metallic artifacts recovered from the island across multiple seasons.
Ross Farm Museum is a living history site in New Ross, Nova Scotia, operated as a heritage
agricultural museum depicting rural life in 19th-century Nova Scotia. The museum preserves
traditional trades including blacksmithing, coopering, and woodworking, and maintains heritage
breeds of livestock on a working farmstead. Among its staff is blacksmithing expert Carmen Legge,
whose deep knowledge of historical metalworking techniques, forge construction, tool marks, and
period-specific hardware has made the museum one of the most frequently visited research locations
in the Oak Island investigation. Carmen's ability to identify the age, origin, and function of iron,
steel, copper, and lead artifacts from visual inspection alone, drawing on decades of hands-on
experience with historical metalwork, has provided critical first-pass dating for objects recovered
from across the island.
Oak Island Connection: Ross Farm Museum has served as an off-island research hub across multiple seasons, with team members
regularly traveling the roughly 20 miles from Oak Island to consult Carmen Legge on newly recovered
artifacts. In Season 7 alone, the museum featured in at least five episodes. Alex Lagina and Gary
Drayton brought a decking spike recovered from the beach at Lot 32, which Carmen confirmed was
consistent with 1700s ship construction hardware (S07E06). Marty Lagina, Alex, and Gary returned
with a swamp iron strap and two digging tools found near the Eye of the Swamp; Carmen identified the
strap as a brace from a nine-inch-diameter ship's timber dating to 1710 to 1790, noting clear
evidence it had been burned in a fierce fire, and one of the tools as a hand-forged pickax dating to
the mid-18th century and suitable for tunneling (S07E14). The team visited again with a hollow metal
point recovered from the swamp near a conical boulder, which Carmen identified as an 18th-century
pike pole tip, a docking tool used on shipping wharfs to guide sailing vessels (S07E15). Later in
the season, Alex and Craig Tester brought Carmen an iron tool and a pickax recovered from roughly
120 feet deep in the Money Pit shaft RF-1. Carmen identified the iron piece as a possible lantern or
pulley anchor consistent with original construction, and dated the pickax to potentially three
centuries before 1795, placing it in the 1500s or earlier (S07E22). Carmen's identifications have
repeatedly extended the known timeline of activity on Oak Island and have been instrumental in
connecting surface finds to the deeper archaeological narrative.

**Saint Mary's University**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/saint-marys-university
Type: Educational
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Home to Dr. Christa Brosseau's chemistry laboratory, where artifacts found on Oak Island are examined under a scanning electron microscope capable of magnifying samples up to 200,000 times to determine their chemical composition and age.
Saint Mary's University is a public university in Halifax, Nova Scotia, founded in 1802 and one of
the oldest universities in Canada. The university's chemistry laboratory, directed by Dr. Christa
Brosseau, operates a scanning electron microscope capable of magnifying samples up to 200,000 times
their actual size and identifying their precise chemical composition through energy-dispersive X-ray
spectroscopy. Dr. Brosseau and her colleague Dr. Xiang Yang have examined numerous artifacts and
material samples from Oak Island, providing critical analysis of metal composition, mineral content,
and manufacturing techniques that help determine the age and origin of recovered objects. The
laboratory has become one of the most important off-island scientific resources in the
investigation.
Oak Island Connection: Saint Mary's University has been involved in the Oak Island investigation since the earliest
seasons. In Season 1, Alex Lagina brought coconut fibre samples from Smith's Cove to the university,
where Dr. Tanya Koslowski examined them under a scanning electron microscope at 650x magnification
and confirmed the material was genuine coconut fibre. Subsequent carbon dating placed the fibre
between 1260 and 1400 A.D., nearly four centuries before the Money Pit's discovery. In Season 9,
Marty Lagina, Craig Tester, and Dan Henskee visited Dr. Brosseau and Dr. Yang to examine the metal
from Borehole D-2 under the scanning electron microscope. Dr. Yang identified the absence of
manganese, placing the material before the 1840s, and discovered a particle that was 65 percent
gold, 26 percent copper, and 5 percent silver. Dr. Brosseau identified this composition as rose
gold, a material used since the Middle Ages. In Season 10, Peter Fornetti, Charles Barkhouse, and
Emma Culligan brought the iron piece from the Lot 26 well and bush scythes for analysis; Dr.
Brosseau confirmed both pre-dated 1840 based on the absence of manganese. In Season 11, Charles and
Jack Begley brought hair found embedded in cement-like rock from beneath a Nolan's Cross boulder to
Dr. Brosseau and Dr. Yang for examination under the scanning electron microscope.

**The American University of Rome**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/the-american-university-of-rome
Type: Educational
Location: Rome, Rome, Italy
A private American university in Rome where Professor Andrea di Robilant, an expert on pre-15th-century Atlantic voyages, presented evidence of the Zeno brothers' 14th-century expedition to the New World with Henry Sinclair.
The American University of Rome is a private institution offering liberal arts education in the
Italian capital. Among its faculty is Professor Andrea di Robilant, an author and lecturer with more
than 40 years of experience studying pre-15th-century Atlantic voyages. His research focuses on
documented European expeditions to the New World that predate Columbus, with particular emphasis on
Venetian maritime activity and the Zeno family's navigational records from the late 14th century.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 10, Rick Lagina, Doug Crowell, Alex Lagina, Peter Fornetti, and Corjan Mol visited
Professor Andrea di Robilant at the university during a research trip to Italy. The professor
described a booklet published in Venice in 1558 that documented the voyages of Venetian sailors
Nicolo and Antonio Zeno. According to the account, the brothers sailed to the Faroe Islands in the
1390s, where they entered the service of Lord Henry Sinclair and spent the next decade exploring the
North Atlantic. Professor di Robilant presented documents indicating the Zeno brothers sailed to the
New World with Sinclair and showed the team a late-17th-century map inscribed "Discovered by Antonio
Zeno in 1390." The Zeno-Sinclair connection is significant to Oak Island research because Henry
Sinclair, a Scottish nobleman with Templar heritage, is one of the central figures in theories
linking the Knights Templar to pre-Columbian voyages to Nova Scotia. If the Zeno narrative is
accurate, it places European explorers with Templar connections in the North Atlantic a full century
before Columbus and within reach of Oak Island.

**The National Archives**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/the-national-archives
Type: Educational
Location: Kew, Richmond, United Kingdom
The National Archives is the official archival institution of the United Kingdom Government and serves as the principal repository for England’s and Wales’s historical public records.
he National Archives is the official archival institution of the United Kingdom Government and
serves as the principal repository for England’s and Wales’s historical public records.
Based in Kew, Richmond upon Thames, London, it holds over 1,000 years of documents spanning from
medieval charters and maps to modern government correspondence and naval logs. Open to researchers
and the public, the archive’s facilities include extensive search rooms, reading areas, public
exhibitions, and digital catalogues that allow visitors to explore historic materials firsthand.
It’s a vital resource for understanding British and colonial history, including maritime
records, Admiralty files, and colonial expedition documents that pertain to North America and
Atlantic exploration. Today, The National Archives stands as both a research destination for
historians and treasure hunters, and a cultural heritage site where original source
materials—such as ship logs, Admiralty correspondence and legal records can be examined in
their original form or through online catalogue services.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 10, Episode 2 (“Across the Pond”) of The Curse of Oak Island, members of the
Oak Island exploration team, Marty and Alex Lagina along with historian Charles Barkhouse, travel to
The National Archives in Kew, London, England as part of their investigation into historical
evidence linked to the Oak Island mystery. At the archives, they meet with historian Paul Stewart,
who presents them with original British naval and colonial records, including an eighteenth-century
document relating to the capture of the British ship Lively by a French vessel. This paperwork,
signed in early 1746 by Jean-Baptiste Louis Frédéric de La Rochefoucauld de Roye, Duc
d’Anville, suggests the French admiral may have been in the Nova Scotia region near Oak Island
months before previously believed, potentially linking him more directly to treasure-burial
theories. This archive visit highlights how primary source research in historical document
repositories like The National Archives can play a role in piecing together the centuries-old Oak
Island story.

