10x06 - Over the Muon
Posted: 04/17/24 08:11
Narrator: Tonight on
the curse of oak island...
[honking]
Rick: It's an exciting day
Because they're going
to dig the garden shaft.
That's a big machine.
Bill p.: We're excited
to be a part of it.
This year will be the year.
We've hit the
tunnel that'll point it
Directly towards
the garden shaft.
Look at the color on this.
Wow. What the heck
is that? You're right.
Laird: Something
I've never seen before.
It's such a "wow" thing.
This is no way it's modern.
Ed: It does have
some iconography.
It could be some
sort of religious object.
Rick: Wow.
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,
Manmade workings that
date to medieval times
And a lead cross
whose origin may be
Connected to the
knights templar.
To date, six men have died
trying to solve the mystery.
And, according to legend,
One more will have to die
Before the treasure
can be found.
♪ ♪
I got a feeling this
is going to be 38.
Narrator: A new day of
search activities has begun
On oak island at the site
known as the money pit.
[clears throat]
Hey, colten. 38 feet down?
You got it.
- 38 feet.
- 38 feet.
Narrator: And while
a strategic core-drilling
Operation continues in
search of important clues
That could help solve
a 227-year-old mystery...
- Good morning, paul.
- Hey, rick.
- How's it going?
- How are you?
Narrator: Nearby,
brothers rick and marty lagina
And their team
Are preparing for
a historic excavation
Of the so-called garden shaft
With representatives
from dumas contracting ltd.
In the hopes of finding a
legendary treasure vault.
I think you'll find that as
you get deeper and deeper
Into this project,
no pun intended,
I think you're going
to say to yourself,
"you know what? I wonder
what the next foot will tell us."
Hopefully, you'll be as excited
as we are for the project.
Oh yeah, that's
starting already.
[laughter]
Okay, that would be
probably the outside wall there.
Narrator: The garden shaft is
an approximately 80-foot-deep
Wooden structure
that the oak island team
Unearthed in 2017.
Although it was
first thought to be
Nothing more than an abandoned
Wood samples, collected
from the bottom of the feature,
Have recently
been dated to 1735,
60 years prior to the discovery
of the original money pit.
There we go.
Narrator: And even
more astonishing
Were the results
of water testing
Conducted just over a month
ago by geoscientist dr. Ian spooner.
We've sampled wells
within the money pit area.
And we found gold
in, uh, the garden shaft.
[laughter]
Rick: The garden shaft is
certainly in close proximity
To something at a level that
is previously unknown to us.
Why are the high
gold values there?
I would love for
the garden shaft
To be the original money pit,
But I think it's too preliminary
to make that assessment.
What are the next
steps here, then?
They're going to
build the top part.
Then we're going
to form up today,
And then the
concrete after that.
Simon: So this pad
will essentially be
Holding the entire structure.
Oh, wow.
Once we lower
eight feet at a time,
We'll be drilling probe holes
Looking for any
abnormalities as well as voids.
I see.
Narrator: Once the steel
And concrete foundation
Is completed at the surface,
A massive 109-ton
crane will be used,
Along with a 3-ton hammer grab,
To excavate the muck and
water out of the old shaft.
Meanwhile, a new
waterproof structure
With platforms every
eight feet will be constructed
Down to a total
planned depth of 80 feet,
Allowing the
laginas and the team
To hopefully reach the
answers that people have sought
For more than two centuries.
Marty: We're gonna actually
establish a presence underground.
It may be a little
bit emotional.
I mean, my brother
rick for sure has wanted
To get underground
for a long time.
Seems like just yesterday
we were digging that.
Yep.
Rick: To be underground
in the money pit
Where so many people
who have come before us
Have had that same experience,
It'll be a very... Almost
cosmic moment for me.
I-I really look forward
to the experience.
To actually put eyes
and boots on that target
To try to understand
it more completely.
We really hope that
this will help write
At least a new chapter...
A few pages, yeah.
In the ongoing
search for-for answers.
- And-and I truly think it will.
- Yeah.
We're glad you're a part of
this and we really look forward
To getting to the bottom of it.
Bill, I think we should
let them get to work.
I agree. Let's-let's see
what's in the bottom of that.
Simon: Sounds good, gentlemen.
- All righty. Take care, guys.
- You, too.
Stay safe.
Oh, yeah. For sure.
Narrator: As representatives
From dumas contracting ltd.
Continue their work
in the garden shaft...
- Terry, we got a core coming.
- We have incoming.
Some 75 feet to the south...
This is going to be 48.
Forty-eight.
Thank you, colten.
We got it covered,
man. Appreciate it.
Geologist terry matheson
And oak island historian
charles barkhouse
Are overseeing the
drilling of a new borehole
On the team's strategic
grid known as n.5-17.5.
At this location, they
plan to not only collect
More water samples
for gold testing analysis,
But will also attempt to
encounter a wooden tunnel
Some 103 feet deep underground.
Terry: Oh, wow.
That's fantastic.
We are in the tunnel.
Narrator: After first encountering
this structure five weeks ago
And preliminarily carbon-dating
it to the 17th century,
The team conducted
a sonar operation,
Which indicated it may be
Heading in the direction
of the garden shaft.
Whoa, what's that?
Whoa, whoa. What's that?
- That's the view down the tunnel.
- Scott: Oh, wow.
Narrator: And
just one week ago,
The team recorded
incredible images inside of it
Using a specialized
underwater camera.
Rick: It-it's awesome.
Terry: A move in
the right direction.
This hole is to give us
information to look for,
- You know, this possible tunnel.
- Yeah.
Marty: We are trying to
determine with more drilling
Where this tunnel
goes that we found.
The hope is that it'll come back
With a more
definitive carbon date,
Maybe even more
early than the others.
So, what it means is
we have to chase it.
Any time you drill in
the money pit area,
It could get very interesting,
as we have seen in the past.
Exactly. So here we go.
Narrator: As construction
in the garden shaft,
Along with drilling, continues
in the money pit area...
- Jack: You flagged right up here?
- Doug: Yep.
Narrator: Metal detection
expert gary drayton
And jack begley arrive on lot 8,
Located nearly half a mile away
On the western
side of oak island.
With all the finds we've
recovered on lot 8, mate,
It makes sense to
have this area cleared.
You're right. It has been
so thick in the middle of lot 8.
This is the middle.
- Gary: Yeah.
- And we really haven't hunted in here yet.
Yep.
Narrator: Lot 8 has
become a key location
For the team in recent years,
After a number of compelling
discoveries were made here.
These include a
semi-precious garnet gemstone,
Believed to be connected
to the knights templar,
As well as a mysterious
formation of paving stones,
Similar to the
That was discovered
in the swamp.
And just this year, they
unearthed a bunk hook,
A tool designed for
lifting heavy cargo,
Which has been dated to
the 16th century or earlier.
Let's strike up the
magic wand, mate,
And let's put this
area on the map.
- The treasure map.
- Yeah.
Narrator: Now, after billy
gerhardt has cleared trees
And heavy foliage from the lot
Where gary has already
scanned, and flagged,
A number of metal targets,
With archaeologist
laird niven's permission,
Gary and jack are
hoping to find more clues
That might explain
just who visited lot 8
Prior to the discovery
of the money pit
And what else they
may have left behind.
[detector beeping]
Oh, music to my ears, mate.
Good-sounding
signal, right there.
♪ ♪
[detector beeping]
Gary: Oh, it's in the top.
Jack: [chuckles] all right.
Oh.
[detector beeping]
Ooh.
[detector beeping]
Has a nice ring to it.
- Ooh.
- Oh. Bit of chain, mate.
This could be the missing link.
That's what that is,
mate. A bit of chain.
D-do you know your date
ranges for chains at all?
I know that the older
chains have got an oval link.
And these have got oval links.
It looks like it's hand forged.
So, what-what would a
chain that thin be used for?
Well, if you've got
a chest or a box,
Like a strongbox,
they used to put chains
About this size around there
to secure and then they'd lock.
- Just to keep it closed.
- Yeah.
Narrator: Could gary be
correct that this chain link
Might not only be ancient,
But was also designed to
secure a strongbox or chest?
Could it be related to the bunk
hook recently found nearby?
And if so, could they
both be connected
To the semi-precious
garnet gemstone as well?
Lot 8 throws us
another artifact.
- Love it, mate. Let's bag it.
- Yes.
Gary: Now, we're way out
In the middle of
the island on lot 8.
I'm hoping that this chain link
Is somehow involved in hauling.
Hauling treasure.
All right, mate, next
flag's over there.
See what we're sounding like.
[detector beeping]
Sounds like a
good-sounding signal.
