The Curse of Oak Island: Drilling Down (2016–…): Season 9, Episode 1 - The Top Ten Finds You Never Saw - full transcript
A massive stone road
found buried
In the triangle-shaped swamp.
- Wow.
- It's quite impressive.
It looks like
a piece of finished wood.
A piece of ship's railing dating
Back to as early as
the seventh century.
Top-pocket find.
It might lead
us to treasure. Wow.
And for the
first time in the history
Of the oak island
treasure hunt...
Down in those
holes, there is silver.
Definitive proof of treasure
found deep in the money pit.
Is it a handful of silver, or
is it a gerhardt dump truck
Load of silver?
It's a gerhardt dump truck.
- Aw, baby!
- Oh, no way!
Season eight of the
curse of oak island showed
Unprecedented progress by
rick, marty, craig and the team
In their quest to solve the
oak island treasure mystery.
Wow.
That's bloody brilliant.
It might be actually gold.
Very interesting.
Oh, wow, look at that, mate.
This is an old
lead cloth bag seal.
In fact, the
fellowship of the dig
Unearthed 2,000 discoveries,
Making it impossible to
include them all in the show.
So tonight, we're
opening up the vault...
So to speak... to give all
you faithful acorns out there
An exclusive look at
more of the key clues
And valuable objects that
suggest the ultimate questions
Of who, what, where,
when, why and how
Are closer than ever to
finally being answered.
Get ready as we count down
the top ten season eight finds
You never saw... Until now!
Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.
Now, I know
what you're thinking.
With so many discoveries
made on oak island
During season eight,
How could we possibly
feature ten tonight
That weren't on the show?
Well, to be honest,
because there were so many
Compelling ones, it wasn't easy.
We started with some
help from rick, marty,
Craig and the fellowship.
We then drilled down with
our editors and producers,
Who scoured through nearly 7,000
Hours of footage to put
together this incredible list.
Each one is an essential
piece of the oak island puzzle
That proves something
of extraordinary importance
Happened here centuries ago.
So... Let's get started.
The iron survey pin.
Hey, craig!
Look at the road we found.
- It is amazing.
- There's no mistaking,
This is a cobbled road.
There is no doubt.
I mean, this is obvious.
Season eight saw rick, marty
And the team unearth one
of the biggest discoveries
Ever made on oak island:
A massive stone road believed
To have once been
part of a ship's wharf.
I'd like to concentrate
On where the road does go,
Whether it comes upland.
Wherever it goes, that's where
we need to concentrate on.
- I agree.
- Yeah.
But, as with most finds
On oak island,
It lead to even more questions.
We clearly have to follow
the stone pathway all the way
'cause it's enigmatic,
It's very old.
So what's it there
for, you know?
How does it fit in with
the treasure stories?
So we have to find it, we have
to follow it to where it leads.
So rick sent his nephew
David fornetti and metal
detection expert gary drayton
On a mission to see what
else could be found in the area
To help explain who
may have built it and how.
That's a much bigger signal.
Ooh.
Fortunately, sounds like iron,
- But could be...
- This right here?
Yep.
Let's hope it's an
old piece of iron.
Double-check.
Ooh, wow.
That's like an old survey pin.
- We're kind of in the middle of nowhere.
- Yeah.
And so, what-what
is that doing out here?
Yeah, and if you see the head
there, it's been mushroomed.
But it was hammered
in a few times.
Yeah, someone was
out here doing some
Surveying a heck
of a long time ago.
I love it.
- Sign of good things to come.
- All right.
So what would that
have been used for?
Exactly, that's a
great point, david.
Why would someone
have this in this area?
What were they surveying?
It was a bit early in the season
For the guys to make
an educated guess
On what the survey pin
may have been used for...
Rick, check this out!
But several weeks
later, after unearthing
A cobblestone pathway
in the swamp leading away
From the stone
wharf, the team found
A mason's t-square...
A wooden surveyor's tool
That was dated
to as early as 1632.
Not only was there a lot of
surveying going on, but there
Was clearly a lot of manual
labor to go along with it.
And that takes us back
to that very same day
Where gary and david
made the next top find
That you didn't
get to see until now.
The lot 15 hammer.
Got a hit there, mate!
Just moments after
discovering the iron survey pin,
Gary and david found
another potentially vital clue
That might help answer how
the wharf and pathway were made.
Is that it?
- It is!
- Whoa!
It's another
tool, by the look of it.
Let's see what we got here.
That looks like a tool to me.
And I have no idea
what kind of tool.
Let me just scrape a
little piece of the gunk off it.
I don't want to scratch it up.
I don't know if
that's dirt or not.
The way this is shaped,
That looks like
that is the shaft.
So, it would have been in
wood. Probably a wooden handle.
- Kind of crudish.