**University of New Brunswick**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/university-of-new-brunswick
Type: Educational
Location: Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
Canada's oldest English-language university, located in Fredericton, New Brunswick, where the Department of Earth Sciences has conducted laser ablation isotope analysis on key Oak Island artifacts.
The University of New Brunswick in Fredericton is Canada's oldest English-language university,
founded in 1785. Its Department of Earth Sciences operates advanced geochemistry laboratories
equipped with laser ablation mass spectrometry systems capable of determining the isotopic
composition of metals and minerals. Under the direction of Dr. Chris McFarlane, Professor of Earth
Sciences, the department has developed expertise in provenance analysis, using isotope ratios to
trace metals to their geological source regions by comparing results against databases containing
thousands of reference samples from mining sites worldwide.
Oak Island Connection: The University of New Brunswick has played a pivotal role in determining the origin of metallic
artifacts recovered from Oak Island. In Season 6, Craig Tester, Dave Blankenship, and Peter Fornetti
traveled to Fredericton to meet Dr. Chris McFarlane, who conducted laser ablation testing on the
lead cross found at Smith's Cove. The process involved vaporizing microscopic sections of the
artifact and feeding the gas into a mass spectrometer. Results showed the lead contained trace
silver consistent with old-fashioned smelting techniques, and the isotopic ratios did not match any
North American lead sources, confirming the cross was crafted from European lead. In Season 9,
Charles Barkhouse and Marty Lagina returned to the university for laser ablation results on the lead
bag seal found on Lot 32. Starting from a database of 7,000 records, Dr. McFarlane narrowed the
results to ten to twelve possible source locations, all in Europe. Nothing pointed to North America,
Scandinavia, or England; the lead appeared to be French. This finding joined a growing body of
evidence supporting a European, and specifically French, connection to activity on Oak Island,
including a stone paved area dating to the 1200s, 15th-century cargo barrels, and the lead cross
itself.

**Valletta Underground**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/valletta-underground
Type: Cave
Location: Valetta, Valletta, Malta
Network of underground chambers, tunnels, and passages beneath Malta's capital city, dug into limestone bedrock by the Knights of Malta following the Ottoman siege of 1565. The tunnels feature blue-gray clay waterproofing identical to material found in the Money Pit.
Beneath the streets of Valletta lies an extensive network of underground chambers, tunnels, and
passages carved into the limestone bedrock by the Knights of Malta in the decades following the
Great Siege of 1565. The Ottoman attack exposed the vulnerability of the island's above-ground
defences, prompting the Hospitallers to construct an elaborate underground infrastructure beneath
their new capital. The tunnels served multiple purposes: military storage, protected passage between
fortified positions, and cisterns for collecting and storing fresh water. The underground network
demonstrates the same advanced tunnel engineering and waterproofing techniques the order had
developed across centuries of fortification construction in the Holy Land, Cyprus, Rhodes, and the
Mediterranean.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 12, journalist Jean Paul Mifsud led the team into the underground passages beneath
Valletta. The tunnels, dug into limestone bedrock, provided the team with a firsthand look at
Hospitaller underground construction techniques. Of particular significance was the blue-gray clay
lining the tunnel walls, which Jean Paul identified as a sealant used for waterproofing. Scott
Barlow immediately noted that blue clay was similarly used for waterproofing inside the Money Pit on
Oak Island, where it has been encountered at multiple depths during drilling operations. The
parallel between the Valletta tunnels and the Money Pit extended beyond the clay: both systems
featured passages cut through rock, water management infrastructure, and deliberate sealing
techniques designed to control flooding. The Hospitaller tunnels demonstrated that the engineering
knowledge required to construct the Money Pit's flood tunnel system existed within the
military-religious orders connected to the broader Templar and Hospitaller tradition.

**Rennes-le-Château**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/rennes-le-chateau
Type: Church
Location: Rennes-le-Château, Aude, Occitanie, France
Hilltop village in southern France where priest Bérenger Saunière discovered mysterious parchments in 1891 that led to unexplained wealth. A focal point in Templar treasure theories connecting the Cathar treasure to the Knights Templar and potentially to Oak Island.
Rennes-le-Château is a hilltop village in the Aude department of southern France that has
become one of the most studied sites in the history of treasure hunting and esoteric research. In
1891, the village priest Bérenger Saunière reportedly discovered a set of mysterious
parchments hidden inside a hollow pillar while renovating the Church of Mary Magdalene. Shortly
afterwards, Saunière began spending enormous sums of money on renovations, construction, and
personal projects far beyond the means of a rural parish priest, fueling speculation that the
parchments led him to a hidden treasure. The village sits in the heart of the Languedoc region,
which was both a Cathar stronghold and a centre of Templar activity during the 12th and 13th
centuries. Theories about the source of Saunière's wealth range from Cathar treasure and
Templar gold to Visigothic royal treasure and sacred religious relics.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 2, Marty and Alex Lagina visited Rennes-le-Château with researcher Kathleen McGowan,
who described it as the most enigmatic and mysterious place in France. At a house bearing an iron
Templar cross above the door, the group met Tobi, a modern-day Knight Templar and Templar historian.
Tobi confirmed that a Templar treasure existed, that it was never found, and that the Knights
Templar were persecuted by King Philip IV of France, who on Friday, October 13, 1307, ordered their
arrest and burned many at the stake. The village's significance to Oak Island lies in its position
along the theoretical treasure route: McGowan argued that sacred objects, including what she
identified as the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail, were moved from the Cathar fortress of
Montségur through Templar territory in southern France and eventually transported to Oak
Island. The connections between the Cathar treasure, the Knights Templar, and the later Masonic and
Rosicrucian traditions that emerged in Scotland after the order's suppression form a central thread
in theories linking European medieval history to the Oak Island mystery.

**Château de Montségur**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/chateau-de-montsegur
Type: Castle
Location: Montségur, Ariège, Occitanie, France
Ruined Cathar fortress perched nearly 4,000 feet above the Pyrenean valley floor. The last stronghold of the Cathar faith fell after a ten-month siege in 1244, but Inquisition records confirm that treasure was smuggled out before the surrender, and two men were lowered by rope down the precipice on the night over 200 Cathars were burned alive.
Montségur sits on a limestone ridge in the French Pyrenees so steep that in places the castle
walls and the cliff are the same thing. For the Cathars, the dualist Christian faith that Rome spent
thirty years trying to eradicate through the Albigensian Crusade and the Inquisition, this fortress
served as spiritual capital, treasury, and final refuge. By 1243 the Cathar church had been driven
underground across the Languedoc, and Montségur was the last place where its leaders could
gather openly. In May 1243, a force of roughly ten thousand soldiers representing the French crown
and the Catholic Church laid siege to the castle. Inside were fewer than four hundred people:
soldiers, civilians, and the last senior figures of the Cathar faith. The siege dragged on for ten
months through a harsh mountain winter. By early 1244, the garrison was starving and the defences
were failing. Surrender terms were negotiated: those who renounced Catharism could leave. Those who
refused would burn. On March 16, 1244, over two hundred Cathars who refused to recant were led into
a wooden stockade at the base of the mountain and burned alive. The site is still marked today by a
memorial stele in the field known as the Prat dels Cremats, the Field of the Burned. But the
Inquisition records preserved in the DOAT collection at the Bibliothèque nationale de France
tell a more complex story. Before the surrender, two Cathar perfects named Mathieu and Pierre Bonnet
smuggled out gold, silver, and what the Latin record calls "pecuniam infinitam," an infinite
quantity of money. They hid it in caves in the Sabarthès region, on lands held by Pons Arnaud
de Châteauverdun. Then, on the night of the mass burning, the fortress commander Pierre Roger
de Mirepoix hid two more men inside the walls: Amiel Aicard and his companion Hugh de Villiers.
After the pyres had burned, the two were lowered by rope down the sheer precipice beneath the
castle. Witnesses traced their route through Caussou and Prades to the Castle of Usson, where they
met Mathieu, the man who had hidden the monetary treasure weeks earlier. The Inquisition
interrogation of Arnaud Roger de Mirepoix records the reason explicitly: "And this was done so that
the Church of the heretics would not lose its treasure, which was hidden in the woods." Neither Hugh
de Villiers nor the Cathar treasure was ever found.
Oak Island Connection: The escape of Hugh de Villiers from Montségur in 1244 is the earliest documented instance of
a pattern that connects directly to Oak Island. The De Villiers family of the Languedoc were Templar
patrons who had donated their own castle at Pieusse to the Knights Templar in 1137. They were also
Cathar sympathisers who hosted a synod of over a hundred Cathars in 1225. Hugh's brother Jourdain de
Villiers had participated in the raid on Avignonet in 1242, in which Cathar fighters killed two
Dominican inquisitors and returned to Montségur with documents and valuables. The family
straddled both the Templar and Cathar worlds simultaneously. Sixty-three years after Hugh de
Villiers vanished from Montségur with the Cathar treasure, another man bearing the same name,
Hugues de Châlons (identified by historian E.-G. Léonard as "probably identical" with
Hugh de Villiers, preceptor of Épailly), fled Paris on the eve of the Templar arrests in
October 1307 carrying the entire treasury of the Visitor of the Knights Templar. He was escorted by
Gérard de Villiers, Master of France, the highest-ranking Templar on French soil, who led
fifty horses out of the city while eighteen galleys put to sea. Same family name, same role, same
outcome: escape with the treasure, followed by silence. The De Villiers line continued through the
Knights Hospitaller, producing Philippe de Villiers de L'Isle-Adam, Grand Master during the fall of
Rhodes in 1522, and eventually Catherine de Villiers, whose son Isaac de Razilly arrived on the
coast of Nova Scotia in 1632 as a Knight Commander of the Order of Malta. Razilly established
himself at La Hève, roughly twenty kilometres from Oak Island, and in 1635 requested that the
Order of Malta purchase lands in Acadia to found a Priory. The pattern set at Montségur, a De
Villiers present at the moment of crisis, trusted with what is most precious, and disappearing into
silence, continued for nearly five centuries.