Just there, mate. Dig
us something good up.
Jack: Oh, it's coming up.
Thank you, sir.
[detector beeping]
You might have moved it out.
[detector beeping]
- It's that.
- Jack: Whoa.
[detector beeping]
Gary: Ooh, yeah.
This is fantastic.
Jack: Whoa, what the
heck is that? You're right.
Gary: Oh, wow.
- This is stylized.
- It's got some fancy designs.
Narrator: While
searching lot 8
On the western
side of oak island,
Gary drayton and jack begley
have just unearthed another
Potentially
significant discovery.
Gary: I'm not going to
mess with this too much.
Jack: No, no, don't.
Gary: Look at that.
Brilliant, mate.
- Jack: Whoa.
- Gary: Wow.
Jack: There's markings all over
The front and the
back, both sides.
Then you can tell by,
like, that blue-green look
That it's got copper in it.
Gary: Yeah.
That looks really old.
It looks like an highly
decorative piece.
It could be a large brooch.
Could be a belt plate.
Could be an
headdress decoration.
It-it's got to be down in
the ground for like a couple
Hundred years, I'd think,
to get a patina like that on it.
No, a lot longer
than that, believe me.
A lot longer? Wow.
I've found roman coins
that come up looking like this.
And I'm hoping that this
is the same date range
As that garnet brooch
That we found not
too far away from here.
I know you keep
referring to it as a brooch.
I have a different
possible interpretation.
Narrator: One year
ago, rick lagina
And members of the team
Met with 32nd degree
freemason scott clarke
Who presented
them with his belief
That the garnet gemstone,
Found on lot 8 by rick
and gary back in 2017,
Was once part of a
masonic breastplate
Used in a profound ritual
connected to the knights templar
And one of the most sacred lost
treasures ever known to mankind.
Scott clarke: The breastplate
was used in a specific
Masonic ritual meant
to mimic the retrieval
Of the ark of the covenant
From a secret vault underground.
Wow.
Narrator: Is it possible that
jack and gary have just found
Another clue that could help
validate scott clarke's theory?
And might it also
explain the oval chain
And bunk hook that were
discovered on lot 8 as well?
Gary: Thanks.
Right, let's see, without
damaging it too much...
Jack: We need to get this
right back to the lab immediately.
Gary: I'm in agreement,
mate. Straight back to the lab.
Here you go, mate,
if you'll look after that.
Wait till they see
this in the lab.
[jack laughs]
Narrator: After finishing
their search on lot 8...
Craig: Hey, smiley guys.
[laughter]
Wait till you see what we found.
Narrator: Gary and
jack meet with rick lagina,
Craig tester and archaeologists
laird niven and emma culligan
In the oak island
interpretive centre.
Gary: Okay. It's lot 8,
it looks really, really old.
It's got a lovely patina on it.
But the design is spectacular.
Oh, wow.
Jack: Put it under
the microscope.
Let's check it out.
Narrator: Using the fisherbrand
And a c-mount 10
megapixel digital camera,
Laird will be able
to take photographs
Of the magnified artifact
and its finer details
At a resolution of as much
as 90 times their actual size.
Gary: Wow, look at that color.
Jack: You can tell there's
got to be copper in there.
Gary: Yep.
Laird: Try to zoom out a bit.
Rick: Can you turn it over?
Oh, it's relatively
thick, isn't it?
There you go.
Jack: Yeah, you can see
it's got markings on it, too.
Laird: Yeah.
Gary: It's just got an old
look, an old feel about it.
But that's a raised
something right there.
Laird: Yeah.
That patina is brilliant.
What's your first thought?
My first thought when-when
I saw it was that it's military.
But why is it here? It
shouldn't be on lot 8.
And neither should've that
brooch, which was recovered
Not far away from this.
Yeah.
Do you mind if I pop
it in the xrf real quick?
All right.
Hopefully, we'll get
some nice surprises
With the metal readout.
Narrator: In order to confirm the
metal composition of the artifact,
Emma is now using the
x-ray fluorescence device,
Which emits
non-destructive radiation.
Okay, the scan is done.
Rick: Whoa.
You'll see the copper
alloy's way up there.
Emma: That's 95% copper.
So, if you look at
the iron component,
It's almost as
equal as the zinc.
And it is pretty small levels.
So, it could be old.
- Boom, baby.
- [laughs]
Laird: It's mostly copper.
There's zinc in there
as well, and iron,
Which makes it
definitively a copper alloy.
Which has been used
for thousands of years.
This piece is so unique
and potentially very old.
I think next steps
Are to ct scan based
on the xrf results,
Clean it very delicately,
So we can get
a better look at it.
Yes.
Narrator: In an
effort to obtain
Much clearer
images of the artifact,
And hopefully identify
what it could be,
Laird will now place it in
the computed tomography,
Or ct, scanner
for up to 24 hours.
By emitting
non-destructive radiation,
The device can
penetrate the corrosion
That has built up on
the object over time
To reveal its finer details.
Rick: This thing is strange.
And I don't want
to get too excited.
But it's definitely different.
Uh, lot 8 seems to be
where we, you know,
Make very interesting finds.
That makes it
curious what activities
Were conducted on lot 8.
I think we just need to
Use science to
determine whether or not
There's some sort of connection
between all of these artifacts.
Would we like
them to tell a story?
Yes, we would.
It's a very curious piece.
Yep.
You guys need to go
and find some more.
Yeah. Coil to the soil.
- Let's go.
- [laughter]
Laird: All right,
see you later.
- Craig: See you later.
- Rick: Thank you, emma.
Emma: See you.
Narrator: Later
that afternoon...
- Craig: Gentlemen.
- Charles: Hi.
Craig: We got the tunnel?
Yeah.
Narrator: Craig
tester arrives
With other members of the team
At the money pit,
after being alerted
About a potentially
important development
In borehole n.5-17.5.
Terry: We seem to have
encountered a tunnel.
We got a singular
beam right here.
So, this post or base support
For what seems to be
a vertical beam here,
Is sitting directly above
Material that has
not been disturbed.
This is from 99 to 103.
That should be the top
Of where we have encountered,
uh, the tunnel previously.
- The tunnel should start here.
- Yeah, exactly.
It's above the area where
we expected to see it.
Craig: Now, we were
expecting the tunnel
At 102 or 103 feet down.
And we hit wood higher
than expected, 99 feet.
Maybe we encountered
a separate structure?
Two tunnels, maybe?
Narrator: In recent weeks,
The oak island team
has encountered
The same five-foot-high
tunnel at a depth
Of 103 feet in four
different boreholes
And believe it could be leading
In the direction of
the garden shaft.
So, now that they have
unearthed new evidence of a tunnel,
But at a depth of only 99 feet,
Could it be part of the tunnel
they have been tracking?
Or is it a completely
separate tunnel
That was previously
unknown to them?
If that's the case,
Who built it? When?
And where does it lead?
Terry: It's an
enigma, that's for sure.
Craig, what do you think?
Let's take this a little deeper,
Just to mark it.
Let's you and I head
back and start figuring out
What this means
and where to drill next.
Okay, all right.
- Craig: See you, guys.
- Scott: Thanks, guys.
Terry: All right,
talk to you soon.
Narrator: As a new
day begins on oak
- Roger: You guys ready?
- Daniel: Yeah.
Narrator: And while the
team from dumas contracting ltd.
Works to complete the new
steel and concrete foundation
Around the top of
the garden shaft...
Roger: Yep, perfect.
- Brandon: 33 to 38.
- Thank you, brandon.
- Brandon: 38, okay.
- 38.33 to 38.
Narrator: Nearly
Geologist terry matheson
And oak island
historian paul troutman
Are supervising the drilling
Of a new borehole
known as f.25-14.4.
Based on the
direction of craig tester,
The team has
chosen this location
45 feet northwest
of borehole n.5-17.5
Where they discovered
evidence of a tunnel
At a depth of 99
feet one day ago.
- Brandon: 48.
- Paul: 48.
Narrator: Because they had
originally been tracking a tunnel
Some 103 feet deep,
Which is believed to be
heading toward the garden shaft,
They are hoping to determine
If there are actually
two different structures
Below ground in this area.
Terry: This hole, f.25-14.4,
That placement we feel
is going to hit that tunnel
If it passes through there?
Yeah, and-and potentially
- There is more than one tunnel here.
- Right.
Paul: The other thing,
too, is to try to delineate
Whether it continues
up north to south
In this direction, going
to the garden shaft.
So, maybe we'll get a hit here.
Maybe this will give us
some good information.
Terry: Cross our fingers.
Narrator: As operations
continue in the money pit area,
Rick lagina arrives at
the interpretive centre.