- Right.
Feel how heavy
it is for the size.
- Wow.
- Which would lead
You to believe that
this is an older tool.
Yeah, it's hard to put a
date on something like this.
And it's in fairly
good condition.
Whenever you pick
up iron and it's small
And it's really, really heavy,
That means it's
normally pre-1840s.
You know what, my
first thought was hammer.
I wonder if it was used
Like some kind of hammer.
Further analysis
by experts corroborated
Gary and david's theory that
the object was the remains
Of a possibly ancient hammer.
Could it have been used
to drive the iron ringbolts
Into the ground
that were also found
During season eight
along the stone pathway
In and around the swamp?
Ringbolts believed
to have been utilized
For hauling cargo away from
the swamp, and to somewhere
In the uplands of oak island?
Something was going on here.
A trail of some rather large
Activity moving things around.
And in particular,
Look at the location
where this is occurring.
This is occurring from the
paved area in the swamp, going up
Towards lot 15 and/or maybe,
generally, the money pit.
You don't farm the
swamp, you don't farm
The side of that steep hill.
So what's going
on in the late 1600s,
Early 1700s?
Just goes to show, you know,
All of these artifacts
were hidden for so long.
It gives us promise that
underneath all of these piles
Behind us, there
could be more artifacts.
- It's another great find.
- It really is.
It was a great find.
And another potentially vital
piece of the oak island puzzle.
In fact, just like the mason's
t-square and the ringbolts,
The surveyor's pin and the
hammer may all have been
Used together in order to
design the stone pathway system
That might soon lead the team
To a vast cache
of buried treasure.
During season eight,
Rick, marty, craig and
the team conducted
More archaeological search
operations across oak island
Than ever before in order to
reveal more about the origins
Of the treasure mystery
and the key historical figures
Who might have
played a role in it.
That includes this
property, once owned
By late 18th-century oak
island resident samuel ball.
Now, the ball foundation
has always been intriguing
To the brothers... not just
because it's one of the few
Stone structures still partially
intact on the island today,
But also because it was owned
by a man who came to oak island
As a humble former
american slave
And cabbage farmer in 1785,
Only to become one of
the wealthiest landowners
In nova scotia by
the early 1800s.
Many have speculated that
he may have found something
Of great value
while living here,
Or was associated with someone
Who made a treasure deposit.
I feel something there.
Oh! Yeah, that's nice.
Key season eight
finds on the former ball property
Included a patent plate
That may have come from an
expensively decorated firearm...
Hey, look at this.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
As well as an early 19th-century
British naval officer's button
That represented
evidence that samuel ball
Was in league with
some important people.
The front is spectacular.
Yeah, I mean, those
anchors are amazing.
I think that is
- Gold or gilding, right there.
- Yeah, I think so.
That find led
the team to investigate
Two wharfs
bordering the coastline
On lot 25 where samuel
ball built his home.
One of those wharfs appeared
to be the kind a cabbage farmer
Might use for shipping
his goods to the mainland.
You think you
did find the wharf?
Over.
But the site of the second
wharf they discovered was massive,
Suggesting that an operation
much larger than farming
Took place on the
property long ago.
We were estimating it
To be 75 to 100 feet from shore.
- Mm-hmm.
- So that's a huge, huge wharf.
- Yeah.
- That's good.
How could he have built that?
- It fits the story of a big excavation.
- Mm-hmm.
Because of the amount of
back and forth you'd have to do.
- Yeah.
- If that was their purpose,
It would have been to support
The hiding of the treasure.
Right.
Finding a
massive, 100-foot-long,
16-foot-wide wharf
on the property
Left the team scratching
their heads wondering
If it was the smoking
gun tying samuel ball
To the oak island treasure.
But it certainly gave
some possible context
To another top find made on
the property earlier in the year
That you never got to see...
Until right now.
The barrel hoop.
Okay, mate. This is
a good little clearing
- To start.
- Yeah, okay.
Using his minelab
gpx 5000 detector,
Which could scan
as deep as six feet,
Made treasure
hunting on samuel ball's
Property like
shooting fish in a...
Well, you'll see.
Yeah, and we got
a good target here.
When I say "good target,"
I'm not sure what it is, but...
There's a very strong
signal response there, mate.
- Let's go for this one.
- Okay.
Seems to be right there.
It's gonna be tough digging.
Right there.
- Can I have that trowel, mate?
- Sure.
Ooh.
Yeah, it looks like...
- Strapping of some kind.
- Yeah, sort of, yeah.
The only metal straps
I know are-are barrel loops.
- Okay.
- But we did have that other target just there.
Yeah, this is more
than likely just the same.
Yeah.
- Another piece.
- Yeah.
- That's right.
- Yeah, now we are leading towards strap.
- Strap barrel, yeah?
