Map What's Been Found on Oak Island Treasure hunters have been intrigued by the legend of Oak Island for more than 200 years. The maid fled to London with the jewels, and perhaps artwork, documents and other treasures, secreted on her person and/or in her luggage. One young boy called Daniel McGinnis found a circular depression. "[66], Templars, Masons, or Incas seeking to squirrel their treasure away from European persecutors or Spanish conquistadors may have created the money pit, according to William S. Testing showed that the shaft is made of iron mixed with manganese and could date back to the Ancient Roman Empire Century, BC-500 AD. The Curse of Oak Island: Team learns a new theory connecting the Ark of 7 29 comments Best Add a Comment Thewatchfuleye1 4 yr. ago I'll believe it when I see it. According to Cooke, when he made inquiries in 1864, he discovered that the chimney had been enclosed in wood and surrounded by a staircase; the stone was no longer visible. The Oak Island team take the finely-detailed metal ring to have it examined by gemologist Charles Lewton-Brain, who is able to determine that the beautifully designed artifact is quite possibly a Spanish silver ring. All of these attempts were failures in the end, due to the tide which eventually broke through barriers that were put in place. The Chappell family was convinced there was something underground. Yet another puzzle piece in favor of pirates frequenting the shores of Oak Island. The Curse of Oak Island recap: Is right-angled object in Money Pit the Certainly, the Oak Island team would have to investigate further. After running dye tests in the bore hole, the institution concluded that the flooding was caused by a natural interaction between the island's freshwater lens and tidal pressures in the underlying geology (refuting the man-made tunnel theory). Using their metal detector, Drayton, Begley, and Lagina soon find a small piece of metal that Drayton believes might be a part of a military cap badge. Faribault, E. Rudolph. These exquisite pieces are further examples of buried man-made objects spread throughout the underground of Oak Island. His finds, including a solid-silver 1781 Spanish half-real, are documented on his website.[32]. The alleged excavation was eventually abandoned after workers attempted to recover the treasure from below by digging a tunnel from a second shaft that also flooded. [7] Another twist on the story has all four people involved as teenagers. [23], In 1896, an unknown group arrived on the island with steam pumps and boring equipment. The Hilarious Ending Of The Curse Of Oak Island Fans Want To See "Mystery of Captain Kidd's Treasure". Could their be more piratical discoveries to be made? The crew of "The Curse of Oak Island" have managed to find some relics and archaeological items, but have yet to come across anything of true historical significance that would upend what we know of pre-Columbus America. Could this keyhole be a part of a chest similar to Captain Anderson's sea chest? Reginald Vanderbilt Harris (18811986) wrote in his 1958 book, The Oak Island Mystery,[46] "About 18651866 the stone was removed and taken to Halifax. This object has an identical lead isotope of the Lead Cross, which means both come from the pre-15th century ore deposits. "The Curse of Oak Island" is a popular reality television show inspired by two brothers' lifelong pursuit of long-lost treasure. In January 1967, Daniel C. Blankenship, David Tobias, Robert Dunfield, and Fred Nolan formed a syndicate for exploration on Oak Island. One can only wonder what would have happened if young Daniel McGinnis had chosen to go exploring somewhere else on that fateful day in the summer of 1795. The original story by early settlers involves a dying sailor from the crew of Captain Kidd (d. 1701), in which he states that treasure worth 2million had been buried on the island. A. T. Kempton of Cambridge, Massachusetts, but no information was provided as to how or where Kempton obtained them. but you gotta hand it to the Langinas, they have ramped up their attempts to tear up every square inch of ground on that island these past few years. [citation needed] Although the Oak Island Tourism Society had hoped that the government of Canada would purchase the island, a group of American drillers did so instead. According to History, Oak Island itself is 140 acres, and possesses several locations deemed worthy of investigation by the Laginas and their "Fellowship," gleaned from previous efforts to find. They were minted in the 1600s, which is more than 100 years before the first discovery of the Money Pit in 1795. [17], In his 1872 novel, The Treasure of the Seas,[42] James DeMille describes being a summer resident of Chester Basin during the later 1860s. After cleaning the coin, treasure hunter and professional diver Tony Sampson saw what appeared to be a cross design on one side. The Curse of Oak Island: More gold found at the Money Pit PDF The Mystery of Oak Island - Part 1: The Treasure Hunt A shard of purple-stained wood was discovered in the same borehole as vegetable-tanned leather bookbinding and scraps of parchment. However, this coin appeared to be of a much smaller size; perhaps two Maravedis rather than eight. The story goes that Union. In "A Boatload of Clues," the 11th episode of the ninth season of "The Curse of Oak Island," metal detection expert Gary Drayton is joined by treasure hunter Michael John. However, one such location is known as "the Chappell Vault," and the Laginas have approached this with the dedication and single-mindedness they are famously known for. He well remembered seeing