- Rick: Wow. That is impressive.
- Laird: Yeah.
Narrator: Here,
archeologists laird niven,
Helen sheldon
And emma culligan
have just completed
The computed tomography scan
Of the mysterious artifact
Found one day ago on lot 8.
Rick: That's very different than
the way it looked the other day.
Laird: Yep.
Has it been folded?
Yes, it's been
folded three times.
Laird: So you can
actually see the fold there,
See the overlaying fold.
Rick: So, these
raised areas you see
And the recessed areas,
That's not because
of the folding?
-No. -It's not artificial?
- No, no, no.
- This is...?
Laird: So, you can see these
markings are a, deliberate
And b, something
I've never seen before.
But strange, strange symbols.
Here's the other side, too.
And it's fragile.
It's been in the
ground for a long time.
I want to go through
each little design.
If I measure them out
and if they're not consistent,
Then you know it's not stamped,
It was handcrafted.
Laird: The implication is that
is if it's handcrafted, it's older.
Rick: We have to find a way
To put a date to it
- Because it-it's such a "wow" thing.
- Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
What is this?
You thought maybe military.
- Do you...? Have you come off of that?
- Yes.
And, really, apart
from that, I don't know
If it was on some clothing
Or if it was on, uh,
something more ceremonial.
We don't know yet.
Narrator: Could archaeologist
laird niven be correct
That this artifact was used
for a ceremonial purpose?
If so, might it offer evidence
Of the masonic rituals
that some, like scott clarke,
Believe took place
long ago on lot 8
In relation to sacred treasures
Connected to the
knights templar?
Rick: Helen, what do you think?
Are you as mystified
as the rest of us?
I am as mystified
as the rest of you.
It's, um, very thin.
It appears quite decorative.
I've never seen anything
quite like that before, so...
This is definitely an
intentional decoration.
There's no way
this can be modern?
Not to me.
And helen?
It doesn't strike me
as being modern.
Like, not 20th century.
Rick: It's the
symbology of the piece,
The-the design of it,
They are unique characters.
The iconography
involved here is...
It's like nothing I've
seen on the island.
We're gonna look into it.
I think there's information
Within that symbology.
Mm-hmm.
And I think we
need to follow this.
So, we need to
reach out to people
And, uh, see what they think.
- Yeah.
- Rick: Okey-doke.
I'm going to let you
at your business.
- Okay, all right.
- Thank you. That-that was cool.
It is neat.
Narrator: While rick lagina
concludes his meeting
In the interpretive centre...
Back at the money pit...
It's blue-grey till,
but it's a little soft.
Terry matheson,
Paul troutman
And other members of the team
Continue supervising
the drilling operation
In borehole f.25-14.4
As it approaches the target
depth of some 100 feet.
Terry: This is pretty mundane
stuff, just as we expected.
Um, take a look at
what comes up next,
That'll be very important.
- Brandon: Got one more bag.
- Steve: Got one more?
So, basically, it's,
uh, caved in to 99
- After I pulled that other one out.
- Scott: Okay.
Just well-bedded sediment here.
Paul: We got wood
right here, 103.
Terry: Oh, wow.
That's it, right there.
Scott: That's interesting.
Where did they
experience the drop?
It dropped from 99 down to 103.
This intersection right here
Is sitting right on
top of some muck.
- That's probably the floor.
- Terry: Exactly.
Scott: This would
put this tunnel
- Coming from a higher elevation.
- Yep.
Steve: So, right now
we've got real evidence
That we have two
different tunnels
At two different elevations
Essentially in
the same location.
So, there's a lot of
investigating for us to do.
- We've hit two tunnels, right?
- That's right.
Exactly.
Yep.
Terry: I think rick
might want to see this.
Paul: Yep.
- Terry: We should let him know.
- Paul: All right.
- Paul: Hey, rick.
- Rick: Hey, guys.
What have we got?
We dropped from
There's the wood
at approximately 103.
We've hit the tunnel.
The question is, of
course, "which tunnel?"
Narrator: In the
money pit area,
Rick lagina joins members
of the oak island team
Where they have
just drilled into
A possible man-made structure
In borehole f.25-14.4,
Located just 37 feet southwest
Of the garden shaft.
Our target was the tunnel that
we've been chasing in the south.
- But we may have hit another tunnel.
- Really?
But right now we have good
confidence at about 103 feet
Was the floor of this tunnel.
So... which is-is higher,
Higher than our tunnel
that we've been chasing.
Rick: Is it possible
That this tunnel,
at this elevation,
Would have allowed another
tunnel to come very near it?
Might one or both of
these tunnels be associated
With original work
in the garden shaft?
It's possible.
Yeah, you could
still project a line
To the garden shaft from
where we have our tunnel.
Those two purple
lines go right through.
I agree. I totally agree.
So, that makes our life
a little bit more confusing
And-and it gives us
all a little bit more work,
Or at least homework.
- So, our next step is to review the data...
- Rick: Yep.
Scott: And how it
compares to our tunnel
That we've been chasing
to the garden shaft.
Yep. So, let's glean
some more information
From what we've already done
- And then try to decide how to move forward.
- Yep.
- Right on.
- All righty. Thank you, guys.
Steve: When we have
something, we'll fill you in.
Narrator: Later
that afternoon...
Steve: So, as you know,
we just finished f.25-14.4
And we were trying to determine
- If that was part of our tunneling system from this year.
- Yep.
Narrator: Rick lagina
arrives at the research centre
To meet with
surveyor steve guptill
And project manager scott barlow
To formulate a new plan
For where to drill next
in the money pit area.
We had a successful tunnel hit.
However, we believe it's
probably not our tunnel.
As you know, j-15.25,
It was the last confirmed hit
In the tunnel we've
been chasing this year.
Right.
Steve: And that's
where we've left off.
Up until this point,
we're pretty confident
That this is our tunnel that
we've been chasing northwest
To the garden shaft,
based on the drill program
And sonar work, up
to this green circle.
Now, we're into
a bit of a problem.
You see this big green circle?
Rick: Yep.
Steve: That's our muon setback.
And you see this red line?
That's our muon power.
So, those are two
obstacles we have in our way.
Narrator: Late last fall,
The oak island team installed
muon tomography sensors
Deep underground
in five boreholes
Across the money pit area.
These devices are detecting
Subatomic particles that
originate from outer space
As they penetrate
the earth's surface.
The collected data
will be used to generate
A detailed map of
underground anomalies
Including tunnels,
voids and large objects
Such as a treasure vault.
We kind of find
ourselves in a bit of a,
You know, boxed-in effect.
Narrator: However, this
potential breakthrough operation,
Which will take several
more months to complete,
Presents an unfortunate obstacle
for the team's drilling program.
Rick: The muon detectors
are collecting data as we speak.
They cannot be
moved and you need to
Have a ten-foot setback
around each of the, uh, detectors.
Unfortunately, that
compromises our ability
To follow these tunnels.
So, we have to try to find
another way around the issue.
Can you extend the purple line
- Of the original tunnel for me?
- Steve: Oh, I sure can.
I'll extend it through our
money pit pad for you.
- Okay, there we go.
- Rick: Okay, perfect.
There is a spot there where
I'd be comfortable drilling.
Where's that?
Rick: Come right. Down.
- Right there.
- Steve: Right here?
I'll put a point there.
Rick: I'd be
comfortable drilling that.
We're only like
a foot in, maybe.
When they created that
setback, they said to us...
Yep.
"we're being
overly cautious."
Scott: That's right.
I-I think that's a
safe location as well.
Mm-hmm.
But if we do drill there,
And we do hit,
what does it tell us?
The objective for me is we
want to get a sonar down there
And image it to the
south and to the north.
It may be open.
It may be open quite
a distance to the north.
And that would be
very helpful to know that
Because it's such close
proximity to the garden shaft.
It might be a potential
target for tunneling
Or expanding the
bottom of the garden shaft.
Yep.
That's my vote.
That's about as far north as
we can go, given the setback
For protecting the muon hole.
So, I think we try to
reacquire the tunnel there.
Yep.
And we're going to adjust
every time we drill a hole.
This is not a fixed grid.
This is jumping from
one piece of data
To the next piece of data
to the next piece of data.
Steve: Yep. I like that.
Maybe there's a little bit of
gold at the end of this rainbow.
Rick: Maybe.
Okay, well, we have a plan.
That's where we're
going to go next.
Okay?
All right. You and I
should head back.
- Should we go get prepped then?
- Yep.
Okay, let's do that.
Rick: Well done, guys.
Terry: I want to say
three or four feet
Of well-bedded material here.
We saw this in a
couple of previous holes.