**Domme Templar Prison**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/domme-templar-prison
Type: Prison
Location: Domme, Dordogne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
In 1307, seventy Knights Templar were imprisoned in the towers of Domme. The carvings they left behind include a crucifix that matches the lead cross found on Oak Island.
Domme is a fortified medieval town in the Dordogne department of southwestern France, perched on a
limestone cliff 150 metres above the Dordogne River. It was founded in 1281 by King Philip III of
France, known as Philip the Bold, as a royal bastide: a strategic military stronghold designed to
assert French control over the region during conflicts with the English Duchy of Aquitaine. The
town's most imposing feature is the Porte des Tours, a massive gateway flanked by two round stone
towers that served as both the entrance to the bastide and, from 1307 onward, a prison. The
fortifications and ramparts were completed by 1310. Domme was only 26 years old when its towers were
put to their darkest use. On Friday, October 13, 1307, King Philip IV of France ordered the
simultaneous arrest of every Knight Templar in his kingdom. The charges were heresy, blasphemy, and
idolatry. Historians widely agree that the accusations were politically motivated: Philip was
heavily in debt to the order and sought to seize its wealth. Confessions were extracted under
torture. Seventy Templar knights were imprisoned in the towers of the Porte des Tours. According to
Canon Tonnelier, who conducted the first systematic study of the site in 1970, these prisoners were
held at Domme from 1307 until approximately 1318. The names of all seventy were later published by
Andre Goineaud-Berard in the Bulletin de la Societe Historique et Archeologique du Perigord. During
their years of captivity, the imprisoned Templars carved hundreds of images into the hard stone
walls of their prison. According to tradition, the prisoners had no tools and used their own
fingernails and teeth to score the carvings into the rock. Some researchers, including Templar
expert Jerry Glover, have expressed doubt about this explanation, noting that the complexity and
depth of the carvings would be difficult to achieve with such crude instruments. Others have
suggested that short knives may have been provided to the higher-ranking knights as a courtesy, a
practice not uncommon in medieval noble imprisonment. However the carvings were made, the effort
required was extraordinary. Seven distinct tableaux survive, depicting crucifixion scenes, crosses,
religious figures, and geometric symbols. The carvings include what have been interpreted as Templar
crosses, images of Christ on the cross flanked by the two Marys, crowned figures of the Virgin, and
complex arrangements of triangles, circles, octagons and squares. Canon Tonnelier proposed that
these geometric shapes formed a symbolic code. An octagon represented the Grail. A triangle
surmounted by a cross represented Golgotha, where Christ was crucified. A square represented the
Temple of Solomon, the order's headquarters in Jerusalem. A circle represented imprisonment. Whether
these interpretations are correct remains debated, but the religious intensity of the carvings is
not in question. Whatever the symbols mean, they were carved by people of deep faith who knew they
were unlikely to leave those walls alive. The graffiti remain visible today. The Porte des Tours is
open to visitors, and guided tours are available in French with English translations provided on
request. In 1970, further examination of the walls revealed additional inscriptions invisible to the
naked eye, suggesting that the full extent of the prisoners' testimony has yet to be uncovered.
Domme is now one of the "Plus Beaux Villages de France." But behind the honey-coloured stone and the
panoramic views of the Dordogne valley, the towers of the Porte des Tours preserve the last recorded
testament of men who were arrested for their faith, tortured for their confessions, and left to
carve their truth into the walls of their prison.
Oak Island Connection: One carving in particular drew international attention in 2017. A crucifix carved into the prison
wall bears a striking resemblance to the lead cross discovered by Gary Drayton at Smith's Cove on
Oak Island during Season 5 of The Curse of Oak Island. Rick Lagina, who had visited Domme with Alex
Lagina and Peter Fornetti during a research trip shown in the preceding episode, immediately noted
the similarity. Templar expert Jerry Glover subsequently confirmed that the Smith's Cove cross is
congruent with the Domme crucifix, and also with a design carved onto a pillar in the nave of a
13th-century church in Whitchurch, Buckinghamshire, England. That church stands half a mile from
Creslow Manor, a former Knights Templar preceptory that was later turned over to the Knights
Hospitaller after the order's suppression. Lead isotope analysis by geochemist Tobias Skowronek of
the German Mining Museum dated the Smith's Cove cross to between 900 and 1300 AD and traced its
metal to medieval mines in southern France, thousands of miles from Nova Scotia. The resemblance
between a physical artifact found on Oak Island and a carving made by imprisoned Templars in the
Dordogne remains one of the most direct visual links between the island and the medieval order.

**Rosslyn Chapel**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/rosslyn-chapel
Type: Church
Location: Roslin, Midlothian, Scotland, United Kingdom
Built by William Sinclair between 1446-1484. Extraordinarily dense with carved symbolism, including what many identify as pre-Columbian corn or maize, suggesting the Sinclair family had knowledge of North America nearly a century before Columbus.
Rosslyn Chapel is a 15th-century chapel in the village of Roslin, Midlothian, Scotland, designed by
William Sinclair and built by Freemasons between approximately 1446 and 1484. The chapel is renowned
for the extraordinary density and complexity of its carved stone decoration, which includes Biblical
scenes, Green Men, geometric patterns, and botanical motifs that have fascinated researchers for
centuries. Among the most debated carvings are what many scholars identify as depictions of corn or
maize, a grain native to North America that would not have been known in Scotland before the
European discovery of the New World. If the identification is correct, it suggests the Sinclair
family had knowledge of North American plants decades before Columbus crossed the Atlantic. William
Sinclair's grandfather, Prince Henry Sinclair, is a central figure in theories connecting Scotland
to pre-Columbian Atlantic voyages. Historical accounts suggest that Henry Sinclair sailed to Nova
Scotia in 1398, accompanied by Venetian navigators Antonio and Nicolo Zeno, nearly a century before
Columbus. The Mi'kmaq people of Nova Scotia are said to have encountered Henry Sinclair and regarded
him as a figure named Glooscap who taught them new methods of fishing and navigation. The ceremonial
flag of the Mi'kmaq bears a striking resemblance to the Templar battle flag of Henry Sinclair.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 2, Rick, Marty, and Alex Lagina visited Rosslyn Chapel with Dave Blankenship, Charles
Barkhouse, and researchers Kathleen McGowan and Alan Butler. The chapel's carved botanical motifs,
particularly the corn or maize, supported the theory that Prince Henry Sinclair reached Nova Scotia
in 1398 and that the Sinclair family possessed knowledge of the New World passed down through
generations. Alan Butler presented a theory connecting Rosslyn Chapel directly to Oak Island through
measurement. The distance between Rosslyn Chapel and Rosslyn Castle is 366 megalithic yards,
equivalent to 996 feet. Butler argued that the Templars used this same measurement system on Oak
Island, constructing a new Jerusalem based on the Enochian model, with a hidden chamber located 366
megalithic yards from the Money Pit at a fixed compass point due west, a location that falls
squarely in the swamp. The measurement theory provided a mathematical link between the Scottish
Templar tradition and the physical layout of Oak Island, and pointed once again to the swamp as a
location of central importance.

