The top seven finds on “The Curse of Oak Island”

These are the top seven finds found on the show “The Curse of Oak Island.” The program featured the top 25 finds on Tuesday, October 8, 2019.

1. the lead cross

Rick Lagina and Gary Drayton discovered the lead cross on the shore of Oak Island.

The lead cross looked like a carving in a Templar prison in Domme France. An expert determined the medieval mining deposits that match the cross. The deposits were pre-15th century found in Southern France. The cross is made of lead from the South of France from a mine abandoned by the 14th century.

2. 17th Century Spanish Coin
value $10-$15 dollars
Expert Jason Nowell the coin was from 1652.

3. the seismic data
Eagle Canada made the potential find. The company set small explosive charges waves. They are sent into the ground to reveal any anomalies. There was a swamp anomaly 200 feet long by 25 feet upfront. The team speculated the anomaly could be a galleon.

4. human bone
The treasure hunters found human bone while searing the H8 drill site. Archaeologist Laird Niven thought the object was bone. Expert Christa Brosseau completed an elemental analysis to determine the object was a piece of bone. Team members discovered the bone at the same depth as bookbinding.

5. bookbinding and parchment
The bookbinding and parchment are believed to be Sir Francis Bacon’s manuscripts

6. gold plated broach

7. the garnet pin
Team members discovered the garnet pin on Oak Island. The gemologist said the facets don’t meet perfectly. He determined the facets are handmade, not modern. There is surface damage. The gem is a real garnet and could be 400-500 years old.

Curse of Oak Island team determine a possible connection between Smith’s Cove and the Money Pit

The “Curse of Oak Island” team may have determined a possible connection between Smith’s Cove and the Money Pit. On the episode which aired Tuesday, March 5, 2019, the team worked on a non-toxic, fluorescent, red dye test. Geologist Terry Matheson poured the red dye into borehole C1. C1 produced evidence of a gold glittery object and possible evidence of a void.

Back in 1988, veteran treasure hunter, Dan Blankenship conducted a dye test in hole 10x. The dye surfaced in Smith’s Cove and the northern and southern shore of the island.

People on boats on the south shore and three drones with high-definition cameras waited to observe the results of the recent red dye test.

Metal detectorist Gary Drayton observed an orange color flowing in Smith’s Cove. Smith’s Cove is believed to be the location of the five box drains thought to flood the booby-trapped money pit.

Marty Lagina believes the drains could converge and lead the team back to the exact location of the lost money pit.

Island historian Paul Troutman and treasure hunter Jack Begley completed scientific tests to determine the dye from C1 made it to Smith’s Cove.

“Curse of Oak Island” recap: The team find out the cross artifact is from before the 15th Century

Searchers have been hunting for treasure on Oak Island for more than 200 years. Oak Island is an island off the south shore of Nova Scotia, Canada.

On the “Curse of Oak Island” episode that aired Tuesday, December 18, the team found out the cross artifact is from before the 15th Century. Members of the team found the lead cross in Smith’s Cove in 2017.

After the crosses discovery, the team more information through a laser ablation test, The laser ablation test is when an artifact is eradiated with a laser beam.

On Tuesday’s episode, a German chemist, named Tobias Skowronek, from the German Mining Museum, performed a test on the lead cross. Skowroneck revealed he could determine region or data from a single quarry depending on the data. He also said when you know the quarry then you can say when it was mined.

Skowroneck told the treasure hunters he would compare the lead isotope data to his database of metals. He determined the metal from the cross is not from North America but from European deposits. He thought the cross is from pre-15th Century. Miners got the metal from European deposits more than 600 years ago.

The lead is from the South of France and the deposits are too small to be exploited on an industrial scale.

Team leader Marty Lagina said the team has scientific evidence to support an ancient landing on Oak Island.

Metal detectorist Gary Drayton said the lead cross is a historic find in North America and they haven’t finished in Smith’s Cove.

In the early 1970s treasure hunter Dan Blakenship, who has spent 50 years researching the Oak Island mystery, discovered a 65-foot structure in Smith’s Cove. Unfortunately, a storm compromised the area.