Ij-15.25 is going to fulfill
- Its promise, I think.
- Yeah.
Narrator: As another
day of exploration
Begins on oak island,
Terry matheson, along
with charles barkhouse
And paul troutman, are
supervising the drilling
Of a new borehole
known as ij-15.25.
Charles: Well, we got
another core coming.
Narrator: Located
Of their previous
drilling location,
And at a safe distance
From the nearby
muon detecting test hole,
In the coming days, the
team hopes to determine
If there could be two
man-made tunnels
Between 99 and 108 feet deep
That lead toward
the garden shaft,
And, potentially, the
legendary oak island treasure.
Potentially, some of
the projections show
It could go to the garden shaft.
We'll just have to keep
following the clues.
Terry: Right on.
I'm just gonna shove it down
dry to 18 feet, see what we got.
Narrator: As the core-drilling
operation in the money pit continues...
Rick: Uh, I think we all know
Uh, that the item before us
Is probably the most
unique and interesting item
That gary has
discovered this year.
Narrator: Rick lagina gathers
with members of the team
In the w*r room
For a meeting that they hope
Will lead to potential answers
Regarding the
mysterious copper artifact
Found two days ago on lot 8.
Uh, we've reached out
to, uh, dr. Ed barnhart.
He has an extensive resume
In the field of archaeology.
Gary, we have him
on remote video.
- So, if you could bring him up.
- Yep, sure.
- Good morning, dr. Barnhart.
- Hello, mate.
- Good morning.
- Welcome to the w*r room.
I know that we have sent
you off a picture of the item
We have here and our
hope is that you can, uh,
Render an opinion as
to what it might represent,
Based on your experience.
Well, I've spent a lot of
my career in mesoamerica.
I've also done a lot of work in
north america and south america.
So, I have a pretty good range
of the americas in general.
I specialize mostly
in archeoastronomy
And ancient sciences,
but that includes metallurgy.
Here we have, uh, what
appears to be a metal object
And it does have
some iconography on it.
It has a number of elements
that might turn out to be diagnostic
Where we can really say,
you know, where it came from.
And it looks like it
has some element
Of perishable materials, too,
that we might be able to date.
So, yes, I'm
really interested in
Digging into it deeper.
Dr. Barnhart, in
your experience, um,
Does anything just
jump into your head
When you first look at it?
We initially, at first glance,
Thought, "oh, there's
a pattern on there."
Well, the pattern is intriguing,
but it's, uh, purely geometric.
I wish we had a foot or an arm
sticking in there somewhere,
But geometry is kind
of all over the planet,
So that does not
narrow it down for us
About what region or what time.
Initially, we thought
it was stamped,
But the symbols on it,
If we can call them symbols,
Are not uniform.
It's quite irregular
in terms of its design.
And that's what made
us think that, you know,
Certainly this was an
artisan or-or hand-created.
Right. It's basically embossed.
Ed: I think you're right
on the money there.
If it isn't a
consistent, uh, shape
To each one of the
things we can see,
Probably handmade
rather than a factory.
That in and of itself leans
towards an older date.
But the material seems to be
Some sort of
copper-based plating.
There are not a lot of things
made beyond gold and silver.
Things that were
alloy technology
Are few and far
between in the americas.
So, it's already,
uh, a long shot
That it's from the americas,
being the material it is.
Rick: Upon initial
visualization of this item,
Can you reflect on
what it might be?
Sure. It's probably something
that once covered an object.
As decoration?
As decoration, yes.
But it's some sort of ornate
Metallic cover to an object.
Europeans did a lot of that.
They covered
boxes and furniture.
So, it could have
come from afar.
It does have some
iconography on it,
So it could be some
sort of religious object.
Rick: Really?
Wow.
Narrator: In the w*r room,
Renowned archeologist
dr. Edwin barnhart
Has just given rick lagina and
members of the oak island team
His preliminary assessment
That the copper artifact
found two days ago on lot 8
Appears to be ancient,
And possibly of european origin.
To go back to the
"decoration" on it,
Is there any inference
you can make?
Because it is quite strange.
And the back and the
front are very different.
Ed: It's ornate,
so it was an object
Meant to dazzle someone.
But what we have left in
this fragment is geometric.
It-it may well be the border of
some picture that would've been
Much more telling as to,
uh, its culture or origin.
An object in isolation
is an enigma.
- But I love me a mystery.
- [laughter]
So if you give me more
information, I'll dig deeper.
Rick: Well, we would
certainly appreciate that.
In our lab here, we
have an xrf and an xrd.
We can send you
off those reports.
And we will look
forward to any response
Or any inferences you can make
Based upon those reports.
Excellent.
Well, thanks for involving
me in this little mystery.
I'll take a look and
get back to you.
- Thank you, dr. Barnhart.
- Thank you.
- Rick: Take care.
- Gary: Cheers.
Ed: Great, thanks a lot.
Narrator: Following the
meeting in the w*r room...
[thunder crashing]
Despite the harsh
turn in the weather...
Mike: There's the big daddy.
- Roger: There's our friends.
- Rick: There they are.
Narrator: Rick lagina,
along with roger fortin,
Eagerly welcome representatives
from irving equipment ltd.
Who are delivering
a 109-ton crane
Needed for the next
phase of construction
In the garden shaft.
With this piece of gear,
y-you're set to rock and roll.
Oh, absolutely, absolutely.
- Morning, gentlemen.
- Roger: Good morning. How are you?
- Morning.
- Morning.
I think I certainly
recognize the two of you.
- You know this fellow, right?
- I know michel, absolutely.
How you doing?
Michel: Good, good, you?
So, roger can speak
to where they're at,
But I think, you know,
This is the-the key,
critical component, right?
Oh. Yeah. We're
at the point right now
- Where you guys are coming in at a perfect time.
- Bill p.: Awesome.
Roger: Because we need your help
to get that hammer grab down there
And get excavating.
So, we're all anxious
And we're all raring to go.
- Yeah.
- Perfect.
Bill p.: We'll offload
from the trailer
- And start to put the crane together.
- Yeah.
Once it's complete here,
We can crawl up to site,
And we're ready to roll.
- Yeah, I love the sound of that.
- Awesome.
- Roger: Yep.
- Awesome.
- Rick: Let's get after it.
- Roger: All right, sounds good.
- Bill p.: Thanks, guys.
- Roger: Talk to you later.
- Bill p.: Talk to you later.
- Roger: Yep.
Rick: We have real data
That strongly suggests
That the garden shaft might have
Some answers to understanding
The complexity of
the oak island mystery.
Bill p.: Come this way
another foot or two. That's good.
Narrator: Now that the
steel and concrete foundation
Surrounding the garden
shaft has been completed,
In the coming days,
the massive crane
Will be used along with
a 3-ton hammer grab tool
In order to remove the muck
And sediment from the
old, dilapidated shaft.
This will allow the
representatives from dumas
To begin construction of
the new waterproof shaft
Down to a level
of at least 80 feet.
- Michel: Are we good?
- Bill p.: Yeah.
Marty: Is it possible that
we've come full circle?
We applied all this technology
Only to arrive where the
original searchers started?
By digging a shaft down,
we might actually learn
What happened here and
potentially recover a treasure.
It's romantic as can
be. And it's exciting.
We're going to
actually go underground.
But the cool thing to me is
That we're coming clear back
to what the original searchers did,
Only maybe this time
we'll be successful.
Bill p.: This way a bit.
Rick: There's a lot of
hope it will tell a story
That is related to the mystery.
- Whoa, good.
- Awesome.
- Roger: Pretty exciting.
- Rick: Yes, it is.
As much work as
you've done for the prep,
- This is when it starts.
- Oh, yes. Oh, yes.
Narrator: The tireless efforts of
rick, marty, craig and their team
May soon be rewarded
with the ultimate validation.
One that would be
not only for themselves,
But also for the generations
Of devoted searchers
who came before them.
As more clues surface
that may soon identify
Just who was behind
the oak island mystery,
Could this team
be one last dig away
From revealing a vast
treasure hidden deep below?
Or will the mysterious forces
Of the island once again
intervene to stop them?
Next time on the
curse of oak island...
Alex: Here we go.
Rick: We're going to run
A geophysical
investigation in the swamp.
- Whoa.
- Big one?
Jeremy: Yeah. Big hit.
Fantastic.
[cheering]
- I see it.
- Oh, I see it as well, look.
Oh, I mean, this is nice.
Oh!
The bottom dropped
right out from under you.
- That's right.
- This is not a natural cavity.
- That doesn't happen.
- We better get a camera down it.
Scott: Here we go.
- Keep going.
- There's the edge of something.
Wait, no. Stop.
