11x06 - The Grand Opening

[bunniefuu]

NARRATOR: Tonight on
The Curse of Oak Island...

FIONA: What is this?

- FIONA: Oh, look at that.
- Oh, my God.

That looks like the
handle of something.

We suspect that
it's from the 1700s.

Even earlier.

- Really?
- JEFF: Absolutely.

MARTY: We have an
opening into this cavern.

- Yeah. It looks man-made.
- It's amazing.

Okay. Going in.

MARTY: We're all eager to see

- Aladdin's cave.
- ALEX: Stop!

- STEVE: What is that?
- ALEX: Wow.

This is different.

This is way different
than anything we've seen.

NARRATOR: There is an
island in the North Atlantic

where people have
been looking for

an incredible treasure
for more than 200 years.

So far, they have
found a stone slab

with strange symbols
carved into it...

man-made workings
that date to medieval times,

and a lead cross whose
origin may be connected

to the Knights Templar.

To date, six men have d*ed

trying to solve the mystery.

And according to legend,
one more will have to die

before the treasure
can be found.

♪ ♪

PAUL: Hey, Steve. Alex.

Everything's set
operating, Paul?

Yep. We just need
to attach the camera

and then we should
be good to go.

NARRATOR: A new day of
fresh excitement and anticipation

has begun on Oak Island

for brothers Rick and
Marty Lagina and their team.

So I guess we're gonna
get a look down the hole?

Yes, we are.

We'll see what the
camera has to say.

NARRATOR: They, along with
underwater imaging expert Blaine Carr,

are about to begin

a two-step operation
in the Money Pit area

that they hope will reveal

the answers that
could help solve

a 228-year-old treasure mystery.

So we're gonna enter the
cave today at 140 to 142 feet.

Aladdin's cave, as
you deemed it last year.

So, what do we hope to see

once we get to the
bottom of the hole?

Treasure chests, doubloons.

We want to know
whether this cave is natural

or whether it's been
influenced by people.

RICK: Secondarily to that,

we'd like to see a
way in and a way out.

The primary targets

we were looking for
were tunnels, vaults,

and of course, any
high-density anomalies

that could reflect treasure.

NARRATOR: One week ago,

representatives from
Ideon Technologies

presented a stunning report
on data that had been collected

deep underground
over the past two years

all across the Money Pit area.

Today what we're gonna
be discussing are results

from the Money Pit
targets of interest.

NARRATOR: Five devices
known as Muon detectors

had been placed
at various depths

in previously drilled boreholes

to scan for possible voids,
tunnels and large objects.

Incredibly, a number
of potential targets

were identified suggesting
that there could be

multiple treasure deposits
buried in the Money Pit area.

Two were located at depths
of 65 and 115 feet respectively,

near the 82-foot-deep
mid-18th century Garden Shaft,

which the team is
currently refurbishing

and deepening for
extensive investigations

with a company named
Dumas Contracting Ltd.

So, this is quite
interesting for us.

This low-density anomaly
perfectly overlaps the void

that you guys call
Aladdin's cave.

NARRATOR: However,

another compelling target

was identified several
feet to the southwest

within a deep cavity

that was first
discovered one year ago

that has been affectionately
named Aladdin's cave.

It's not some simple cave.

It kind of extends out.

NARRATOR: A cavity
where water testing

has also detected trace
evidence of silver and gold

some 150 feet underground.

The borehole we're
gonna put the camera down

is in borehole L-14,

and L-14 appears
in this cavity or cave

on the southern
end as we know it.

So we're pretty keen
on this. Let's have a look.

All right, so I'm gonna
go open the hole

and I'm gonna start lowering.

Okay. Let's go.

NARRATOR: Now, after
drilling a new borehole

into Aladdin's cave,

the team will
first investigate it

using a high-definition camera

to look for more
definitive evidence

that it may have been
artificially created,

and also what it might contain.

Okay. Lights are on.

- You good?
- You're good.

Just go for it.

NARRATOR: If
they are successful,

Blaine will then conduct a
comprehensive sonar scan

to create a detailed
map of the feature.

PAUL: Okay, so,
we can see the water.

RICK: I mean, we're gonna
run the camera down first.

Why not put eyes on that void
and see if we see anything?

Because if we happen to
see a feature down there

that we can orient
off with the camera,

it will be helpful to
the 3D mapping sonar.

We should almost be to
the water by the look of it.

Okay.

- Now you're right there.
- There.

RICK: So, hopefully,
this photographic imagery

will help us come to a
greater understanding

of what this cave represents.

PAUL: We're still seeing
the side of the casing

as it's going down.

Where are we at?

PAUL: Right there, stop.
We're right into it now.