Also on the episode, the team checked on the progress of the cofferdam. Workers from Irving Equipment Unlimited are building a cofferdam in Smith’s Cove. The plan is to drain it to excavate down to 10 feet. Another reason the team is building the cofferdam is to try to find and shut off box drains that flood the money pit.

Next, the team explored for an underground void in an area known as the Megabin. There’s also believed to be a centuries-old latrine found here. An oil exploration company conducted seismic scanning and discovered the void. Seismic scanning uses dynamite explosions that create sound waves used to measure underground.

Seismic scanning experts believed there was a 175 foot void or chamber 50 feet below the surface. After the team drilled down they had core samples of what looked like sandy stream material. They determined the hard clay and soft sand could have created the anomaly.

The team held a video conference with the Author of The Secret Dossier of “The Knights Templar of the Sangreal”  Gretchen Cornwall and John Temple, a descendant of the Templars and a modern day order of the Knights Templar. Cornwall and Temple proposed an interesting theory.

They said from 1307-1312 the Templars were outlawed and took to the seas. They returned to Nova Scotia and some became pirates.

The pirates were inspired by the beheading of Christian Saint John the Baptist to create the skull and crossbones design on a pirate flag, called the Jolly Roger, a pirate symbol.

Cornwall and Temple believe the money pit is Templar and Oak Island is a safe and secure place. They said the Templars were great engineers. They believed the Templars left a stone marking now known as Nolan’s Cross.

Nolan’s Cross consists of boulders and a center stone in the shape of a cross. The center stone is a skull Cornwall and Temple thought was inspired by John the Baptist. Cornwall and Temple thought the Templars were on Oak Island and created the megalithic boulder in the 1400s.

Cornwall and Temple revealed the key to the money pit is 90 feet. They said 868 is the length of the cross. 10% derived from the Templar idea of tithing or giving would be 86.7 or 90 feet.  Cornwall and Temple believed treasure hunters have to dig 36 feet to the side of the money pit. The team explained to Cornwall and Temple they don’t know exactly where the Money Pit is located. So, they couldn’t use the calculations on the money pit until they find it.

John Temple said the treasure could be more significant than anyone can imagine.

What do you think of the pre-15th Century Cross created with European lead and the theory

proposed by author Grechen Cornwall and Templar John Temple?

Find out what the team found on “The Curse of Oak Island” and “Digging Deeper”

“The Curse of Oak Island: Digging Deeper” and “The Curse of Oak Island” TV shows are about Oak Island, a place treasure hunters have been searching for more than 200 years. Oak Island is on the South Shore of Nova Scotia. Now, Rick and Marty Lagina and their team are unearthing new artifacts and information in the hunt.

The highlight of the “The Curse of Oak Island: Digging Deeper” December 4th episode is Gary Drayton, Jack Bagley, and Mike West metal detecting on the island because they found what they originally thought was a crossbow bolt (an arrow for a crossbow.)

West was searching with an EM61 metal detector allowing him to see 21 feet underground while Drayton searched in about 10 inches of soil.

All three of the men were searching on the South West shore of the island on lot 26. Captain James Anderson, a pirate, owned lot 26. Drayton explained the rocks on the shore had been cleared for a landing spot on the island and people getting on and off boats lose stuff.

They found a 1700’s spike. They also found a hook for unloading cargo. Gary Drayton and Jack Bagley discovered what they originally thought was a crossbow bolt (an arrow for a crossbow.)

In the “Curse of Oak Island,” Season six episode three the team heard from an antiquities expert who believed the item was actually a Roman pilum or Roman javelin (a throwing spear) from the 1st Century B.C. to 5th Century A.D.

He speculated a cache of weapons may have been brought over.

Another interesting find is a possible coconut fiber found from drilling. The nearest coconut fiber is 1500 miles south of Oak Island. (Another reason the find could be significant is coconut fiber was used to pack valuable items.)

There was sad news on Tuesday’s episode. Researcher and author Zena Halpern passed away. Halpern had appeared in a past episode. She spent more than 50 years researching possible Templar journeys to the new world. Zena left her research to Rick Lagina. Rick told her family members, grandson Jason and her son Davin he hopes he does Zena’s research justice.

Halpern discovered a Templar document dated from 1178-1180 that discusses the Templars making landfall on an island of Oaks!