the stone as a boy. [36], Although one expedition claimed to have found a flood tunnel lined with flat stones at 90 feet (27m),[6] geologist Robert Dunfield wrote that he carefully examined the walls of the re-excavated pit and was unable to locate any evidence of a tunnel. ", All The Treasure Ever Found On The Curse Of Oak Island. The Laginas are not 100% sure as to its exact location on the island, but they believe that is located somewhere near the Money Pit. Howlett, A. [79] Steven Sora speculated that the pit could have been dug by exiled Knights Templar and might be the final resting place of the Holy Grail or the Ark of the Covenant. In 1970, a U-Shaped structure was discovered by treasure hunter Dan Blankenship after creating a cofferdam around Smith's Cove. The Oak Island mystery is a series of stories of buried treasure and unexplained objects found on or near Oak Island in Nova Scotia.Since the 18th century, attempts have been made to find treasure and artifacts.Theories about artifacts present on the island range from pirate treasure to Shakespearean manuscripts to the Holy Grail or the Ark of the Covenant, with the Grail and the Ark having . Or had Ball discovered treasure? It is known that the company operated sometime roughly in the early 1800s. In this rendering McGinnis first finds the depression in 1795 while on a fishing expedition. It turned out to not be a Maravedi coin at all, but instead something far more interesting. Adjustable Standing Desk, Mobile Standing Desk, Laptop Cart on Vintage Oak Drayton and his team found a 17th century button from a military officer's outfit, though which military it might belong to is unknown. On August 19, 1911, Collier's magazine published a firsthand account by Captain H. L. Bowdoin of the stone (which was then in use at Creighton's bookbindery in Halifax). Thanks to their geologist, Dr. Ian Spooner's electronic slide, they believe they have pinpointed where the gold might be buried on the island. CBC Television "Dan Blankenship, treasure seeker", CBC Television "The Oak Island money pit: how it works", CBC Radio conversation "Nova Scotia's Oak Island mystery", CBC Radio conversation "Engineer proposes freezing method to extract Oak Island treasure", History, Hoax, and Hype The Oak Island Legend, "Skeptoid #129: The Oak Island Money Pit", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oak_Island_mystery&oldid=1152163287, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2017, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2022, Articles with self-published sources from November 2017, Wikipedia external links cleanup from November 2018, Wikipedia spam cleanup from November 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. He died just eight years after salvaging the Concepcion, and the treasure was theoretically never recovered. This specific style of coin was only minted in 1797 and was made of copper instead of the usual silver. In "Lords of the Ring," the 19th episode of the seventh season of "The Curse of Oak Island," Gary Drayton and Rick Lagina continue to search the swamp for submerged secrets and are amazed to discover a metal ring with a beautifully ornate flower design. Roosevelt continued to follow it until his death in 1945. An underground camera captured video footage of a mysterious shiny object that could be gold. Shards of pottery were discovered at an astounding 192 feet underground. Not much was found. [83] According to Fell's theory, Coptic migrants sailed from North Africa to Oak Island and constructed the pit. This discovery could be another clue that a Spanish Galleon and its treasure could be sunk in the Oak Island swamp. While searching Lot 2, Gary Drayton discovered a cartwheel penny with a depiction of King George III made in 1797. William Chappell became interested and excavated the pit in 1931 by sinking a 12-by-14-foot (3.7m 4.3m) The Truro Company shifted its resources to excavating a nearby cove known as "Smith's Cove" where they found a flood tunnel system. John Godwin wrote that given the apparent size and complexity of the pit, it was probably dug by French Army engineers hiding the treasury of the Fortress of Louisbourg after British forces captured the fortress during the Seven Years' War.[69]. Researchers and cryptographers such as Petter Amundsen and Daniel Ronnstam claim to have found codes hidden in Shakespeare, rock formations on the island, and clues hidden in other 16th- and 17th-century art and historical documents. But what would a British naval officer be doing visiting the home of a simple cabbage farmer? Then logs of spruce and oak were unearthed at irregular intervals, and some of the wood was charred. Rick and Marty Lagina have spent countless hours digging over the years and have discovered some "top pocket finds." [67] But Crooker stated it was more likely that British engineers and sailors dug the pit to store loot acquired in the British invasion of Cuba, during the Seven Years' War, valued at about 1,000,000 pounds.[68]. It was then taken to the home of J.B. McCulley in Truro, where it was exhibited to hundreds of friends of the McCulleys who became interested in a later treasure company. Staten Island, New York, United States . Triton workers excavated a 235 feet (72m) shaft, known as Borehole 10-X and supported by a steel caisson to bedrock, in 1971. [54], Australian-American actor Errol Flynn invested in an Oak Island treasure dig. Collier's Magazine, August 18. No treasure was discovered on board which some believe is buried on Oak Island. According to online research archive Oak Island Compendium, legend has it that the treasure will be found when seven men have died looking for it. In 2005, a portion of the island was for sale for US$7 million. A stunning structure uncovered in Smith's Cove perplexes the Brotherhood like never before and at the Money Pit, the team finds evidence they may have discovered the legendary box believed to contain the Oak Island Treasure - the elusive Chappel Vault. [26] After Chappell's excavations, Hedden began digging in the summer of 1935, after he purchased the southeastern end of the island. find! While initially thinking it to be a coin, they quickly realize it has the word "plated" engraved on it. 