**Royston Cave**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/royston-cave
Type: Cave
Location: Royston, Hertfordshire, England, United Kingdom
Bell-shaped chamber carved into chalk bedrock beneath a crossroads in Royston, England, discovered in 1742 but believed to date to medieval times. Wall carvings include a figure matching the Oak Island lead cross, a brick dated 1347, and a depiction of Melusine connected to the Rochefoucauld family.
Royston Cave is a bell-shaped artificial chamber carved into the chalk bedrock beneath the
crossroads at the centre of Royston, Hertfordshire, England, a town founded in 1184 that was once
part of the Roman Empire. The cave was first documented in 1742 when workmen discovered it beneath a
market stall. The chamber's centre circle measures close to 13 feet in diameter, and its walls are
covered with carved figures, religious scenes, and symbolic imagery that researchers have attributed
to the Knights Templar. The cave is widely interpreted as a Templar initiation chamber, hidden
beneath a commercial building to conceal its ritual function during and after the suppression of the
order. The carvings include crucifixion scenes, figures of saints, and symbols that connect to
Templar iconography found across Europe.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 10, Marty Lagina, Alex Lagina, and Charles Barkhouse visited Royston Cave with researcher
and author Gretchen Cornwall. Marty noted that the chamber's centre circle of close to 13 feet
matched the diameter of the original Money Pit, and the group discussed similarities to the
Initiation Well they had observed at Quinta da Regaleira in Sintra, Portugal. Gretchen pointed out a
carving she believed depicted the figure portrayed on the lead cross found on Oak Island, noting the
tilted head and the longer arm on one side, details that also echoed a carving found in the Templar
prison at Domme, France. She then showed them a brick inscribed with the number 1347, the same date
that appeared on Zena Halpern's Templar map of Oak Island, which Marty suggested could be a
commemorative stone marking the Templars' departure. Gretchen identified another carving as a
representation of Melusine, a half-human, half-fish goddess from the sixth century whom the
Rochefoucauld family claims as an ancestress. She showed the group a photograph from the
Château de Rochefoucauld where Melusine holds up a platform for a bust. Alex observed that a
connection to the Rochefoucaulds would represent another link to Zena Halpern's map, tying the
cave's carvings to both the Templar tradition and the specific French noble family whose name has
appeared repeatedly in the Oak Island investigation.

**Valkenburg Castle Ruins**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/valkenburg-castle
Type: Ruin
Location: Valkenburg aan de Geul, Limburg, Netherlands
The only hilltop castle in the Netherlands, founded c.1115 by Gosewijn I. Secret passages and a dungeon containing 14th-century Templar carvings, including four-dot crosses and symbols matching those found in Nova Scotia.
Valkenburg Castle is the only hilltop castle in the Netherlands, founded around 1115 by Gosewijn I,
Lord of Valkenburg, on a limestone prominence overlooking the Geul Valley in the province of
Limburg. The castle was besieged and partially destroyed multiple times over the centuries, with the
final demolition ordered by the States-General of the Dutch Republic in 1672. Today the ruins
include a keep, defensive walls, and an extensive network of underground passages carved through the
limestone, including dungeons where prisoners were held during the medieval period. Among those held
captive were members of the Knights Templar following the suppression of the order in the early 14th
century.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 11, Rick Lagina, Doug Crowell, and members of the team visited the castle ruins during
their European research trip. Corjan Mol and cultural historian Jacquo Silvertant showed the group
14th-century carvings in the dungeon where Templars were once imprisoned. Among the markings were
four-dot crosses and a goose paw symbol matching one previously found in Liverpool, Nova Scotia.
Corjan identified what he described as a Viking Sail, a symbol resembling sails made from horizontal
strips of cloth on Norse vessels. The presence of both Templar and Norse-associated symbols carved
by prisoners in the same dungeon suggested a crossover between the two traditions, supporting the
theory that Templar knowledge of Atlantic navigation may have drawn on earlier Viking seafaring
routes to the New World.

**Caestert Quarry Underground Tunnels**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/caestert-quarry-underground-tunnels
Type: Cave
Location: Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands
Extensive medieval tunnel system carved through marlstone near Maastricht. Part of a 15-mile network of underground passageways running between the Netherlands and Belgium, containing Templar-associated symbols matching those found on Oak Island.
The Caestert stone quarry is a 12th-century underground tunnel system near Maastricht in the
southern Netherlands, where marlstone was mined for the construction of Catholic churches and abbeys
throughout the region. The quarry comprises thousands of tunnels totaling approximately 15 miles of
underground passageways that extend beneath the border between the Netherlands and Belgium. Used
continuously from the medieval period through the 18th century, the tunnels contain carved symbols,
drawings, and inscriptions left by miners, pilgrims, and, according to some researchers, members of
the Knights Templar who may have used the quarry network as a staging area or hiding place for
treasures during the suppression of the order in the early 14th century.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 11, Corjan Mol and cultural historian Jacquo Silvertant led Rick Lagina, Doug Crowell,
Alex Lagina, and Peter Fornetti through the quarry as part of a European research trip. Jacquo
proposed that the Templars may have hidden their treasures in the quarry network before transporting
them onward to Oak Island. In a cross-shaped section of the tunnels, the team found drawings
resembling a menorah alongside four-dot crosses and circles with a central dot, both matching
symbols found on the H/O stone from Oak Island's northern shore. Corjan suggested that the recurring
appearance of these symbols across multiple European sites, from Caestert to Morimondo Abbey to the
churches of Bornholm, may trace the route the treasure followed as it moved westward toward the
Atlantic. The quarry's position near major medieval trade routes connecting the Rhineland to the
North Sea ports of Flanders would have made it a logical waypoint in any such journey.

**Nylars Round Church**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/nylars-round-church
Type: Church
Location: Nylars, Bornholm, Denmark
Best-preserved of Bornholm's four 12th-century round churches, built c.1165 and believed by researchers to have been constructed by the Knights Templar. Contains runestones with symbols matching those reportedly found on the Oak Island 90-foot stone.
Nylars Church is the best-preserved of four medieval round churches on the Danish island of Bornholm
in the Baltic Sea. Built around 1165, the church features a distinctive circular design with thick
defensive walls and a central column supporting a vaulted ceiling. Researchers including Danish
author Erling Haagensen have argued that the round churches of Bornholm were constructed by the
Knights Templar, who maintained a significant presence on the island during the 12th and 13th
centuries. The church's interior contains carved runestones dating to the 4th century, preserved
within the medieval structure, alongside Templar-associated symbols and markings that have attracted
the attention of historians tracing the order's movements across northern Europe.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 11, Rick Lagina, Doug Crowell, and members of the team visited Nylars Church during a
research trip to Denmark with Corjan Mol. Author Erling Haagensen told the group that Vikings helped
the Templars prepare for transporting treasure to the New World. Inside the church, Rick examined
runestones dating to the 4th century and noticed symbols matching those reportedly found on the
90-foot stone from the Money Pit, which was historically described as Swedish porphyry with an
olive-green colour. Rick also spotted what appeared to be a Templar cross at the top of one
runestone, suggesting a link between the pre-Christian carved stones and the later Templar
occupation of the site. The presence of matching symbols on both the Bornholm runestones and the Oak
Island 90-foot stone raises the possibility that the Templars drew on Scandinavian symbolic
traditions when encoding information about the Money Pit.

**Madsebakke Rock Carvings**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/madsebakke
Type: Ancient Site
Location: Allinge, Bornholm, Denmark
Northern Europe's most important Bronze Age rock carving site, with petroglyphs dating back 3,000 years that researchers believe represent navigational tools aligned with the stars.
The Madsebakke rock carvings on Bornholm, Denmark, constitute the largest and most significant
collection of Bronze Age petroglyphs in northern Europe. Dating back approximately 3,000 years, the
carvings are incised into exposed rock surfaces and include ships, wheels, circular motifs, and
geometric patterns that researchers have interpreted as representations of celestial navigation
tools, solar calendars, and maritime route markers. The site reflects the deep astronomical
knowledge of Bronze Age Scandinavian cultures, whose seafaring traditions laid the groundwork for
the Viking Age navigational achievements that followed more than a millennium later.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 11, Rick Lagina, Doug Crowell, Corjan Mol, and members of the team visited Madsebakke
during their research trip to Bornholm. Historian Jeanne Cordua presented the 3,000-year-old
carvings and described one as a Bronze Age compass aligned with sunrise and sunset at the winter
solstice. She also explained how Norse mariners used translucent mineral Sunstones to navigate the
open sea, a technology that would have been essential for any transatlantic crossing. Among the
carvings the team identified a four-dot cross, a symbol that has appeared repeatedly in the Oak
Island investigation including on the H/O stone found on the island's northern shore. Doug Crowell
connected nearby carved potholes representing the Hyades constellation to the stone piles on Lot 15
of Oak Island, which Professor Gaspani had independently linked to the same star cluster during his
analysis of Nolan's Cross. The convergence of celestial references at Madsebakke and on Oak Island
strengthened the case for a shared navigational and symbolic tradition connecting Scandinavian and
Templar cultures.