- ALEX: Yep.
- RICK: There.

- PAUL: Right there.
- ALEX: That's the edge of the casing, I think.

Okay. Rotate around.

ALEX: Yeah. Those
are the teeth, right there.

MARTY: You want him
to lower it another foot?

Yeah. Can you go down
another six inches to a foot?

There we go. A
little bit more...

and... stop there.

So this would be
the actual cavity here.

Got to be a couple
feet in by now.

ALEX: Yep.

Well, there's the wall.
Isn't that the ledge?

- PAUL: Yeah.
- MARTY: It is a ledge.

As we break into the
cavity, we can start to see

the walls, the
sides of this cave.

So I would think there's
something else there,

but that something else
could be covered by silt

and might not be obvious.

I want to get under that ledge.

Okay, Steve, can you
really slowly lower it,

like, three inches.

There you go.

RICK: It looks like it's open.

- To me.
- BLAINE: Yeah.

Now you have a
much bigger opening.

RICK: That's
good that it's open,

- because that means we can map it.
- BLAINE: Yeah.

RICK: The expansiveness
of Aladdin's cave,

it's quite interesting,
very exciting.

We see some features.

It's certainly very plausible
that the camera is not seeing

something which may
be on the floor of the cave.

- Do you want to lower it down even more?
- MARTY: Yes. Yes.

- ALEX: Yeah.
- We'll see what you can see on the bottom.

MARTY: We need to see
exactly where the bottom is,

without any doubt.

Go.

ALEX: I think we're
facing down now.

So, Steve, just very slowly,
another six inches or so.

- Six?
- ALEX: Yep.

That's good.

Little bit more.
Same again, please.

RICK: There. Whoa,
whoa, whoa, whoa.

Hold up.

Spin around 360.

- There. What's that?
- BLAINE: What's that?

ALEX: I can't tell if that's...

- the bottom or...
- PAUL: I'll wait for it to settle out.

ALEX: There we go.
There's something.

Visibility is actually
better than we've seen.

What's this over
here on the right?

Something sticking out.

Right there.

This piece, right in here?

The way the shape
is is kind of angular.

- RICK: That flat thing, you mean?
- BLAINE: Yeah.

That's a piece of
debris or something.

This is a very exciting
thing and it's important

to see whether it's
man-made or not.

I think there's a chance

the treasure might
be placed there,

which would answer
a lot of questions.

I mean, we're not gonna see
anything more here, are we?

ALEX: I don't think so.

I think that's all
we're gonna see.

Slowly come out of
the hole now, Steve.

Yes, sir.

RICK: Bottom line is

this is open enough to map it.

- And that's what's good.
- Yep.

We should be able to find
out if there's anything else

other than just being
a cavity with the sonar.

So, whether there is a
tunnel or some other feature.

Then let's get going
with the sonar, right?

I mean, we've seen
what we need to see here.

Okay. We're gonna
get a scan of that cavity.

- Perfect. Let's go.
- PAUL: Okay.

- MARTY: Let's do this.
- PAUL: Sounds good.

NARRATOR: While members
of the team make preparations

for the sonar operation
in Aladdin's cave...

- LAIRD: Hello.
- CRAIG: Hello.

RICK: Good morning.

Hi, guys.

What do we have today?

Well, I got the
magnetometer analysis back.

Good.

LAIRD: Yeah, Saint
Mary's University

processed the data for us.

- Yeah.
- Okay. Sounds great.

NARRATOR: Rick Lagina
and his business partner

Craig Tester

join archaeologists Laird Niven

and Jamie Kouba

in the Interpretive Centre.

Surprises?

Yes, there are surprises.

- Great.
- [Jamie chuckles]

NARRATOR: They
are about to see a report

regarding an extensive
magnetometry survey

that was recently conducted

around a mysterious
circular stone feature

on Lot 5,

located on the western
side of Oak Island...

A feature which may
have been created

more than a century
before the discovery

of the Money Pit in 1795

and which is also
located in the area

where the team has not only

unearthed a 14th-century
lead barter token,

which may be related
to the lead cross

discovered at
Smith's Cove in 2017,

but also four Roman coins

dating back as
much as 2,000 years.

What we are hoping
to see are walls.

- Mm-hmm.
- Stone features.

- Yeah.
- Even voids.

Okay.

NARRATOR: Now, after
having the survey data processed

by experts from the
anthropology department

at Saint Mary's University

in Halifax, Nova Scotia,

Laird and Jamie are
prepared to share the results.

So this is what it looks like

on the magnetic susceptibility.

This area right through
here is our around feature.

So if we could
turn this on its side,

it would look like a
big hole, right? Um...

There's your highlight. That
kind of gives you an idea.