Some sort of like
pedestal sticking up.
the curse of oak island...
[honking]
Rick: It's an exciting day
Because they're going
to dig the garden shaft.
That's a big machine.
Bill p.: We're excited
to be a part of it.
This year will be the year.
We've hit the
tunnel that'll point it
Directly towards
the garden shaft.
Look at the color on this.
Wow. What the heck
is that? You're right.
Laird: Something
I've never seen before.
It's such a "wow" thing.
This is no way it's modern.
Ed: It does have
some iconography.
It could be some
sort of religious object.
Rick: Wow.
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,
Manmade workings that
date to medieval times
And a lead cross
whose origin may be
Connected to the
knights templar.
To date, six men have died
trying to solve the mystery.
And, according to legend,
One more will have to die
Before the treasure
can be found.
♪ ♪
I got a feeling this
is going to be 38.
Narrator: A new day of
search activities has begun
On oak island at the site
known as the money pit.
[clears throat]
Hey, colten. 38 feet down?
You got it.
- 38 feet.
- 38 feet.
Narrator: And while
a strategic core-drilling
Operation continues in
search of important clues
That could help solve
a 227-year-old mystery...
- Good morning, paul.
- Hey, rick.
- How's it going?
- How are you?
Narrator: Nearby,
brothers rick and marty lagina
And their team
Are preparing for
a historic excavation
Of the so-called garden shaft
With representatives
from dumas contracting ltd.
In the hopes of finding a
legendary treasure vault.
I think you'll find that as
you get deeper and deeper
Into this project,
no pun intended,
I think you're going
to say to yourself,
"you know what? I wonder
what the next foot will tell us."
Hopefully, you'll be as excited
as we are for the project.
Oh yeah, that's
starting already.
[laughter]
Okay, that would be
probably the outside wall there.
Narrator: The garden shaft is
an approximately 80-foot-deep
Wooden structure
that the oak island team
Unearthed in 2017.
Although it was
first thought to be
Nothing more than an abandoned
Wood samples, collected
from the bottom of the feature,
Have recently
been dated to 1735,
60 years prior to the discovery
of the original money pit.
There we go.
Narrator: And even
more astonishing
Were the results
of water testing
Conducted just over a month
ago by geoscientist dr. Ian spooner.
We've sampled wells
within the money pit area.
And we found gold
in, uh, the garden shaft.
[laughter]
Rick: The garden shaft is
certainly in close proximity
To something at a level that
is previously unknown to us.
Why are the high
gold values there?
I would love for
the garden shaft
To be the original money pit,
But I think it's too preliminary
to make that assessment.
What are the next
steps here, then?
They're going to
build the top part.
Then we're going
to form up today,
And then the
concrete after that.
Simon: So this pad
will essentially be
Holding the entire structure.
Oh, wow.
Once we lower
eight feet at a time,
We'll be drilling probe holes
Looking for any
abnormalities as well as voids.
I see.
Narrator: Once the steel
And concrete foundation
Is completed at the surface,
A massive 109-ton
crane will be used,
Along with a 3-ton hammer grab,
To excavate the muck and
water out of the old shaft.
Meanwhile, a new
waterproof structure
With platforms every
eight feet will be constructed
Down to a total
planned depth of 80 feet,
Allowing the
laginas and the team
To hopefully reach the
answers that people have sought
For more than two centuries.
Marty: We're gonna actually
establish a presence underground.
It may be a little
bit emotional.
I mean, my brother
rick for sure has wanted
To get underground
for a long time.
Seems like just yesterday
we were digging that.
Yep.
Rick: To be underground
in the money pit
Where so many people
who have come before us
Have had that same experience,
It'll be a very... Almost
cosmic moment for me.
I-I really look forward
to the experience.
To actually put eyes
and boots on that target
To try to understand
it more completely.
We really hope that
this will help write
At least a new chapter...
A few pages, yeah.
In the ongoing
search for-for answers.
- And-and I truly think it will.
- Yeah.
We're glad you're a part of
this and we really look forward
To getting to the bottom of it.
Bill, I think we should
let them get to work.
I agree. Let's-let's see
what's in the bottom of that.
Simon: Sounds good, gentlemen.
- All righty. Take care, guys.
- You, too.
Stay safe.
Oh, yeah. For sure.
Narrator: As representatives
From dumas contracting ltd.
Continue their work
in the garden shaft...
- Terry, we got a core coming.
- We have incoming.
Some 75 feet to the south...
This is going to be 48.
Forty-eight.
Thank you, colten.
We got it covered,
man. Appreciate it.
Geologist terry matheson
And oak island historian
charles barkhouse
Are overseeing the
drilling of a new borehole
On the team's strategic
grid known as n.5-17.5.
At this location, they
plan to not only collect
More water samples
for gold testing analysis,
But will also attempt to
encounter a wooden tunnel
Some 103 feet deep underground.
Terry: Oh, wow.
That's fantastic.
We are in the tunnel.
Narrator: After first encountering
this structure five weeks ago
And preliminarily carbon-dating
it to the 17th century,
The team conducted
a sonar operation,
Which indicated it may be
Heading in the direction
of the garden shaft.
Whoa, what's that?
Whoa, whoa. What's that?
- That's the view down the tunnel.
- Scott: Oh, wow.
Narrator: And
just one week ago,
The team recorded
incredible images inside of it
Using a specialized
underwater camera.
Rick: It-it's awesome.
Terry: A move in
the right direction.
This hole is to give us
information to look for,
- You know, this possible tunnel.
- Yeah.
Marty: We are trying to
determine with more drilling
Where this tunnel
goes that we found.
The hope is that it'll come back
With a more
definitive carbon date,
Maybe even more
early than the others.
So, what it means is
we have to chase it.
Any time you drill in
the money pit area,
It could get very interesting,
as we have seen in the past.
Exactly. So here we go.
Narrator: As construction
in the garden shaft,
Along with drilling, continues
in the money pit area...
- Jack: You flagged right up here?
- Doug: Yep.
Narrator: Metal detection
expert gary drayton
And jack begley arrive on lot 8,
Located nearly half a mile away
On the western
side of oak island.
With all the finds we've
recovered on lot 8, mate,
It makes sense to
have this area cleared.
You're right. It has been
so thick in the middle of lot 8.
This is the middle.
- Gary: Yeah.
- And we really haven't hunted in here yet.
Yep.
Narrator: Lot 8 has
become a key location
For the team in recent years,
After a number of compelling
discoveries were made here.
These include a
semi-precious garnet gemstone,
Believed to be connected
to the knights templar,
As well as a mysterious
formation of paving stones,
Similar to the
That was discovered
in the swamp.
And just this year, they
unearthed a bunk hook,
A tool designed for
lifting heavy cargo,
Which has been dated to
the 16th century or earlier.
Let's strike up the
magic wand, mate,
And let's put this
area on the map.
- The treasure map.
- Yeah.
Narrator: Now, after billy
gerhardt has cleared trees
And heavy foliage from the lot
Where gary has already
scanned, and flagged,
A number of metal targets,
With archaeologist
laird niven's permission,
Gary and jack are
hoping to find more clues
That might explain
just who visited lot 8
Prior to the discovery
of the money pit
And what else they
may have left behind.
[detector beeping]
Oh, music to my ears, mate.
Good-sounding
signal, right there.
♪ ♪
[detector beeping]
Gary: Oh, it's in the top.
Jack: [chuckles] all right.
Oh.
[detector beeping]
Ooh.
[detector beeping]
Has a nice ring to it.
- Ooh.
- Oh. Bit of chain, mate.
This could be the missing link.
That's what that is,
mate. A bit of chain.
D-do you know your date
ranges for chains at all?
I know that the older
chains have got an oval link.
And these have got oval links.
It looks like it's hand forged.
So, what-what would a
chain that thin be used for?
Well, if you've got
a chest or a box,
Like a strongbox,
they used to put chains
About this size around there
to secure and then they'd lock.
- Just to keep it closed.
- Yeah.
Narrator: Could gary be
correct that this chain link
Might not only be ancient,
But was also designed to
secure a strongbox or chest?
Could it be related to the bunk
hook recently found nearby?
And if so, could they
both be connected
To the semi-precious
garnet gemstone as well?
Lot 8 throws us
another artifact.
- Love it, mate. Let's bag it.
- Yes.
Gary: Now, we're way out
In the middle of
the island on lot 8.
I'm hoping that this chain link
Is somehow involved in hauling.
Hauling treasure.
All right, mate, next
flag's over there.
See what we're sounding like.
[detector beeping]
Sounds like a
good-sounding signal.
Just there, mate. Dig
us something good up.