**Ladby Viking Museum**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/ladby-viking-museum
Type: Museum
Location: Kerteminde, Funen, Denmark
The only Viking ship burial found in Denmark, dating to c.925 AD. A 21.5-metre warship served as the final resting place of a Viking chieftain, preserved in situ with weapons, tools, and the remains of horses and dogs.
The Ladby Viking Museum in Kerteminde, Denmark, preserves the only Viking ship burial discovered in
the country. Dating to approximately 925 A.D., the site contains the remains of a 21.5-metre warship
used as the burial vessel for a Viking chieftain, likely the King of Ladby. The ship was interred
with the ruler's weapons, tools, and the remains of horses and dogs, following Norse burial customs
that reflected the belief in an afterlife requiring provisions and transport. The museum has been
built directly over the original excavation site, allowing visitors to view the ship's imprint and
surviving iron rivets in their original position. The collection includes weapons, jewellery, and
navigational instruments from the early medieval period.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 11, Rick Lagina, Doug Crowell, Corjan Mol, and the team visited the Ladby Viking Museum
during their research trip to Denmark. Curator Ane Jepsen Nyborg showed them the burial site of the
King of Ladby, who died around 925 A.D. and was interred in a 70-foot Viking ship. When Doug
presented a photograph of a crossbow bolt found on Oak Island in the 1960s, Ane produced a replica
and confirmed that the artifact matched pieces from local Danish archaeological excavations, dating
it to the early medieval period through the Viking Age, specifically pre-1300s. The identification
placed the Oak Island crossbow bolt within a Scandinavian military context and added to the growing
body of evidence suggesting Norse or early medieval European activity on the island centuries before
its official discovery in 1795.

**Roskilde Viking Ship Museum**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/roskilde-viking-ships
Type: Museum
Location: Roskilde, Zealand, Denmark
Houses five original Viking ships deliberately sunk in Roskilde Fjord c.1070 to block enemy naval attack. The museum's research centre has reconstructed seaworthy replicas demonstrating that Norse cargo vessels could carry 20 tons across the Atlantic.
The Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, Denmark, is built around five original Viking ships recovered
from the bottom of Roskilde Fjord, where they were deliberately sunk around 1070 A.D. to create an
underwater barrier against enemy naval attacks. The vessels range from a small fishing boat to a
large ocean-going warship and represent the full spectrum of Viking maritime technology. The
museum's research centre has reconstructed several seaworthy replicas using period-accurate tools
and techniques, including cargo ships capable of transatlantic voyages. Shipwright Marten Rodevad
Dael and maritime archaeologist Dr. Morten Ravn lead research programmes documenting how Norse ship
design evolved from oared craft to sail-powered vessels around 750 A.D., enabling the open-ocean
voyages that eventually reached North America.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 11, Rick Lagina, Doug Crowell, Corjan Mol, and the team visited the museum as part of
their Scandinavian research trip. Dr. Morten Ravn showed them a vessel dating from the late Viking
Age to the early medieval period and explained how the evolution from oared craft to sail-powered
ships around 750 A.D. enabled transatlantic voyages. Shipwright Marten Rodevad Dael demonstrated a
reconstructed cargo ship built around 1060 that could carry roughly 20 tons to North America, a
capacity sufficient to transport significant quantities of material or treasure across the Atlantic.
Doug Crowell noted during the visit that a piece of wood found on Oak Island had been dated to 660
through 770 A.D. and resembled railing from the bow of just such a vessel. The comparison
established that Norse ships of the period were both capable of reaching Nova Scotia and consistent
in construction with wooden artifacts recovered from the island. The museum visit strengthened the
case that Viking-era or early medieval seafarers may have reached Oak Island centuries before the
arrival of later European expeditions.

**Morimondo Abbey**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/morimondo-abbey
Type: Monastery
Location: Morimondo, Lombardy, Italy
Cistercian abbey founded in 1134 as a daughter house of Morimond Abbey in Burgundy. Its scriptorium produced over 100 manuscripts in the 13th century, and its walls contain four-dot crosses and Templar symbols matching those found on Oak Island.
Morimondo Abbey is a Cistercian monastery founded in 1134 in the commune of Morimondo, southwest of
Milan in Lombardy, Italy. Established as a daughter house of Morimond Abbey in Burgundy, France, it
became one of the most important Cistercian foundations in northern Italy. The abbey's scriptorium
was a major centre of manuscript production during the 13th century, creating over 100 texts that
preserved and transmitted religious, scientific, and navigational knowledge across the Cistercian
network. The connection between the Cistercian and Templar orders is historically significant: both
were championed by St. Bernard of Clairvaux, who wrote the Rule of the Knights Templar and was
instrumental in securing papal recognition for the order. Cistercian abbeys frequently served as
centres of learning where Templar scholars studied, and the two orders maintained close
institutional ties throughout the medieval period.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 11, Rick Lagina, Doug Crowell, Alex Lagina, and Peter Fornetti toured the abbey with
Emiliano Sacchetti and archaeoastronomer Professor Adriano Gaspani, with interpreter Marzia
Sebastiani. Before entering, Emiliano drew attention to exterior ceramic vessels, and Doug spotted
two four-dot crosses matching the H/O stone found on Oak Island's northern shore in the 1920s.
Inside the abbey, whose nave stretches 60 metres by 13 metres with eight large pillars on each side,
the team found a Templar cross on the ceiling. In the scriptorium, mid-13th-century paintings by
Cistercian monks revealed a Tree of Life symbol matching one seen at the Templar prison in Domme,
France, with a four-dot cross on the reverse side of the same pillar. Rick noticed oak leaves in one
painting and wondered whether knowledge of foreign plants was being recorded, raising the question
of whether the monks' work was intended for only a select audience. Professor Gaspani declared he
was convinced Nolan's Cross was built by a Knight Templar or a Cistercian monk, noting that both
orders shared the same founder in St. Bernard of Clairvaux and that Templar scholars often studied
in Cistercian abbeys. Emiliano later noted that the scriptorium's 13th-century manuscript tradition
eventually reached as far as Iceland through the Cistercian monastic network.

**Camerano Caves**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/camerano-caves
Type: Cave
Location: Camerano, Marche, Italy
Underground city beneath Camerano with tunnels dating from the Piceni era through the Roman Empire and into the medieval period, when the caves served as a Knights Templar stronghold containing symbols matching those found on Oak Island.
The Camerano Caves are an extensive underground network beneath the town of Camerano in the Marche
region of central Italy. The system dates back more than 2,500 years: the Piceni people are believed
to have created the original chambers around 600 B.C., and the area was incorporated into the Roman
Empire in 290 B.C. During the 12th to 14th centuries, the caves served as a Knights Templar
stronghold, with an entrance modeled after the Holy Sepulchre dating to the 13th century. After the
dissolution of the Templar order in 1312, surviving members are believed to have used the
underground spaces as secret gathering places. The cave system includes the Burchiani Cave, also
known as the Venus Cave, one of the oldest chambers at roughly 20 metres below street level. Local
historian Alberto Recanatini has spent over 50 years mapping the tunnels and documenting their
history.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 10, Rick Lagina, Doug Crowell, Alex Lagina, Peter Fornetti, and Corjan Mol toured the
Camerano Caves with Emiliano Sacchetti and Alberto Recanatini. Emiliano explained that the cave
entrance was modeled after the Holy Sepulchre and dates to the 13th century, and Alberto noted that
after the Templars were dissolved, surviving members dug underground places to gather in secret. In
the Burchiani Cave, the team discovered that a section of the cave system matches the shape of the
lead cross found on Oak Island at Smith's Cove in 2017. Corjan Mol also identified a goose-paw
symbol like one previously observed in Liverpool, Nova Scotia. The recurring appearance of matching
symbols in Templar sites across Italy, alongside the lead cross shape correspondence, added to the
pattern of connections between medieval European Templar strongholds and artifacts recovered from
Oak Island.

**Osimo Caves**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/osimo-caves
Type: Cave
Location: Osimo, Marche, Italy
Network of 88 caves and tunnels beneath the medieval city, connected by wells and passages stretching roughly 30 kilometres. Originally created almost 2,000 years ago and reestablished as a Templar stronghold around 1160 A.D.
The Grotte Simonetti in Osimo form part of one of the most extensive underground networks in central
Italy, comprising 88 caves and tunnels beneath the medieval hilltop city. The system stretches
roughly 30 kilometres and was first created almost 2,000 years ago before being reestablished as a
Knights Templar stronghold around 1160 A.D. During the 14th century, following the suppression of
the order, the caves are believed to have served as a refuge for surviving Templar members. The
tunnels contain carved symbols, religious iconography, and markings that have attracted researchers
studying the movement and survival of the Templar order after its official dissolution. Professor
Fabrizio Bartoli, a historian and modern-day Knight Templar, has studied the cave system
extensively.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 10, the team visited the Grotte Simonetti with Professor Fabrizio Bartoli. Inside the
caves, Doug Crowell discovered a large carving similar to one Rick had seen at the Templar prison in
Domme, France, in 2017. Alex Lagina found a symbol that had appeared on the H/O stone from Oak
Island and was also observed the previous year in Portugal, believed to represent gold. Rick
identified a crescent moon motif that had likewise appeared at Domme, in Portugal, and on the
Overton Stone found on Oak Island. The concentration of symbols in Osimo matching those found across
multiple Templar sites and on Oak Island artifacts reinforced the theory of a shared symbolic
language used by the order across its European network, a language that may also have been employed
to mark activity on Oak Island.