So, around it, we're noticing

some rather large features
that actually suggest

that there is a stone
feature underneath it

that is larger than
the round feature.

Oh.

So our feature is actually
much more substantial.

RICK: Wow.

JAMIE: We're noticing a
stone feature underneath it.

That is larger than
the current feature

that we are aware of.

Wow.

It's quite large, too.

Yeah.

NARRATOR: In the Oak
Island Interpretive Centre,

archaeologist Jamie Kouba

has just presented
the magnetometry data

suggesting that the potentially


circular depression on Lot 5

appears to have a much
larger feature buried beneath it.

So, our feature is actually
much more substantial.

It's a pretty good
size structure.

It's kind of odd.

So I'd really like
to explore that, too.

Yeah. It's-it's exciting.

Great.

When I look at it,

to me, it's quite
daunting because

we're still engaged
in trying to determine

the extent of the
circular feature.

But now we have
a large structure,

which continues to puzzle.

So I think there's a lot of
work that needs to be done

before we can associate
these various structures.

What does that tell you

in terms of why
this one is here?

To me, it suggests that
this wasn't somebody

who was staying
there for a week or two.

They built a structure.

- They lived there.
- LAIRD: Yeah.

That could be separate.

Yes.

Those may be completely
different time periods.

- LAIRD: Yeah.
- JAMIE: Yeah.

Obviously, until we dig,
we don't know what it is.

- Yeah.
- LAIRD: I agree.

I hope we can find some way

to identify a time period
for when whatever that is

- was put in.
- Yeah.

I think that is the key to us

finally solving the mystery,

I feel. [laughs]

I'm dying to answer the question
of "who were these people?"

Yeah, we're dying to
answer the who, what, when,

where, why, and how
on the whole island, right?

- JAIME: Right.
- Yes.

RICK: That's what we
wanted to do from day one.

Slowly but surely, I think
we're making progress.

The belief that this was
a multi-generational effort

on the part of people...
Sure, that's all possible.

Hopefully, there will
be a find that explains

the possible relevance of
Lot 5 to the original work.

There is a very unique story
and maybe multiple stories

now on the island.

- Yeah.
- RICK: And sometimes I think,

"Wow, how can...

how can it be so rich, so
interesting, so compelling?"

Yeah, absolutely.

This is definitely
telling a story.

- Yeah.
- RICK: It's a testament

to all of our beliefs that
something is uniquely here,

meaning story or
treasure or both.

- Yeah.
- JAMIE: Yeah.

Maybe we're on the cusp
of getting some real answers.

- I hope so.
- That would be nice.

- CRAIG: Okay. Appreciate it.
- RICK: Let's go, Craig.

- CRAIG: Talk to you guys later.
- JAMIE: See you guys soon.

RICK: Thank you.

NARRATOR: The
following morning...

CHARLES: Hey, Paul.

Hey, Charles. How's it going?

- Good. How are you?
- All right.

NARRATOR: while
the team awaits

the return of Blaine Carr

to conduct the sonar scan

of Aladdin's cave,

Charles Barkhouse
arrives in the Money Pit area

for an update on the operation
to deepen the Garden Shaft.

PAUL: We're assembling the shoe.

CHARLES: Okay.

So this will be to protect
ourselves from the soil itself.

Okay.

So, you just dig underneath this

and then put another section in?

- Is that how it works?
- Yeah. Yeah.

So this is gonna be

one section of the shoe.

We got five of these piled
one on top of the other.

Oh, okay.

NARRATOR: After installing
a protective metal frame

known as a shoe

at the bottom of the


in the coming weeks,
Dumas will extend the structure

down to a total
depth of some 95 feet,

where the team hopes to
breach a seven-foot-high tunnel

they have encountered
in numerous boreholes

leading to an area
known as the Baby Blob.

It is here where water
testing has detected

the highest trace evidence
of gold, silver and other metals

between depths
of 80 and 120 feet.

How long is it gonna take you
to actually get this down there?

It's gonna take us
maybe a couple hours

once we get everything fitted.

Well, that's-that's
really fantastic.

- Yeah.
- I wish you luck.

- Very good.
- I'll be checking in again.

- Take care.
- Very good.

CHARLES: Carry on, Paul.

PAUL: Yeah. Will do.

NARRATOR: As the
operation continues

in the Garden Shaft...

JACK: Hey, everybody.

- FIONA: Morning.
- JAMIE: Morning!

So, you guys just
got started back

- on this round feature, right?
- Yeah. Yeah.

NARRATOR: Jack
Begley joins members

of the archeology team on Lot 5,

where they are meticulously
searching for new clues

within the mysterious
circular stone depression.