Both “The Curse of Oak Island: Digging Deeper and “The Curse of Oak Island” TV shows are on Tuesdays on History.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Curse of Oak Island” Recap: Season six, episode two

Rick, Marty Lagina, and their team have found artifacts on Oak Island, where people have been hunting for treasure for more than 200 years. Episode two of season six of the “Curse of Oak Island,”  revealed more analysis of artifacts discovered on the island. Episode two of season six aired Tuesday, November 20th.

Members of the team got a hand-cut gemstone brooch, possibly from the 16th century,  examined by experts. Members of the Oak Island team discovered the rhodolite garnet brooch in 2017.

Members of the team took another brooch to an expert in Calgary, Alberta Canada. They are initially disappointed after finding out the center of the brooch is glass but then the expert revealed the brooch maker had used a super ancient way of mounting stones with wire. Block twisting with spiral wire is a sign of ancient jewelry.

The jewelry maker hammered the gold ingot into a rod, then twisted the rod into a wire, where the jewelry maker potentially put the twisted rod between slabs of wood to make it uniform. The expert determined the brooch is older than 1330. Block twisting went out of style in the 14th century.

Craig Tester and Marty and Alex Lagina went to Saint Mary’s University to see if the antique brooch found on lot 21 is made of gold. Christa Brosseau and Xiang Yang discovered a bright area on the brooch is gold and another part is copper. The gold plated brooch could be more than 700 years old.

The Oak Island team hired a seismic scanning company to survey the money pit. The process uses explosions to create sound waves to measure underground. The results should reveal possible tunnels and underground structures.

Teen Daniel McGinnis and two of his friends discovered the money pit in 1795. Excavations revealed a booby-trapped, flooding pit with wood logs every ten feet. Excavators discovered a mysterious stone slab with strange symbols rumored to translate to 40 feet below 200 pounds of treasure is buried.

I hope the “Curse of Oak Island” team discovers a substantial Templar treasure and make history!

“The Curse of Oak Island” recap: Rick Lagina and Gary Drayton discover a gem brooch

The “The Curse of Oak Island” team returned in a new episode of season six Tuesday night. Members of the team uncovered a gem brooch and other artifacts on Oak Island on the south shore of Nova Scotia, Canada. The Island has been a place of mystery since teen Daniel McGinnis and two of his friends discovered a booby-trapped, flooding pit with wood every ten feet down in 1795. Other excavators found a stone slab with strange symbols rumored to translate to 40 feet below 200 pounds is buried.

The episode also recapped previous finds. They included another brooch with a semi-precious gem possibly from the 1600s. The team discovered a bone of Middle Eastern and a bone of European descent from drilling 160 feet down.  Also, the team found 17th Century coins. Perhaps the most interesting find is a lead cross, which looks similar to a Templar cross carving in a Templar prison in Domme France.

Members of the team took the lead cross for a laser oblation test at the University of New Brunswick. The oblation test examines isotopes. Lead has isotopes which are specific to geographic locations. The test revealed the lead cross is mixed with silver and not from North America.

The Oak Island team used an oil industry technology called Seismic scanning to map underground.

Seismic scanning uses explosions to create sound waves used to measure underground.

The team revealed the massive Coffer Dam which they had built around the box drains in Smith’s Cove. The box drains are believed to carry ocean water into the flooding trap on Oak Island.

Metal detectorist Gary Drayton and members of the team found a metal triangle. The lead artifact is a patch or like duct tape for Spanish galleons!

Gary Drayton discovered a 1797 King George coin called two pennies. Due to a lead shortage at the time, the coins are made from copper. According to the show, the coin is dated two years after Daniel McGinnis discovered the Money Pit.

Rick Lagina and Gary Drayton discovered a drilled stone on lot 2 with a carved triangle-a possible Free Mason mark. The drilled stone could have been used with a chain through a loop to transport treasure.

Money Pitt finder Daniel McGinnis lived on Oak Island farming and treasure hunting. His descendants said Daniel found three treasure chests. His descendants showed a gold-colored cross pendant from the trove. The foundation of Daniel McGinnis’ house remains on the island as a historical site.

“The Curse of Oak Island” is on Tuesday evenings on the History Channel.