**Convento de Cristo**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/convento-de-cristo
Type: Commandery
Location: Tomar, Santarém, Centro, Portugal
Templar headquarters in Portugal, founded in 1160. The iconic round church (Charola) and fortified convent complex contain carved stone hands marking underground aqueduct channels whose construction mirrors the finger drains found at Smith's Cove on Oak Island.
The Convento de Cristo is the former castle and convent of the Knights Templar in Tomar, Portugal,
founded on the first of March 1160. The complex includes the iconic Charola, a sixteen-sided round
church modelled after the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, which served as the Templars'
most sacred place of worship in Portugal. The fortified convent grew over centuries through
additions by the Order of Christ, the successor organisation that King Dinis created in 1319 to
preserve the Templar tradition in Portugal. The complex features Manueline, Gothic, and Renaissance
architectural elements, and is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A massive aqueduct system
once supplied water to the castle through a network of underground channels, an engineering
achievement that demonstrated the order's advanced hydraulic knowledge.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 9, Corjan Mol led Rick Lagina, Doug Crowell, Alex Lagina, and Peter Fornetti through the
convent, which Corjan described as what the Templars considered their New Jerusalem. Joao Fiandeiro
explained the castle's founding date of 1160 and its role as the spiritual heart of the Portuguese
Templar order. Corjan showed the group a series of carved stone hands with unusual middle fingers,
five or six of which are placed throughout the convent to indicate where the underground aqueducts
run. He drew a direct comparison to the finger drains discovered on Oak Island in 1850 by the Truro
Company at Smith's Cove, where five drains made of flat stones covered with capstones converged into
a single tunnel heading toward the Money Pit. When Rick asked whether the formations matched, Corjan
confirmed that the Convento de Cristo system uses square pipes with capstones, the same construction
technique found at Smith's Cove. At the original gate of the castle, Corjan pointed out a Templar
cross carved above the entrance arch and, below it, a stone bearing a cross with four dots identical
to a symbol on the H/O stone from Oak Island.

**Tomar Town Square**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/tomar-town-square
Type: Historic_site
Location: Tomar, Santarém, Centro, Portugal
Historic town centre of Tomar, laid out by the Templars in the 12th century on a site of seven hills. The city served as Templar headquarters in Portugal under Grand Master Gualdim Pais and later became the seat of the renamed Order of Christ.
Tomar is a historic city in central Portugal, laid out by the Knights Templar in the 12th century on
a site of seven hills, mirroring the sacred geography of Rome and Jerusalem. The city became the
Templar headquarters in Portugal under Gualdim Pais, who was knighted by King Afonso Henriques and
returned from a successful military campaign in the Holy Land in 1157 to become the fourth Grand
Master of the Portuguese Templars. Some researchers believe the order's most sacred religious
treasures were hidden in the city during the height of Templar power. When King Philip IV of France
and Pope Clement V disbanded the Knights Templar across Europe in 1307, thousands of knights were
arrested, tortured, and executed, including Grand Master Jacques de Molay. However, several hundred
Templars fled to Scotland and Portugal, carrying priceless religious artifacts with them. In
Portugal, King Dinis protected the order by renaming it the Knights of Christ in 1319, allowing its
members to continue operating under a new identity. Over time the Templar cross evolved into an
elongated form that bears a resemblance to the configuration of Nolan's Cross on Oak Island.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 9, the team visited Tomar as part of their Portuguese research trip with Corjan Mol and
Joao Fiandeiro. The city's significance to the Oak Island investigation lies in its role as the
operational centre of the Portuguese Templars, the order that researchers believe may have had the
means, motive, and navigational capability to reach Nova Scotia centuries before Columbus. The
statue of Gualdim Pais in the town square commemorates the Grand Master who established Tomar as the
Templar headquarters, and the evolution of the Templar cross into the elongated form used by the
Order of Christ mirrors the shape of Nolan's Cross on Oak Island. The team's visit placed the
broader pattern of Portuguese Templar activity in geographic context, connecting the symbolic
evidence found at Fonte Arcada, the Convento de Cristo, and the Roman Road of Alqueidao da Serra to
the organisation's administrative and spiritual capital.

**Museu Militar (Military Museum)**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/museu-militar-military-museum
Type: Museum
Location: Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
Lisbon's military museum, where Portuguese military experts confirmed that stone shots found on Oak Island match 15th or 16th-century Portuguese naval cannon, with calibres originating from the Azores Islands or mainland Portugal.
The Museu Militar (Military Museum) is located near the Santa Apolonia station in Lisbon, Portugal.
The museum houses an extensive collection of weapons, armour, artillery, and military artifacts
spanning Portugal's military history from the medieval period through the modern era. Its artillery
collection includes period cannons from the Age of Discovery, when Portuguese naval power dominated
the Atlantic trade routes. The museum's staff includes military history experts with specialist
knowledge of Portuguese ordnance, ballistics, and the naval weaponry deployed aboard exploration and
trading vessels during the 15th and 16th centuries.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 9, the team visited the museum during their Portuguese research trip with Corjan Mol and
Joao Fiandeiro. Sergeants Ricardo Lopes and Carlos Magro, experts in Portuguese military history,
examined replicas of the stone shots found on Oak Island. The shots, measuring 3.9 centimetres, had
previously been analyzed by geology professor Dr. Robert Raeside, who believed they originated from
Portugal's Azores Islands. The sergeants confirmed the stones were made in either the Azores or
mainland Portugal and showed the group a 15th or 16th-century cannon with a four-centimetre calibre
that fires a half-Portuguese-pound ball, an exact match for the Oak Island replicas. They also
confirmed that smaller cannons of this type were typically used on ships or fortresses and could be
removed from a vessel and placed on a structure ashore. The identification provided direct physical
evidence connecting Portuguese military hardware to artifacts found on Oak Island, supporting the
theory of Portuguese activity on or near the island during the Age of Discovery.

**Quinta da Regaleira**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/quinta-da-regaleira
Type: Historic_site
Location: Sintra, Lisbon District, Portugal
Enigmatic estate in Sintra featuring an inverted tower (Initiation Well) descending nine levels via a spiral staircase, whose dimensions and design closely resemble historical descriptions of the original Money Pit on Oak Island.
Quinta da Regaleira is a palatial estate in the town of Sintra, approximately twenty miles west of
Lisbon. The town was captured in 1154 by Portugal's first king, Afonso Henriques, and turned over to
the Knights Templar, who held it as a stronghold for centuries. In 1904 the estate was purchased by
Antonio Augusto de Carvalho Monteiro, a wealthy Freemason believed to have held secret Masonic and
Templar rituals on the grounds. The most striking feature of the estate is the Initiation Well, a
thirteen-foot-diameter inverted tower that descends through nine platforms connected by a spiral
staircase carved into the rock. A tunnel leads from the base of the well to the estate's exterior
grounds. The well's design draws on Masonic and Templar symbolism, with the nine levels representing
stages of initiation corresponding to Dante's nine circles.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 9, the team visited Quinta da Regaleira during their Portuguese research trip with Corjan
Mol and Joao Fiandeiro. The group descended the Initiation Well, and the parallels to the Oak Island
Money Pit were immediately apparent: a vertical shaft with a spiral design, multiple platform
levels, and a tunnel leading outward from the base. Doug Crowell noted that the Restall family, who
searched Oak Island in the 1960s, believed a spiral tunnel wrapped around the Money Pit, much like
the staircase in the well. At the bottom of the shaft, Corjan pointed out an oak tree branch hanging
directly over the opening, echoing the account of how the Money Pit was first discovered in 1795
when Daniel McGinnis noticed a depression in the ground beneath an oak tree with a tackle block
hanging from one of its branches. The combination of the spiral design, the tunnel at the base, and
the oak tree above created a striking architectural echo of the Money Pit's described features,
suggesting the builders of both structures may have drawn on the same Masonic and Templar
traditions.