Jack: Oh, it's coming up.
Thank you, sir.
[detector beeping]
You might have moved it out.
[detector beeping]
- It's that.
- Jack: Whoa.
[detector beeping]
Gary: Ooh, yeah.
This is fantastic.
Jack: Whoa, what the
heck is that? You're right.
Gary: Oh, wow.
- This is stylized.
- It's got some fancy designs.
Narrator: While
searching lot 8
On the western
side of oak island,
Gary drayton and jack begley
have just unearthed another
Potentially
significant discovery.
Gary: I'm not going to
mess with this too much.
Jack: No, no, don't.
Gary: Look at that.
Brilliant, mate.
- Jack: Whoa.
- Gary: Wow.
Jack: There's markings all over
The front and the
back, both sides.
Then you can tell by,
like, that blue-green look
That it's got copper in it.
Gary: Yeah.
That looks really old.
It looks like an highly
decorative piece.
It could be a large brooch.
Could be a belt plate.
Could be an
headdress decoration.
It-it's got to be down in
the ground for like a couple
Hundred years, I'd think,
to get a patina like that on it.
No, a lot longer
than that, believe me.
A lot longer? Wow.
I've found roman coins
that come up looking like this.
And I'm hoping that this
is the same date range
As that garnet brooch
That we found not
too far away from here.
I know you keep
referring to it as a brooch.
I have a different
possible interpretation.
Narrator: One year
ago, rick lagina
And members of the team
Met with 32nd degree
freemason scott clarke
Who presented
them with his belief
That the garnet gemstone,
Found on lot 8 by rick
and gary back in 2017,
Was once part of a
masonic breastplate
Used in a profound ritual
connected to the knights templar
And one of the most sacred lost
treasures ever known to mankind.
Scott clarke: The breastplate
was used in a specific
Masonic ritual meant
to mimic the retrieval
Of the ark of the covenant
From a secret vault underground.
Wow.
Narrator: Is it possible that
jack and gary have just found
Another clue that could help
validate scott clarke's theory?
And might it also
explain the oval chain
And bunk hook that were
discovered on lot 8 as well?
Gary: Thanks.
Right, let's see, without
damaging it too much...
Jack: We need to get this
right back to the lab immediately.
Gary: I'm in agreement,
mate. Straight back to the lab.
Here you go, mate,
if you'll look after that.
Wait till they see
this in the lab.
[jack laughs]
Narrator: After finishing
their search on lot 8...
Craig: Hey, smiley guys.
[laughter]
Wait till you see what we found.
Narrator: Gary and
jack meet with rick lagina,
Craig tester and archaeologists
laird niven and emma culligan
In the oak island
interpretive centre.
Gary: Okay. It's lot 8,
it looks really, really old.
It's got a lovely patina on it.
But the design is spectacular.
Oh, wow.
Jack: Put it under
the microscope.
Let's check it out.
Narrator: Using the fisherbrand
And a c-mount 10
megapixel digital camera,
Laird will be able
to take photographs
Of the magnified artifact
and its finer details
At a resolution of as much
as 90 times their actual size.
Gary: Wow, look at that color.
Jack: You can tell there's
got to be copper in there.
Gary: Yep.
Laird: Try to zoom out a bit.
Rick: Can you turn it over?
Oh, it's relatively
thick, isn't it?
There you go.
Jack: Yeah, you can see
it's got markings on it, too.
Laird: Yeah.
Gary: It's just got an old
look, an old feel about it.
But that's a raised
something right there.
Laird: Yeah.
That patina is brilliant.
What's your first thought?
My first thought when-when
I saw it was that it's military.
But why is it here? It
shouldn't be on lot 8.
And neither should've that
brooch, which was recovered
Not far away from this.
Yeah.
Do you mind if I pop
it in the xrf real quick?
All right.
Hopefully, we'll get
some nice surprises
With the metal readout.
Narrator: In order to confirm the
metal composition of the artifact,
Emma is now using the
x-ray fluorescence device,
Which emits
non-destructive radiation.
Okay, the scan is done.
Rick: Whoa.
You'll see the copper
alloy's way up there.
Emma: That's 95% copper.
So, if you look at
the iron component,
It's almost as
equal as the zinc.
And it is pretty small levels.
So, it could be old.
- Boom, baby.
- [laughs]
Laird: It's mostly copper.
There's zinc in there
as well, and iron,
Which makes it
definitively a copper alloy.
Which has been used
for thousands of years.
This piece is so unique
and potentially very old.
I think next steps
Are to ct scan based
on the xrf results,
Clean it very delicately,
So we can get
a better look at it.
Yes.
Narrator: In an
effort to obtain
Much clearer
images of the artifact,
And hopefully identify
what it could be,
Laird will now place it in
the computed tomography,
Or ct, scanner
for up to 24 hours.
By emitting
non-destructive radiation,
The device can
penetrate the corrosion
That has built up on
the object over time
To reveal its finer details.
Rick: This thing is strange.
And I don't want
to get too excited.
But it's definitely different.
Uh, lot 8 seems to be
where we, you know,
Make very interesting finds.
That makes it
curious what activities
Were conducted on lot 8.
I think we just need to
Use science to
determine whether or not
There's some sort of connection
between all of these artifacts.
Would we like
them to tell a story?
Yes, we would.
It's a very curious piece.
Yep.
You guys need to go
and find some more.
Yeah. Coil to the soil.
- Let's go.
- [laughter]
Laird: All right,
see you later.
- Craig: See you later.
- Rick: Thank you, emma.
Emma: See you.
Narrator: Later
that afternoon...
- Craig: Gentlemen.
- Charles: Hi.
Craig: We got the tunnel?
Yeah.
Narrator: Craig
tester arrives
With other members of the team
At the money pit,
after being alerted
About a potentially
important development
In borehole n.5-17.5.
Terry: We seem to have
encountered a tunnel.
We got a singular
beam right here.
So, this post or base support
For what seems to be
a vertical beam here,
Is sitting directly above
Material that has
not been disturbed.
This is from 99 to 103.
That should be the top
Of where we have encountered,
uh, the tunnel previously.
- The tunnel should start here.
- Yeah, exactly.
It's above the area where
we expected to see it.
Craig: Now, we were
expecting the tunnel
At 102 or 103 feet down.
And we hit wood higher
than expected, 99 feet.
Maybe we encountered
a separate structure?
Two tunnels, maybe?
Narrator: In recent weeks,
The oak island team
has encountered
The same five-foot-high
tunnel at a depth
Of 103 feet in four
different boreholes
And believe it could be leading
In the direction of
the garden shaft.
So, now that they have
unearthed new evidence of a tunnel,
But at a depth of only 99 feet,
Could it be part of the tunnel
they have been tracking?
Or is it a completely
separate tunnel
That was previously
unknown to them?
If that's the case,
Who built it? When?
And where does it lead?
Terry: It's an
enigma, that's for sure.
Craig, what do you think?
Let's take this a little deeper,
Just to mark it.
Let's you and I head
back and start figuring out
What this means
and where to drill next.
Okay, all right.
- Craig: See you, guys.
- Scott: Thanks, guys.
Terry: All right,
talk to you soon.
Narrator: As a new
day begins on oak
- Roger: You guys ready?
- Daniel: Yeah.
Narrator: And while the
team from dumas contracting ltd.
Works to complete the new
steel and concrete foundation
Around the top of
the garden shaft...
Roger: Yep, perfect.
- Brandon: 33 to 38.
- Thank you, brandon.
- Brandon: 38, okay.
- 38.33 to 38.
Narrator: Nearly
Geologist terry matheson
And oak island
historian paul troutman
Are supervising the drilling
Of a new borehole
known as f.25-14.4.
Based on the
direction of craig tester,
The team has
chosen this location
45 feet northwest
of borehole n.5-17.5
Where they discovered
evidence of a tunnel
At a depth of 99
feet one day ago.
- Brandon: 48.
- Paul: 48.
Narrator: Because they had
originally been tracking a tunnel
Some 103 feet deep,
Which is believed to be
heading toward the garden shaft,
They are hoping to determine
If there are actually
two different structures
Below ground in this area.
Terry: This hole, f.25-14.4,
That placement we feel
is going to hit that tunnel
If it passes through there?
Yeah, and-and potentially
- There is more than one tunnel here.
- Right.
Paul: The other thing,
too, is to try to delineate
Whether it continues
up north to south
In this direction, going
to the garden shaft.
So, maybe we'll get a hit here.
Maybe this will give us
some good information.
Terry: Cross our fingers.
Narrator: As operations
continue in the money pit area,
Rick lagina arrives at
the interpretive centre.
- Rick: Wow. That is impressive.