In the magnetometer data,

it appeared that there's a
larger rectangular feature

underneath the round feature.

And how is that oriented...
Over on this side?

We think that this right here

is the outside
of the wall, so...

It kind of appears that it goes

all the way out
and around, so...

Once we do more work,
we'll be able to see the walls

- more clearly.
- Yeah. Yeah, absolutely.

Well, I think I'll
get to screening

and let's figure out

- what's going on here.
- Perfect.

Yay. Thanks.

Take your bucket first, Lindy.

JAMIE: The round
feature is covering up

something that's a lot
larger than we thought.

And so, we're going to see

if we can uncover
the entire thing.

So, in archeology,

we would love to be able
to just tear something apart

with an excavator to
find the answers faster,

but we just can't.
It's very destructive.

So, instead, what we're
gonna do is very careful

and very methodical
excavation of this structure.

FIONA: There's a couple of
bigger pieces of creamware, Jamie.

- Look at those.
- Oh, nice.

FIONA: Good sizes.

JAMIE: What we're doing
is we're putting test pits

directly over top of the
feature, and, essentially,

we have a delineated
area that we're excavating

and taking it further
and further out,

and hopefully, find the
edges of this whole thing

and uncover it.

NARRATOR: As the archaeologists

dig around the stones,

exposing more of the feature

and hopefully the larger
structure beneath it...

All right, time to get dirty.

NARRATOR: Jack will
carefully sift through the spoils

in search of artifacts or
clues that may be related

to the 228-year-old mystery.

- Oh, look at that.
- Yes, Jack found those.

- Those are good, big pieces, too.
- Yeah.

It's gonna be enough for...
to put a vessel together soon.

JACK: Well, the real stuff
that we're looking for is,

like, at the bottom of
this feature entirely, right?

FIONA: And we were
finding different ceramics

when we were down
a little deeper, too.

- JACK: Older ceramics.
- MOYA: Yeah. -FIONA: Yeah.

We haven't even
hit pay dirt yet.

JACK: There's
a lot of work to do

and we really want
to try to find a wall.

Because if there are
walls around this feature,

if they lose artifacts

in the initial construction
of this building,

that can tell us
a beginning date

of when this was
originally built.

♪ ♪

Give it a good shake.

Oh. Oh, wow.

Look at this.

JAMIE: Oh, my gosh.

JACK: Oh, wow. Look at this.

Definitely a square
fastener. Like a nail.

Yeah. Absolutely.
Like, hand-cut.

NARRATOR: While
searching the spoils excavated

from the mysterious stone
feature on Lot 5 on Oak Island,

Jack Begley and
archaeologist Jamie Kouba

have just found a
potentially important clue.

Could that be a rose head?

I kind of wonder if maybe...

Because notice how
much bigger the head is

compared to down here, even.

- It makes me think it's, like, 1700s.
- JAMIE: Yeah.

I will say, the older the iron,
the more it corrodes outward.

And so I think it's interesting

that there's almost these,
like, bubbles of corrosion.

That kind of tells me
that it could be older.

NARRATOR: So-called
rose head spikes

are hand-forged iron
fasteners with hammered heads

that resemble the
petals of a flower.

Although they
were generally used

in the construction of buildings

and large sailing vessels
as late as the 19th century,

the Oak Island team has found

similar fasteners in
the Money Pit area

that have dated back to
as early as the 17th century.

We have to put it
in the CT scanner.

JAMIE: Yeah, I can't
wait to get it analyzed.

It's definitely not
modern, for sure.

- JACK: Yeah.
- [chuckles]

- I'll get back to sifting.
- JAMIE: All right.

NARRATOR: Could
Jamie Kouba be correct

that this spike may
offer more evidence

that this feature on Lot


more than a century before
the discovery of the Money Pit?

FIONA: Okay.
What is this? Is this...

Oh, you know
what, I think that's...

That's a big chunk of metal.

- Oh, my God.
- JACK: What is it?

That looks like the
handle of something.

Look at that. It's beautiful.

What is that?

FIONA: It's like a
tool of some sort.

It's not very heavy.

JAMIE: That is hollow.

And it's, it's really light.

- Yeah.
- You're right.

JAMIE: Why is it
hollow? That is bizarre.

Almost feel like there'd be

a piece of wood that'd
be jammed in there.

Like at the end of a tool.

- Like a handle.
- JAMIE: Oh, my God.

Jack, you're brilliant.

They had a wood handle in it.

RICK: A structure
of this size presents

a possible answer to:
where were the people

associated with the original
construct of the Money Pit?

Let's figure out
what happened there.

But we've got a
lot of work to do.

FIONA: Let's see if the rest
of it's down, still, in the dirt.