**Palazzo Falson**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/palazzo-falson
Type: Museum
Location: Mdina, Central Region, Malta
Medieval palace in the silent city of Mdina, one of the best-preserved historic houses in Malta. Houses Captain Olof Gollcher's collection of art, silver, and antiquities spanning the medieval period through the Knights of Malta era. The building itself dates to the 13th century.
Palazzo Falson stands on Villegaignon Street in the heart of Mdina, Malta's ancient walled capital.
The oldest parts of the building date to the 13th century, when a single-storey house rose on the
ruins of a structure known as La Rocca, itself built over a former synagogue. The ground floor of
the present palazzo was constructed around 1495 in the Siculo-Norman style, and the Falsone family,
holders of important administrative roles in Mdina, carried out further enlargements through the
16th century. It was long known as 'the Norman house'. The building's most significant historical
moment came on 13 November 1530, when Grand Master Philippe Villiers de L'Isle-Adam visited the
palazzo for a banquet following a formal ceremony in which he took possession of Mdina on behalf of
the Knights of St. John. The event, documented by Giovanni Francesco Abela in his 1647 work Della
Descrittione di Malta, marked the beginning of the Order's rule over the Maltese islands after their
expulsion from Rhodes by Sultan Suleiman in 1522. De Villiers lived in the house for a while. In the
20th century, the palazzo was acquired by Captain Olof Frederick Gollcher, a Maltese-Swedish
collector who filled the house with European art, arms, armour, silver, Oriental rugs, and
historical documents spanning the 15th through 20th centuries. Among his library is a 1728 History
of the Knights of Malta.  Since 2007 the palazzo has operated as a historic house museum
managed by the Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti.
Oak Island Connection: During Season 12 of The Curse of Oak Island, the Oak Island fellowship traveled to Malta to
investigate possible links between the Knights of Malta and Oak Island. Researcher and author Corjan
Mol led a presentation at Palazzo Falson in which he outlined what he described as a "Generations
Game," a chain of custody for treasure and sacred relics that passed through the hands of military
orders across centuries and continents. The presentation traced the De Villiers family's involvement
from Jerusalem and Acre through Paris, Rhodes, and finally Malta, where Philippe Villiers de
L'Isle-Adam established the Order in 1530. The critical link to Nova Scotia runs through Isaac de
Razilly, a French colonizer who founded a fort roughly 15 to 20 miles from Oak Island in the 1630s.
De Razilly's mother was Catherine de Villiers, placing him within the same family line that had
commanded both the Knights Templar and the Knights of Malta for generations. If treasure or relics
were entrusted to the De Villiers bloodline after Gerard de Villiers reportedly fled Paris with
Templar wealth in 1307, the family's documented presence near Oak Island through De Razilly provides
a plausible route for their eventual concealment on the island.

**Fort St. Elmo**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/fort-st-elmo
Type: Castle
Location: Valletta, Northern Harbour, Malta
Star fort at the tip of the Sciberras Peninsula in Valletta, constructed in the 16th century by the Knights of Malta. Site of the most ferocious fighting during the Great Siege of 1565, where Hospitaller knights held off an Ottoman invasion force.
Fort St. Elmo is a star-shaped fortification at the tip of the Sciberras Peninsula in Valletta,
Malta, originally constructed in 1552 by the Knights of Malta, also known as the Knights
Hospitaller. The fort became the focal point of the Great Siege of 1565, when a massive Ottoman
invasion force attempted to take Malta from the Hospitaller order. The garrison held out for over a
month under relentless bombardment, buying time for the rest of the island's defences to be
reinforced. The fort's construction demonstrates the advanced military engineering the Hospitallers
brought with them from their previous strongholds in Jerusalem, Rhodes, and across the
Mediterranean. Today the fort houses the National War Museum and serves as a monument to the
Hospitaller military tradition that shaped Malta's history for nearly three centuries.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 12, Rick Lagina, Alex Lagina, Peter Fornetti, Doug Crowell, Corjan Mol, and other team
members visited Fort St. Elmo with archaeologist Matthew Balzan, a specialist in Hospitaller
studies. Matthew explained that the knights arrived on Malta in 1530 and transformed the island into
a fortress. Doug showed Matthew a pickaxe recovered six years earlier from below 145 feet in shaft
RF1 on Oak Island. Matthew identified it as a baqqun, a standard quarrying tool used for centuries
to cut through both hard and soft rock, confirming it matched the type of equipment the Hospitallers
would have employed in their extensive underground construction projects. When Alex asked about the
role of clay in fortifications, Matthew described deffun, a waterproofing compound made from broken
pottery and limestone that the knights used to seal underground structures. The identification of
the pickaxe as a Hospitaller quarrying tool and the parallel use of clay waterproofing techniques
connected the engineering practices of the Knights of Malta to construction methods observed in the
Money Pit.

**Gozo Old Prison**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/gozo-old-prison
Type: Prison
Location: Citadel, Gozo, Malta
Old Knights of Malta prison inside the Cittadella of Victoria on Gozo, reconstructed in 1599. Prisoner carvings on the walls include four-dot crosses and symbols matching those found on the Oak Island 90-foot stone.
The Old Prison is located within the Cittadella, the fortified citadel crowning the hilltop above
the town of Victoria on the island of Gozo, Malta's smaller sister island. Reconstructed in 1599
during the Hospitaller period, the prison held captives whose identities ranged from common
criminals to political and religious prisoners. The stone walls of the cells bear carved symbols,
dates, and markings left by inmates over centuries of use. Some researchers believe the prison may
also have been used to conceal Templar-related treasures or documents, given the Hospitallers'
historical role as successors to the Templar order's Mediterranean possessions and the strategic
importance of Gozo as an outpost within the order's island fortress.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 12, Rick Lagina, Alex Lagina, Doug Crowell, Peter Fornetti, Corjan Mol, and Emiliano
Cataldi visited the Old Prison during their research trip to Malta. Corjan told the group that
prisoners held in the cells had carved symbols into the walls over the centuries. Emiliano
identified a four-dot cross carved into the stone, which Doug noted was used historically to
represent the presence of holy relics. Alex spotted a six-petal symbol, and Rick found a carving
that matched a symbol on the 90-foot stone from the Money Pit. The same day, at the Palazzo Falson
in the medieval city of Mdina, Corjan presented research tracing the de Villiers family bloodline
across every major Hospitaller and Templar stronghold and connecting it directly to Oak Island. The
lineage ran from Guillaume de Villiers, second in command of the Knights Hospitaller in Jerusalem in
1187, through Gérard de Villiers, Master of France in 1307 who fled Paris with 50 horses and
18 galleys believed to carry the Templar treasure, to Philippe de Villiers, Grand Master of the
Hospitallers in Rhodes in 1522 before the order took possession of Malta and Gozo in 1530. The line
continued through Catherine de Villiers, mother of Isaac de Razilly, a Knight of Malta who landed at
LaHave in 1632 and established the French colony of Acadia, now known as Nova Scotia.

**Fortress of Louisbourg**
URL: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/sites/fortress-louisbourg
Type: Castle
Location: Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, Canada
Largest reconstructed 18th-century French fortification in North America, located on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. The fortress contains original stone drain systems, a countermine tunnel built through marshy ground, and the burial chapel of the duc d'Anville, a member of the Rochefoucauld family with ties to the Knights Templar.
The Fortress of Louisbourg is the largest reconstructed 18th-century French fortification in North
America, situated on Cape Breton Island approximately 300 miles northeast of Oak Island. Originally
constructed beginning in 1713 following the Treaty of Utrecht, the fortress served as the capital of
the French colony of Ile Royale and as the primary military and commercial hub for French interests
in the North Atlantic. At its peak it was one of the most heavily fortified positions in the New
World, defending lucrative fishing grounds and the approaches to the St. Lawrence River. The
fortress fell to British forces during the first siege in 1745, was returned to France under the
Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1748, and was captured again and systematically demolished by the
British in 1760. Today it is operated by Parks Canada as a National Historic Site, with extensive
reconstructions of the original French buildings, fortifications, and underground structures
including casemates and a cross-shaped countermine tunnel built through marshy ground in its
original 18th-century condition.
Oak Island Connection: In Season 7, Rick Lagina and historian Doug Crowell traveled 300 miles northeast to Louisbourg after
dendrochronology results dated a red spruce timber from the bump-out structure at Smith's Cove to
1741, more than two decades earlier than the slipway and U-shaped structure. The date aligned with
the first siege of Fortress Louisbourg in 1745 and supported naval historian Chipp Reid's theory
that the French may have moved a vast fortune from the fortress to Oak Island in the early 1740s as
the military situation deteriorated. Parks Canada historian Sarah MacInnes guided Rick and Doug
through the original 18th-century French structures. In the chapel, they visited the burial site of
Jean-Baptiste de La Rochefoucauld, the duc d'Anville, a French naval commander and member of a noble
family with documented ties to the Knights Templar. The duc d'Anville led a massive 1746 expedition
to recapture Louisbourg from the British, but the fleet was devastated by storms and disease before
reaching its objective, and the duc himself died and was buried under the altar of the fortress
chapel. The Rochefoucauld family name also appears on a mysterious 14th-century map connected to Oak
Island. In the casemates, Rick and Doug discovered an original stone drain system strikingly similar
to the box drain structures found at Smith's Cove. MacInnes then showed them the countermine tunnel,
a 180-foot cross-shaped passage built through marshy ground and still in its original 18th-century
condition. The tunnel demonstrated that the French possessed the engineering capability to construct
underground passages in wet environments like those theorized on Oak Island, and that the drainage
infrastructure at Smith's Cove was consistent with French military engineering practices of the
period.