- Laird: Yeah.
Narrator: Here,
archeologists laird niven,
Helen sheldon
And emma culligan
have just completed
The computed tomography scan
Of the mysterious artifact
Found one day ago on lot 8.
Rick: That's very different than
the way it looked the other day.
Laird: Yep.
Has it been folded?
Yes, it's been
folded three times.
Laird: So you can
actually see the fold there,
See the overlaying fold.
Rick: So, these
raised areas you see
And the recessed areas,
That's not because
of the folding?
-No. -It's not artificial?
- No, no, no.
- This is...?
Laird: So, you can see these
markings are a, deliberate
And b, something
I've never seen before.
But strange, strange symbols.
Here's the other side, too.
And it's fragile.
It's been in the
ground for a long time.
I want to go through
each little design.
If I measure them out
and if they're not consistent,
Then you know it's not stamped,
It was handcrafted.
Laird: The implication is that
is if it's handcrafted, it's older.
Rick: We have to find a way
To put a date to it
- Because it-it's such a "wow" thing.
- Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
What is this?
You thought maybe military.
- Do you...? Have you come off of that?
- Yes.
And, really, apart
from that, I don't know
If it was on some clothing
Or if it was on, uh,
something more ceremonial.
We don't know yet.
Narrator: Could archaeologist
laird niven be correct
That this artifact was used
for a ceremonial purpose?
If so, might it offer evidence
Of the masonic rituals
that some, like scott clarke,
Believe took place
long ago on lot 8
In relation to sacred treasures
Connected to the
knights templar?
Rick: Helen, what do you think?
Are you as mystified
as the rest of us?
I am as mystified
as the rest of you.
It's, um, very thin.
It appears quite decorative.
I've never seen anything
quite like that before, so...
This is definitely an
intentional decoration.
There's no way
this can be modern?
Not to me.
And helen?
It doesn't strike me
as being modern.
Like, not 20th century.
Rick: It's the
symbology of the piece,
The-the design of it,
They are unique characters.
The iconography
involved here is...
It's like nothing I've
seen on the island.
We're gonna look into it.
I think there's information
Within that symbology.
Mm-hmm.
And I think we
need to follow this.
So, we need to
reach out to people
And, uh, see what they think.
- Yeah.
- Rick: Okey-doke.
I'm going to let you
at your business.
- Okay, all right.
- Thank you. That-that was cool.
It is neat.
Narrator: While rick lagina
concludes his meeting
In the interpretive centre...
Back at the money pit...
It's blue-grey till,
but it's a little soft.
Terry matheson,
Paul troutman
And other members of the team
Continue supervising
the drilling operation
In borehole f.25-14.4
As it approaches the target
depth of some 100 feet.
Terry: This is pretty mundane
stuff, just as we expected.
Um, take a look at
what comes up next,
That'll be very important.
- Brandon: Got one more bag.
- Steve: Got one more?
So, basically, it's,
uh, caved in to 99
- After I pulled that other one out.
- Scott: Okay.
Just well-bedded sediment here.
Paul: We got wood
right here, 103.
Terry: Oh, wow.
That's it, right there.
Scott: That's interesting.
Where did they
experience the drop?
It dropped from 99 down to 103.
This intersection right here
Is sitting right on
top of some muck.
- That's probably the floor.
- Terry: Exactly.
Scott: This would
put this tunnel
- Coming from a higher elevation.
- Yep.
Steve: So, right now
we've got real evidence
That we have two
different tunnels
At two different elevations
Essentially in
the same location.
So, there's a lot of
investigating for us to do.
- We've hit two tunnels, right?
- That's right.
Exactly.
Yep.
Terry: I think rick
might want to see this.
Paul: Yep.
- Terry: We should let him know.
- Paul: All right.
- Paul: Hey, rick.
- Rick: Hey, guys.
What have we got?
We dropped from
There's the wood
at approximately 103.
We've hit the tunnel.
The question is, of
course, "which tunnel?"
Narrator: In the
money pit area,
Rick lagina joins members
of the oak island team
Where they have
just drilled into
A possible man-made structure
In borehole f.25-14.4,
Located just 37 feet southwest
Of the garden shaft.
Our target was the tunnel that
we've been chasing in the south.
- But we may have hit another tunnel.
- Really?
But right now we have good
confidence at about 103 feet
Was the floor of this tunnel.
So... which is-is higher,
Higher than our tunnel
that we've been chasing.
Rick: Is it possible
That this tunnel,
at this elevation,
Would have allowed another
tunnel to come very near it?
Might one or both of
these tunnels be associated
With original work
in the garden shaft?
It's possible.
Yeah, you could
still project a line
To the garden shaft from
where we have our tunnel.
Those two purple
lines go right through.
I agree. I totally agree.
So, that makes our life
a little bit more confusing
And-and it gives us
all a little bit more work,
Or at least homework.
- So, our next step is to review the data...
- Rick: Yep.
Scott: And how it
compares to our tunnel
That we've been chasing
to the garden shaft.
Yep. So, let's glean
some more information
From what we've already done
- And then try to decide how to move forward.
- Yep.
- Right on.
- All righty. Thank you, guys.
Steve: When we have
something, we'll fill you in.
Narrator: Later
that afternoon...
Steve: So, as you know,
we just finished f.25-14.4
And we were trying to determine
- If that was part of our tunneling system from this year.
- Yep.
Narrator: Rick lagina
arrives at the research centre
To meet with
surveyor steve guptill
And project manager scott barlow
To formulate a new plan
For where to drill next
in the money pit area.
We had a successful tunnel hit.
However, we believe it's
probably not our tunnel.
As you know, j-15.25,
It was the last confirmed hit
In the tunnel we've
been chasing this year.
Right.
Steve: And that's
where we've left off.
Up until this point,
we're pretty confident
That this is our tunnel that
we've been chasing northwest
To the garden shaft,
based on the drill program
And sonar work, up
to this green circle.
Now, we're into
a bit of a problem.
You see this big green circle?
Rick: Yep.
Steve: That's our muon setback.
And you see this red line?
That's our muon power.
So, those are two
obstacles we have in our way.
Narrator: Late last fall,
The oak island team installed
muon tomography sensors
Deep underground
in five boreholes
Across the money pit area.
These devices are detecting
Subatomic particles that
originate from outer space
As they penetrate
the earth's surface.
The collected data
will be used to generate
A detailed map of
underground anomalies
Including tunnels,
voids and large objects
Such as a treasure vault.
We kind of find
ourselves in a bit of a,
You know, boxed-in effect.
Narrator: However, this
potential breakthrough operation,
Which will take several
more months to complete,
Presents an unfortunate obstacle
for the team's drilling program.
Rick: The muon detectors
are collecting data as we speak.
They cannot be
moved and you need to
Have a ten-foot setback
around each of the, uh, detectors.
Unfortunately, that
compromises our ability
To follow these tunnels.
So, we have to try to find
another way around the issue.
Can you extend the purple line
- Of the original tunnel for me?
- Steve: Oh, I sure can.
I'll extend it through our
money pit pad for you.
- Okay, there we go.
- Rick: Okay, perfect.
There is a spot there where
I'd be comfortable drilling.
Where's that?
Rick: Come right. Down.
- Right there.
- Steve: Right here?
I'll put a point there.
Rick: I'd be
comfortable drilling that.
We're only like
a foot in, maybe.
When they created that
setback, they said to us...
Yep.
"we're being
overly cautious."
Scott: That's right.
I-I think that's a
safe location as well.
Mm-hmm.
But if we do drill there,
And we do hit,
what does it tell us?
The objective for me is we
want to get a sonar down there
And image it to the
south and to the north.
It may be open.
It may be open quite
a distance to the north.
And that would be
very helpful to know that
Because it's such close
proximity to the garden shaft.
It might be a potential
target for tunneling
Or expanding the
bottom of the garden shaft.
Yep.
That's my vote.
That's about as far north as
we can go, given the setback
For protecting the muon hole.
So, I think we try to
reacquire the tunnel there.
Yep.
And we're going to adjust
every time we drill a hole.
This is not a fixed grid.
This is jumping from
one piece of data
To the next piece of data
to the next piece of data.
Steve: Yep. I like that.
Maybe there's a little bit of
gold at the end of this rainbow.
Rick: Maybe.
Okay, well, we have a plan.
That's where we're
going to go next.
Okay?
All right. You and I
should head back.
- Should we go get prepped then?
- Yep.
Okay, let's do that.
Rick: Well done, guys.
Terry: I want to say
three or four feet
Of well-bedded material here.
We saw this in a
couple of previous holes.
Ij-15.25 is going to fulfill
- Its promise, I think.