- I'll get back to sifting.
- Okay.

JACK: Good luck finding more.

NARRATOR: As Jack
and the archaeologists

continue their
investigation on Lot 5...

- PAUL: Hey, Rick, Marty.
- ALEX: Hey.

- So, how are we doing?
- Good.

Rick and Marty Lagina

join sonar expert Blaine Carr

and other members of the team

in the Money Pit area...

BLAINE: It's your
brand-new, shiny, 3D sonar.

MARTY: Ooh, baby!

NARRATOR: After
obtaining video one day ago

of possible man-made workings

some 150 feet underground

in a large cavern known
as Aladdin's cave...

We can tie a rope to it.

Let's do that.

We'll start putting it
down the hole that way.

Yeah.

NARRATOR: they
are now scanning it

with a sonar device

in order to determine
its exact dimensions

and to also see if
there are tunnels

leading into the feature.

Okay, Scott. Good.

Okay. Going in.

NARRATOR: The Echologger
DASS710 sonar device

emits high-intensity
radar pulses

that reflect off of
objects and barriers,

such as the walls of a cavern,

in order to produce a
three-dimensional map

of the underwater environment.



Go on in and let's look at this.

BLAINE: We've got it in a
position where it's getting returns.

- It's starting to spit out data.
- Oh, yeah. I see it. Yeah.

PAUL: What we're
seeing looks like

the outline or
perimeter of the cavity.

How long will it
be before we have

kind of a picture to look at?

I think what we'll do
is we're gonna let it run

-and we come back
in the morning, -Okay.

Hopefully everything
will be finished

and we're gonna
see up into this cavity.

MARTY: All will be revealed.

I can wait till tomorrow
to get good data.

Let's let it do its thing.

BLAINE: Absolutely.

MARTY: I got dibs on the lamp.

NARRATOR: While the
sonar operation continues

in Aladdin's cave
on Oak Island...

Right this way.

- Thank you, sir.
- You're welcome.

NARRATOR: 50 miles northeast

in the city of Dartmouth,
Nova Scotia...

- How are you?
- Not too bad, sir.

- How're you doing today?
- Good.

NARRATOR:
archaeologist Laird Niven

and Oak Island
historian Doug Crowell

have arrived at Nova Tactical

to meet with weapons
expert Jeff Parker.

We have something we're
hoping you can enlighten us on.

Absolutely.

This is an artifact
found on Lot 5

on Oak Island.

We suspect that
it's a ramrod guide.

Looking at it, your
suspicions would be correct.

That is an unusual find.

NARRATOR: Three weeks
ago, while investigating the spoils

from the mysterious
feature on Lot 5...

It almost looks like a sight.

NARRATOR: the team unearthed

a potentially
ancient ramrod guide

designed for
muzzle-loading firearms.

LAIRD: It looks like "VIIII."

Yeah.

NARRATOR: The
artifact was inscribed

with Roman numerals
representing the number nine.

However, rather than the
conventional symbols of IX,

the characters
were denoted by a V

followed by four I's.

Curiously, this
is the same style

of Roman numerals that
were discovered on a section

of the so-called
U-shaped structure

that the team unearthed
at Smith's Cove in 2018.

These were predominantly
used to hold the ramrods in place

on either the
muskets themselves...

Right.

Or even on their
smaller counterparts

on flintlock handguns as well.

- Really?
- Yeah.

Just due its overall
size and length,

I can say that it would be
fixed up to a smaller r*fle

or one of the
flintlock handguns.

Which is interesting
because a r*fle's expected...

- Yes.
- On an island.

- Yes.
- You know,

for people hunting
and things like that.

- Yep.
- A handgun, I wouldn't think so much.

Yeah. Very, very
interesting find.

Laird and his team in our
lab have been able to identify

some unique markings
on that particular piece.

LAIRD: Yeah. It has
Roman numerals.

- VIIII.
- Mm.

That's definitely not something
you would typically find.

Especially on a piece like this.

That is something
that I, quite honestly,

have not seen before.

Is there a first used

and last used for
this type of r*fle?

We suspect that
it's from the 1700s.

- Even earlier.
- Yeah.

The period date for
this particular artifact

could date anywhere
from the 16th century

all the way up to
about the late 1700s.

- DOUG: Really?
- JEFF: Absolutely.

DOUG: Wow.

JEFF: So this
would date anywhere

from the 16th century

all the way up to,
like, the late 1700s.

- Really?
- Absolutely.

NARRATOR: At Nova Tactical
in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia,

firearms expert Jeff Parker
has just given his assessment

that the ramrod guide that
was recently found on Lot 5

could predate the
discovery of the Money Pit

by as much as two centuries.