'Curse Of Oak Island' Finds Gold By The Garden Shaft Where was Chappells Vault? : r/OakIsland - Reddit Cookies help us deliver our Services. Part 3 is devoted to the secret. But there are plenty of people living who have seen the stone. This distinctive cross could be the symbol of the Knights Templar who, in the 13th century, had instituted one of the first international banking systems. Free shipping for many products! Dunfield dug the pit area to a depth of 134 feet (41m) and a width of 100 feet (30m) by using a 70-ton digging crane with a clam bucket. Two years later, Nolan's ownership of the lots was confirmed, but he was ordered to pay damages for interfering with Triton's tourist business. Since the 19th century, explorers have tried to locate the loot. After Many Attempts, This 220-year-old Mystery Has Been Solved While out on a fishing expedition, the story goes, three teenaged boys - Daniel McGinnis, Anthony Vaughn and John Smith, had discovered a depression in the ground after they came ashore to restock on supplies. Cookies help us deliver our Services. In 1965, Robert Dunfield attempted to find the legendary Oak Island treasure and dug a 100 foot wide by 140 foot deep hole in order to find it. According to an undocumented story, Marie Antoinette instructed her maid (or a lady-in-waiting) to flee with her jewels. Divers were unable to locate and identify the object and it still remains a mystery. [34] The act, which became effective on January 1, 2011, allows treasure hunting to continue on the island under the terms of a licence issued by the Minister of Natural Resources. Once the new source of metal has been x-rayed and studied, it is revealed to be composed of 0.2 percent gold, an even larger percentage of gold than the previous find. Samuel Ball owned 36 acres of Oak Island and was said to be one of its wealthiest residents. According to Charles B. Driscoll's 1929 book, The Oak Island Treasure (based on secondhand accounts), The stone was shown to everyone who visited the Island in those days. Brothers Discover Ancient 220-Year-Old Treasure On Oak Island Since the 19th century, many attempts have been made by explorers from different parts of the globe to locate cryptic artifacts and treasures. Article in October issue, cited in Crooker 1978, 8586. While investigating near the foundation of Samual Balls former home on Lot 25, Alex Lagina spotted what the team believes is a British naval officer's button from around 1804 to 1825. The Money Pit The discovery that started it all. This human-made drainage system implements an ancient method of rock placement that controls water flow without pumps or pipes. In "The 90-Foot Stone," the fifth episode of the second season of "The Curse of Oak Island," the small coin that Gary Drayton and his team had discovered three episodes earlier in "Return to the Money Pit" was inspected. Nobody, however, ever seriously pretended to translate the inscription."[49]. Rick and Marty Lagina have led the charge for nine seasons now on their. This artifact supports the theory that the Knights Templar may have been on the island. Among those who worked to remove the stone was Jefferson W. [3] In Season 7, Episode 4, "The Lucky Thirteen," Gary Drayton and Charles Barkhouse return to Lot 21 where many prior discoveries have been made to see if they can't find more. I feel so lucky to have . A stone found 90 feet below the surface was said to have been inscribed with "mysterious markings". That year, Robert Dunfield leased portions of the island. 1897 - The parchment is sent to Harvard University and confirmed as . From the account I have read from his son that was written in the 1970s he believed the drill may have gone off course in an unknown direction. Probably the very first account of any sign of treasure on Oak Island was at the end of the 18th Century. [3] It wasn't until decades later that publishers began to pay attention to such activity and investigated the stories involved. The pick was identified as a Cornish miner's pick, but by this time the area around the pit was littered with debris from previous excavation attempts and finding the owner was impossible. The Real Story of Oak Island's Legendary Money Pit - Popular Mechanics Drayton soon digs up what appears to be a handmade decorative keyhole plate. The Truth About The Chappell Vault On The Curse Of Oak Island The Lagina Brothers and Gary Drayton continue their search for buried treasure by exploring the Dunfield Spoils in "The Curse of Oak Island" Season 5, Episode 3 "Obstruction.". Or will the team of archaeologists leave the site empty-handed? In a January 27 letter to Hunter-Duvar, Cooke claimed that Smith built the stone into his chimney in 1824 and said that he was shown the stone by Smith in the chimney around 1850, when "there were some crudely cut letters, figures or characters upon it. This would be a quite an exciting find, if true. It's likely the wood was stained a vegetable dye and may be a fragment of bookbinding that the parchment was once part of.