- Yeah.
Narrator: As another
day of exploration
Begins on oak island,
Terry matheson, along
with charles barkhouse
And paul troutman, are
supervising the drilling
Of a new borehole
known as ij-15.25.
Charles: Well, we got
another core coming.
Narrator: Located
Of their previous
drilling location,
And at a safe distance
From the nearby
muon detecting test hole,
In the coming days, the
team hopes to determine
If there could be two
man-made tunnels
Between 99 and 108 feet deep
That lead toward
the garden shaft,
And, potentially, the
legendary oak island treasure.
Potentially, some of
the projections show
It could go to the garden shaft.
We'll just have to keep
following the clues.
Terry: Right on.
I'm just gonna shove it down
dry to 18 feet, see what we got.
Narrator: As the core-drilling
operation in the money pit continues...
Rick: Uh, I think we all know
Uh, that the item before us
Is probably the most
unique and interesting item
That gary has
discovered this year.
Narrator: Rick lagina gathers
with members of the team
In the w*r room
For a meeting that they hope
Will lead to potential answers
Regarding the
mysterious copper artifact
Found two days ago on lot 8.
Uh, we've reached out
to, uh, dr. Ed barnhart.
He has an extensive resume
In the field of archaeology.
Gary, we have him
on remote video.
- So, if you could bring him up.
- Yep, sure.
- Good morning, dr. Barnhart.
- Hello, mate.
- Good morning.
- Welcome to the w*r room.
I know that we have sent
you off a picture of the item
We have here and our
hope is that you can, uh,
Render an opinion as
to what it might represent,
Based on your experience.
Well, I've spent a lot of
my career in mesoamerica.
I've also done a lot of work in
north america and south america.
So, I have a pretty good range
of the americas in general.
I specialize mostly
in archeoastronomy
And ancient sciences,
but that includes metallurgy.
Here we have, uh, what
appears to be a metal object
And it does have
some iconography on it.
It has a number of elements
that might turn out to be diagnostic
Where we can really say,
you know, where it came from.
And it looks like it
has some element
Of perishable materials, too,
that we might be able to date.
So, yes, I'm
really interested in
Digging into it deeper.
Dr. Barnhart, in
your experience, um,
Does anything just
jump into your head
When you first look at it?
We initially, at first glance,
Thought, "oh, there's
a pattern on there."
Well, the pattern is intriguing,
but it's, uh, purely geometric.
I wish we had a foot or an arm
sticking in there somewhere,
But geometry is kind
of all over the planet,
So that does not
narrow it down for us
About what region or what time.
Initially, we thought
it was stamped,
But the symbols on it,
If we can call them symbols,
Are not uniform.
It's quite irregular
in terms of its design.
And that's what made
us think that, you know,
Certainly this was an
artisan or-or hand-created.
Right. It's basically embossed.
Ed: I think you're right
on the money there.
If it isn't a
consistent, uh, shape
To each one of the
things we can see,
Probably handmade
rather than a factory.
That in and of itself leans
towards an older date.
But the material seems to be
Some sort of
copper-based plating.
There are not a lot of things
made beyond gold and silver.
Things that were
alloy technology
Are few and far
between in the americas.
So, it's already,
uh, a long shot
That it's from the americas,
being the material it is.
Rick: Upon initial
visualization of this item,
Can you reflect on
what it might be?
Sure. It's probably something
that once covered an object.
As decoration?
As decoration, yes.
But it's some sort of ornate
Metallic cover to an object.
Europeans did a lot of that.
They covered
boxes and furniture.
So, it could have
come from afar.
It does have some
iconography on it,
So it could be some
sort of religious object.
Rick: Really?
Wow.
Narrator: In the w*r room,
Renowned archeologist
dr. Edwin barnhart
Has just given rick lagina and
members of the oak island team
His preliminary assessment
That the copper artifact
found two days ago on lot 8
Appears to be ancient,
And possibly of european origin.
To go back to the
"decoration" on it,
Is there any inference
you can make?
Because it is quite strange.
And the back and the
front are very different.
Ed: It's ornate,
so it was an object
Meant to dazzle someone.
But what we have left in
this fragment is geometric.
It-it may well be the border of
some picture that would've been
Much more telling as to,
uh, its culture or origin.
An object in isolation
is an enigma.
- But I love me a mystery.
- [laughter]
So if you give me more
information, I'll dig deeper.
Rick: Well, we would
certainly appreciate that.
In our lab here, we
have an xrf and an xrd.
We can send you
off those reports.
And we will look
forward to any response
Or any inferences you can make
Based upon those reports.
Excellent.
Well, thanks for involving
me in this little mystery.
I'll take a look and
get back to you.
- Thank you, dr. Barnhart.
- Thank you.
- Rick: Take care.
- Gary: Cheers.
Ed: Great, thanks a lot.
Narrator: Following the
meeting in the w*r room...
[thunder crashing]
Despite the harsh
turn in the weather...
Mike: There's the big daddy.
- Roger: There's our friends.
- Rick: There they are.
Narrator: Rick lagina,
along with roger fortin,
Eagerly welcome representatives
from irving equipment ltd.
Who are delivering
a 109-ton crane
Needed for the next
phase of construction
In the garden shaft.
With this piece of gear,
y-you're set to rock and roll.
Oh, absolutely, absolutely.
- Morning, gentlemen.
- Roger: Good morning. How are you?
- Morning.
- Morning.
I think I certainly
recognize the two of you.
- You know this fellow, right?
- I know michel, absolutely.
How you doing?
Michel: Good, good, you?
So, roger can speak
to where they're at,
But I think, you know,
This is the-the key,
critical component, right?
Oh. Yeah. We're
at the point right now
- Where you guys are coming in at a perfect time.
- Bill p.: Awesome.
Roger: Because we need your help
to get that hammer grab down there
And get excavating.
So, we're all anxious
And we're all raring to go.
- Yeah.
- Perfect.
Bill p.: We'll offload
from the trailer
- And start to put the crane together.
- Yeah.
Once it's complete here,
We can crawl up to site,
And we're ready to roll.
- Yeah, I love the sound of that.
- Awesome.
- Roger: Yep.
- Awesome.
- Rick: Let's get after it.
- Roger: All right, sounds good.
- Bill p.: Thanks, guys.
- Roger: Talk to you later.
- Bill p.: Talk to you later.
- Roger: Yep.
Rick: We have real data
That strongly suggests
That the garden shaft might have
Some answers to understanding
The complexity of
the oak island mystery.
Bill p.: Come this way
another foot or two. That's good.
Narrator: Now that the
steel and concrete foundation
Surrounding the garden
shaft has been completed,
In the coming days,
the massive crane
Will be used along with
a 3-ton hammer grab tool
In order to remove the muck
And sediment from the
old, dilapidated shaft.
This will allow the
representatives from dumas
To begin construction of
the new waterproof shaft
Down to a level
of at least 80 feet.
- Michel: Are we good?
- Bill p.: Yeah.
Marty: Is it possible that
we've come full circle?
We applied all this technology
Only to arrive where the
original searchers started?
By digging a shaft down,
we might actually learn
What happened here and
potentially recover a treasure.
It's romantic as can
be. And it's exciting.
We're going to
actually go underground.
But the cool thing to me is
That we're coming clear back
to what the original searchers did,
Only maybe this time
we'll be successful.
Bill p.: This way a bit.
Rick: There's a lot of
hope it will tell a story
That is related to the mystery.
- Whoa, good.
- Awesome.
- Roger: Pretty exciting.
- Rick: Yes, it is.
As much work as
you've done for the prep,
- This is when it starts.
- Oh, yes. Oh, yes.
Narrator: The tireless efforts of
rick, marty, craig and their team
May soon be rewarded
with the ultimate validation.
One that would be
not only for themselves,
But also for the generations
Of devoted searchers
who came before them.
As more clues surface
that may soon identify
Just who was behind
the oak island mystery,
Could this team
be one last dig away
From revealing a vast
treasure hidden deep below?
Or will the mysterious forces
Of the island once again
intervene to stop them?
Next time on the
curse of oak island...
Alex: Here we go.
Rick: We're going to run
A geophysical
investigation in the swamp.
- Whoa.
- Big one?
Jeremy: Yeah. Big hit.
Fantastic.
[cheering]
- I see it.
- Oh, I see it as well, look.
Oh, I mean, this is nice.
Oh!
The bottom dropped
right out from under you.
- That's right.
- This is not a natural cavity.
- That doesn't happen.
- We better get a camera down it.
Scott: Here we go.
- Keep going.
- There's the edge of something.
Wait, no. Stop.
Some sort of like
pedestal sticking up.