During the 1800s, they
moved away from muskets

and then when
Winchester Repeating Arms

developed their repeating
r*fle, largely, muskets fell off.

You know what
I'm hearing, Laird...

That this particular piece

would fit into
William Phips' time.

Yeah.

NARRATOR: Nearly two months ago,

members of the team
unearthed an iron latch

in the mysterious
feature on Lot 5

that was designed
for lifting heavy cargo.

Astonishingly, metallurgical
analysis revealed

that it was a
compositional match

to artifacts known to have
belonged to Sir William Phips,

the 17th century
privateer and politician

who is believed by some

to have buried a
vast cache of treasure

on Oak Island in 1687.

Could Doug be correct
that this ramrod guide

could offer further evidence
that this theory is true?

Makes you wonder
how that was lost, eh?

We didn't find the other parts
of the g*n, but we found this.

- They might still be out there.
- Yeah.

- Yeah.
- We've got some more work to do.

- [all laughing]
- We do. For sure.

Can't thank you
enough for your time, sir.

It has been my pleasure, guys.
Appreciate you guys coming in.

- Thank you.
- Thank you very much.

- LAIRD: Excellent.
- DOUG: Take care.

- LAIRD: See you later.
- JEFF: Take care, guys.

NARRATOR: The
following morning...

Well, the rain has
set back in big brother.

Yeah.

At least those guys
are staying nice and dry.

NARRATOR:
despite the heavy rains

that are once again
challenging the team's efforts...

ALEX: Hey. Come
on in. Take a look.

NARRATOR: Rick
and Marty Lagina arrive

at the Money Pit for an update

on the ongoing sonar
scan being conducted

more than 150 feet
deep in Aladdin's cave.

What's going on,
what am I looking at?

The sonar, as far
as we can determine,

is sitting a foot, maybe
two, off the bottom.

- Right.
- BLAINE: So what we're seeing

is a pretty solid
wall face over here.

MARTY: Is there any evidence
that this is natural or man-made?

If you had to guess, right now.

Now, the geologist
might look at this and say,

"Yeah, that's natural erosion."

But that's a flat face.

And there is a
distinct possibility that

that was carved out.

Well, the obvious
thing is this right here.

Doesn't that look
like an entrance?

It's possible there
is an opening there.

You have a flat face

and something sliding
down underneath.

I can't see where
it's sloping into,

so we're gonna
have to look at this

in the software that Paul has.

Well, that's interesting.

All the other so-called cavities

are filled with, you
know, sand and stuff.

- Yep.
- Yeah.

That's a pretty
smoothed out cavity.

This is different.

This is way different
than anything we've seen.

ALEX: Yep.

RICK: It's
imperative that we let

the sonar map the
entirety of the room.

Our interest is define
the extent of the cavity,

see if there's a way in.

So, we have to be patient
and wait for the data.

MARTY: Every time we
do anything, I'm hoping

for indices of treasure!

That's why we're here.

What we can see indicates

that it's a wide-open cavity,

so I would think there's
something else there.

Okay.

Let's let this gentleman
finish everything up.

Really, I would like you

to kind of put it all together

and then come to us
with results, please,

and recommendations

- once you have a chance to digest it all.
- Yep.

MARTY: All right. Let's go.

NARRATOR: While the
sonar operation continues

in the Money Pit area...

MARTY: Gentlemen.

These are a couple
pieces found on Lot 5.

We're gonna have
Emma bring up the results.

NARRATOR: Rick, Marty, Craig

and Peter Fornetti
meet with Laird Niven

and archaeometallurgist
Emma Culligan

in the Interpretive Centre

to review Emma's
analysis of the two artifacts

found one day ago

in the mysterious
stone feature on Lot 5.

Can you bring up the
indeterminate object?

The indeterminate object.

Do you want the CT or the XRF?

- I think CT first.
- EMMA: Okay.

NARRATOR: Earlier this morning,

Emma processed each artifact

using the SkyScan


which emits non-destructive
X-ray radiation

that can penetrate
built-up corrosion

in order to reveal
finer details.

She also scanned them

using the X-ray
fluorescence spectrometer,

or XRF device, which can
identify the types of metals

that make up each
objects' composition.

EMMA: This is the CT.

This is interesting because
it was certainly attached

to something.

- Is that a nail or something?
- Is that a real rivet?

EMMA: Yeah. So,
there's two holes, at least.

MARTY: I see what
you're saying now.

This would've been attached.

What does the metallurgy say?

EMMA: It's pretty pure iron.

There's no modern indicators,
so that's a good thing.

No manganese?

No manganese. Okay.

- So it's old.
- EMMA: Yeah.