Total research sites: 51

---

# OWNERSHIP HISTORY

Interactive ownership map: https://thecurseofoakisland.com/ownership

Oak Island's complete lot-by-lot ownership history spanning 275 years (1751–2025). This is the only resource that tracks every ownership change across all 32 lots — based on original land grant records, deed research, and the Oak Island Mystery Trees Compendium.

## The 32 Lots

In 1762, Nova Scotia Surveyor General Charles Morris surveyed Oak Island and divided it into 32 lots of approximately four acres each, most with water frontage and access to a common road. Oak Island was cataloged as Island No. 28 — the only island in Mahone Bay to receive formal subdivision. This lot system remains in use today.

## Documented Owners

- **00**: Crown Ownership
- **01**: Allen, Ambrose
- **02**: Anderson, James
- **03**: Ball, Samuel
- **03a**: Ball, Isaac "Butler"
- **04**: Beamish, Clarence James
- **04a**: Graves, Edward
- **05**: Bearlson, John
- **06a**: Bezanson, John
- **06b**: Bezanson, George
- **06c**: Bezanson, Joseph
- **07**: Blankenship, Daniel C.
- **07a**: Blankenship, Dave
- **08**: Bowie, William
- **09**: Chapman, Mary Ellen
- **10**: Chappell, Melbourne R.
- **10a**: Lewis, John Whitney
- **10b**: Acadia Trust Company
- **11**: Cochran, John P.
- **12**: Conrad, Francis Arthur
- **12,a**: Conrad, Ingram Eli
- **12a**: Conrad, Ingram Eli
- **13**: Corkum, Burnell Stanley
- **13a**: Corkum, All Corkum Relatives
- **14**: Crandall, Davie Wilbur
- **15**: Dauphinee, Archibald C.
- **15,63**: Dauphinee, Archibald C. & Young, Wallace & Margaret
- **16**: Ellis, David
- **17**: Embree, Thomas
- **18**: Ernst, Abraham
- **18,19**: Ernst, Abraham & Graves, Anthony Thickpenny
- **18,19,19a**: Ernst, Abraham & Graves, Anthony Thickpenny & Sellers, Henry
- **18,19a**: Ernst, Abraham & Sellers, Henry
- **19**: Graves, Anthony Thickpenny
- **19a**: Sellers, Henry
- **19b**: Sellers, Sellyn
- **20**: Grimm, George W. Jr.
- **21**: Hatt, Jacob & Mary Hovey
- **21a**: Hovey, Thomas & Mary
- **22**: Hedden, Gilbert D.
- **23**: Hopkins, George
- **24**: James, Edward
- **25**: Johnston, John
- **26**: Kinghorn, John
- **27**: Kostrzewa, Alan
- **28**: Lynch, Timothy
- **29**: Malay, Mary & Joseph White
- **30**: Marshall, Martin
- **31**: Martin, John
- **32**: McGinnis, Donald
- **32 fam**: McGinnis Family
- **32a**: McKinnon, Daniel
- **33**: Reserved
- **34**: McLean, Hector
- **34a**: McLean, Merton
- **35**: McMullen, Neal
- **35a**: McMullen Smith, Neil
- **36**: Reserved
- **37**: McNeil, Alexander
- **38**: Melvin, Robert Sr.
- **38 fam**: Melvin Family
- **38a**: Melvin, Nathaniel
- **38b**: Melvin, David
- **38c**: Melvin, Jacob
- **38d**: Melvin, Robert Jr.
- **39**: Monro, John
- **39a**: Monrow, James
- **40**: Nolan, Frederick G.
- **40a**: Nolan, Thomas J.
- **41**: Oak Island Tours Inc.
- **42**: Pattillo, Alexander
- **42a**: Pattillo, Fred
- **43**: Payzant, Phillip
- **44**: Powers, Erdie
- **45**: Prescott, Jonathan Dr.
- **46**: Pulsifer, John
- **47**: Rogers, Jeremiah
- **48**: Secombe, John Reverend
- **49**: Sharp, James
- **50**: Shephard, Jacob
- **51**: Smith, Duncan
- **51a**: Smith, John
- **51b**: Smith, Joseph
- **51b,c**: Smith, Joseph & Smith, Thomas E.
- **51c**: Smith, Thomas E.
- **52**: Smith, Edward
- **53**: Smith, Richard & Gifford, John
- **54**: Strachan, John
- **55**: Tobias, David C.
- **56**: Triton Alliance Syndicate
- **57**: Vaughan, Anthony Sr.
- **57a**: Vaughan, Anthony Jr.
- **57b**: Vaughan, Daniel
- **57c**: Vaughan, David & Sara
- **57d**: Vaughan, James - Sara & Family
- **57dfam**: Vaughan Family
- **58**: Wollenhaupt, Casper
- **59**: Walls, Wilbert & Genevieve
- **60**: Webber, James
- **61**: Young, Robert S.
- **62**: Young, Thomas
- **63**: Young, Wallace & Margaret
- **64**: Zink, Frederick
- **65**: Zink, Timothy
- **66**: Cunningham, Richard
- **67**: Holt, Moses
- **68**: Foras, Edward
- **?**: Unknown
- **All heirs**: All Heirs
- **±**: Unknown / Unverified

Total documented owners: 110

## Key Ownership Eras

### Crown Ownership (pre-1762)
Before European settlement, all of Oak Island was Crown land (owner code 00). The earliest recorded private interests appear in 1753 when New York fish merchants Richard Smith and John Gifford are documented in the area.

### Shoreham Grant & Early Settlement (1759–1790s)
In 1759, Governor Charles Lawrence approved the Shoreham Grant, offering free land to encourage settlement. Four families — Seacombe, Young, Lynch, and Monro — received the initial grants. Charles Morris surveyed and divided the island into 32 lots in 1762. Early owners included the Smith family (Richard & Gifford on lots 9–10 from 1753, and Edward Smith on lot 50 area), the Vaughan family (Anthony Sr. and descendants), and various New England Planter families.

### The Anthony Graves Era (1780s–1850s)
Anthony Thickpenny Graves (owner code 19) became one of the most significant landowners, accumulating numerous lots from the late 18th century. The Graves family and their heirs controlled large portions of the island for decades, with some lots passing through Henry Sellers (19a) and Sellyn Sellers (19b) branches.

### The Money Pit Discovery & Aftermath (1795–1860)
The Money Pit was discovered on Lot 18 in 1795 by Daniel McGinnis. John Smith (51a) acquired the Money Pit lot and surrounding land. The McGinnis family (32, 32a — Donald McGinnis and Daniel McKinnon) held lots on the western end. The Vaughan family (57, 57b, 57c, 57d) maintained holdings in the area where the discovery was made.

### The Search Companies Era (1860–1940s)
As treasure hunting intensified, ownership shifted from farming families to search syndicates. Frederick Blair (03, 03a) consolidated significant holdings and controlled treasure rights from the 1890s through the 1940s. The Sellers family heirs and various local families continued to hold individual lots.

### The Chappell & Hedden Period (1930s–1950s)
Melbourne R. Chappell (10) and Gilbert D. Hedden (22) acquired key lots tied to treasure hunting operations. The Acadia Trust Company (10b) managed some holdings during this period.

### Triton Alliance & Robert Dunfield (1960s–2005)
David Tobias and the Triton Alliance Syndicate (55, 56) acquired the majority of the island beginning in the 1970s, consolidating lots that had been held by multiple families. Fred Nolan (40, 40a) independently acquired and held several lots, particularly in areas associated with Nolan's Cross. Robert Dunfield built the first causeway to the island in 1965.

### Oak Island Tours & The Lagina Era (2006–Present)
Michigan brothers Rick and Marty Lagina, through Oak Island Tours Inc. (41), acquired the Triton Alliance holdings in 2006 and have since consolidated ownership of approximately 78% of the island. Dan Blankenship (07, 07a) held lots until his passing. Tom Nolan inherited Fred Nolan's lots. A small number of lots remain independently owned, including Lot 5 (Robert Young, 61) and Lot 25 (Allan Kostrzewa, 27).

## Notable Lots

- **Lot 5**: Independently owned by Robert Young; one of few lots never explored by the current team
- **Lot 13**: Independently owned; also unexplored by the team
- **Lot 15**: Remained Crown land throughout much of the island's history
- **Lot 18**: Site of the original Money Pit discovery in 1795
- **Lot 21**: Location of the Garden Shaft and various early excavations
- **Lot 24**: Site where Edward James acquired land early in the island's history
- **Lot 25**: Known as the location of the Hatch
- **Lot 32**: The westernmost lot; remained Crown land for extended periods