So, in looking at this
compositional lineup,

it does have a high
aluminum to silicon ratio,

which is a consistent
characteristic I've seen

with late 1600s,


Is it a match for
the Phips' stuff?

EMMA: Yes.

It is matching William
Phips' artifacts.

MARTY: There you have it, guys.

RICK: Wow. That's exciting.

EMMA: It is matching
William Phips' artifacts

pretty closely.

NARRATOR: In the Oak
Island Interpretive Centre,

archaeometallurgist
Emma Culligan

has just informed the team

that an iron tool handle
found one day ago on Lot 5

is a compositional
match to other artifacts

known to have belonged
to the 17th-century politician

and privateer Sir William Phips.

MARTY: When you show that
sort of compositional likeness,

are those two likely related?

EMMA: Yes,
there's a possibility.

That is a unique
characteristic that is

tied to William Phips' artifacts

which is, yes, late 1600s, 1700s

- iron from England.
- MARTY: Interesting.

You know, there's no denying
that you have some points

of connective tissue
between the Concepcíon

and the salvage of it

by Sir William
Phips and the island.

We know that Phips found
silver on the Concepcíon,

and I believe some
of the treasure

from the Concepcíon
was secreted to Oak Island.

Very interesting.

NARRATOR: In 2021,


Freemason Scott Clarke

presented an incredible theory

regarding Sir William
Phips' possible connection

to the Oak Island mystery.

In 1687, Phips
discovered the wreck of

the Spanish treasure galleon
known as the Concepcíon,

which sank in 1641

off the coast of the
Dominican Republic

with more than 100 tons

of silver, gold and jewels.

Following an initial recovery

of some 34 tons of silver,

Phips, who was knighted
by King James II of England

for his efforts, was
ordered to make

a second salvage
of the wreckage.

In preparation for that mission,

Sir William Phips recruited
Captain Andrew Belcher,

a high-ranking Freemason

who owned property
in Mahone Bay,

where Oak Island is located.

Curiously, after completing

the secondary salvage operation,

Phips and Belcher
returned to England

with only a small
fraction of valuables

compared to the original
recovery from the Concepcíon.

SCOTT: I strongly believe

that Belcher and his
comrades were actually

transferring treasure
from the Concepcíon

to the Oak Island area.

Wow.

Here's what's interesting,

and really sort
of gratifying about

this potential Phips
connection to this island:

We know he was in these waters.

We know he had treasure.

He had motive and opportunity.

It feels like a
realistic theory to me.

It would be interesting to see
what Carmen says about that.

Yeah, show it to Carmen. Yep.

Okay, what's this other one?

LAIRD: The other
one's called a fastener.

Again, from the southeast
quadrant of Lot 5,

the circular feature.

It almost looks like it has

some specialized purpose.

- The CT should show us more.
- EMMA: Yeah.

This is the fastener.

You've got the flat head,
and there is tapering

on all sides, so it's
definitely hand-forged.

What's the metallurgy?

No modern indicators.

And then I am seeing a
high aluminum silicon content,

which is what I am seeing

in the artifacts
from William Phips.

It matches our man Phips again.

Yeah.

RICK: You know,
that's recorded history,

that the majority
of the recoverable

precious metals on the
Concepcíon were silver.

Right? And silver went missing.

We have high silver in the
water here on the Money Pit.

We're making our way towards

connecting Sir Williams
Phips here on Oak Island,

and these stand
representative of that.

NARRATOR: Could
the numerous discoveries

that the team has made on Lot 5

that have been
scientifically matched

to artifacts connected
to Sir William Phips

be related to the
high trace evidence

of precious metals
that have been detected

some 100 feet underground
near the Garden Shaft

or explain the recent
muon tomography scans

along with the
indications of valuables

nearly 150 feet deep
in Aladdin's cave?

MARTY: We know that
Phips was in these waters.

We know that silver or gold
was missing from the Concepcíon.

You know, to me,
it's starting to look like

Lot 5 was some sort of
staging area for something.

Yeah.

RICK: It's a very
curious observation

backed up by science.

Right now, I don't think

any of us around this
table are gonna say

Sir William Phips was not
part of the Oak Island mystery.

But there's a lot
more work to do

- on the Lot 5 feature.
- Yeah, yeah.

Okay, let's get back out there.

I want to find the
damning thing. The proof.

- Yes.
- Let's go.

- RICK: Thanks, Laird.
- MARTY: Thanks, Emma, as always.

EMMA: Thank you.

NARRATOR: The
following morning...

- JACK: Hey, Rick.
- MARTY: Hey, Rick.

- Hey, everybody.
- MARTY: All right, today

we get to find out a little bit
more about Aladdin's cave.

NARRATOR: Marty
Lagina has gathered the team

in the w*r room,

with Rick Lagina joining
via video conference,

for a highly anticipated report

from sonar expert Blaine Carr

regarding the mysterious cavern

known as Aladdin's cave.

We're all eager to see
what you've got to show us.

Okay, so, the view that
we're looking at here

is looking straight down.

MARTY: Okay.

BLAINE: So, we're
gonna try to just slide it up

into a 3D image.

So, you can see
the yellow-green.

Mm-hmm.

BLAINE: That's sloping down.

This darker red is the wall

in between us and
the floor of the cavern.

That being said,

we can't see the bottom.

The aspect of the
sonar looking out...

The wall is blocking us

- from seeing any further down.
- Mm-hmm.

What I can see...

See those blue
lines crossing over

what look like two gaps?

- MARTY: Yeah.
- BLAINE: It looks like

an opening right through here.

- MARTY: Really?
- BLAINE: Yeah.

BLAINE: There may indeed be

an entrance and
exit into this cavern.

MARTY: That is amazing.

So, there may indeed
be an entrance, exit

into this cavern.

-Oh. -MARTY: So, perhaps

we have an opening
into this cavern.

- Correct.
- Well, this is all real interesting.

NARRATOR: In the w*r room,

underwater imaging
expert Blaine Carr

has just presented
compelling sonar data

revealing a possible
tunnel entrance

some 150 feet deep
in the Money Pit area,

connected to the large cavern

known as Aladdin's cave.

So, I think you
have the potential

for man-made
ingress into a natural

- cavern.
- Right.

What's the size of the cavity?

Without being able
to see the bottom,

I just don't know
the right answer,

because it's on a slope.

So, it varies.

It does slope off
in one direction

about 30 degrees.

Which is why the sonar can't
see to the bottom of that hole.

- Okay.
- MARTY: I was real interested

in what you might
see on the floor.

Well, because the
floor is sloping away,

it's hard to say what may
or may not have been there.

Yeah, sure.

But if anything was gonna

be there, I mean, gravity's
gonna take everything

to the bottom of that slope.

Right. Something
could be buried in there.

For sure.

Maybe the treasure.

I suppose it's quite possible.

RICK: I'm pleasantly surprised,

that there might be

a way into the cave.

It'd be even more interesting

if we saw some
man-made feature in there.

Perhaps it's buried
in the silts on the floor.

It's an interesting
thing to investigate.

It's something that
makes you go, "Hmm,

- we need to see more of this."
- Yeah.

There's some
indication that the cave

has some things that
aren't natural cave-like.

It could be some sort
of treasure chamber.

That's why we're
spending all this money

and time investigating it.

And it checks a
lot of the boxes.

Let's put it this way:
we can't walk away

from this thing without
knowing what it is.

It's unique.

So, what I would
do at this point,

if we're really interested
in seeing something else,

- Yeah.
- Is we would move over

about five, six feet.

- Mm-hmm.
- Put another hole down

so the sonar could now see

back into this area and tell us,

are we indeed in
an isolated cavern

or is there an opening?

- Right.
- BLAINE: And see

if this actually carries on.

Yep.

I would dearly love

to put a hole right there,

but I don't know.

Rick, what do you think?
What do you want to do?

I think you have to
put another hole in

to get a different perspective.

Yep.

But you can't walk away.
You have to exploit it

- as much as we can.
- MARTY: All right.

I think we're all in agreement

as to that particular point.

Let's get some more data.

- Sounds good.
- MARTY: All right.

Back to it. Let's go.

We're gonna find that treasure.

JACK: I agree.

NARRATOR: As another
week of compelling discoveries

and potential revelations
comes to a close

for Rick, Marty and their team,

they may be closer than ever

to finally solving a


But as the dig continues

for critical clues,

what might they find?

Priceless religious artifacts?

A vast cache of gold,
silver and jewels?

Or will they discover
that all of the above

have been waiting for centuries

to be recovered from deep below?

Next time on The
Curse of Oak Island...

MARTY: All right. Here
we go. Let's do this.

We're going underground
in the Garden Shaft.

What in the hell
is going on here?

ROGER: It's crazy. We're
encountering a lot of water.

MARTY: I don't like
the sound of that.

JAMIE: Oh, look at this.

JACK: Oh, wow.

HELEN: It's
pre-Money Pit discovery.

This could have been
used in the Money Pit.

- PAUL: Going in right now.
- RICK: We're gonna run

a camera in Aladdin's cave.

- SCOTT: Whoa, whoa, whoa!
- MARTY: Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!

SCOTT:
Oh, my God. Look at that.

MARTY:
It could be man-made.