- Yeah.
And barrel hoops by
definition were pliable.
Would've been
thin metal like this.
- Yeah.
- And you would have... yeah.
Yeah.
- There's more.
- Oh, there's more of it.
- It's right there.
- Yeah.
Look at that.
Wow!
- This is cool.
- Yeah.
Could be a thin little barrel
loop, put 'em around a barrel.
The barrel hoop or metal
strap that would have been used
To help seal a large cargo
keg was an incredible find
To make on the property
of the mysterious mr. Ball.
Because it just may have
been connected to an incredibly
Important find made in the
swamp a couple weeks earlier.
Hey, guys.
Check that out. Top of a keg.
Wow.
So that's a keg. Lid to a keg?
- Yep.
- How far down?
Right there.
Holy crow.
That's very important.
Because it wasn't just
gunpowder they put in kegs.
It was all treasure
coins as well.
While investigating
the massive stone wharf feature
In the swamp, rick lagina found
Pieces of a wooden cargo barrel
That was dated to as
early as the 15th century.
Might it have been part of
a barrel that once contained
A portion of the oak island
treasure, as gary speculated?
If so, then perhaps he
and michael john found
Another piece of a
similar cargo barrel
On samuel ball's property,
making it without a doubt
An important find.
Ah, if only we had
another clue of what exactly
It might have contained.
Get where I'm going with this?
You guessed it... the next
Top never before
seen find on our list.
Samuel ball's top pocket find.
All right, next one up.
Oh, I love that tone.
Rock solid.
While metal detecting
near the ball foundation,
Gary drayton and rick
lagina made a discovery
That could be direct evidence
of the mysterious wealth
Samuel ball accumulated
while living on oak island.
That is going to
be a coin, rick.
- This one?
- Yep.
That is too good of a signal
Not to be a coin.
Good two-way repeatable,
that nice, high tone.
Ooh.
High hopes for this one, mate.
Okay.
- Again, it's in that top clod.
- It is.
Well, at least
it's not in the top.
- It's a coin!
- Oh!
Look at that! That's a coin.
That's a big one, as well.
- That is.
- Oh, look at that patina, mate.
That's brilliant.
Well, I bet that's an oldie,
'cause that's a large coin.
It's not milled on the
edge. Can you see milling?
Ah, I just don't want to
mess with it too much.
Just can't tell.
Normally, you can feel
that bumpity, bumpity, bump
As you go around,
but what this is,
Is beautiful because
it's a large size coin.
It's thick.
And it's in great condition,
so this should clean up nicely
And I would imagine
it would have a king
Or a queen on one side...
And the date on the other.
It's in very good condition.
Yeah, it really is,
but look at that.
Look at that patina.
I mean, that is beautiful.
- And that wasn't very deep.
- No.
Told you it was a coin, mate.
- That is fantastic.
- You did say it was a coin.
This is a good one, mate.
I know what it is.
It's a top-pocket find.
It really is a
top-pocket find, mate.
I know what
you must be thinking.
How did a coin
discovery on the property
Of samuel ball not make
it on the main show?
Well, you all saw how
incredible season eight was.
When you have some
2,000 finds to choose from,
It's only during special
occasions like this
That they can be given
their due in the spotlight.
If season eight
of the curse of oak island
Echoed anything,
It's that when it comes
to finding the treasure
Buried here, all roads...
Or should I say pathways...
Appear to lead to the money pit.
The team not only found
all that evidence of silver
Buried down there... which
we have more to reveal about
As our countdown continues... but
it's also where we saw them make
A trove of other
major discoveries.
If you see something
that doesn't belong underground,
We should set it aside
and have somebody
- Take a look at it anyway.
- Sure. Okay.
In fact, one of those key finds
Occurred while they were sifting
Through spoils that
had been excavated
From borehole 8-b
the previous year.
Oh! What do you think this is?
- You found it right there?
- Yeah.
Yeah, what is that?
This is exactly the kind of
thing that we're looking for.
Careful, there.
Yeah, I don't want to...
Looks like leather almost.
It for sure looks like leather.
- Looks like the heel from a shoe.
- Yeah.
Indeed it was from the heel
Of a leather shoe, or boot,
As confirmed by
leather expert joe landry.
But it was when the
team had the heel tested
That they realized what
a key clue it actually was.
Talk to us, craig.
What do we got?
95% sure this is what it is.
1492 to 1662.
1492?
- Isn't that amazing?
- Holy crap!
1492 to 1662.
This is overwhelming
information.
So we determined
that it came from europe,
Most likely France.
How about that?
No, that is really cool.
So, could this boot heel
Actually help
identify the nationality
Of the people behind the
mystery and approximately
When they made their deposit?
Perhaps. And it also could
be connected to the next
Top finds on our list
that you didn't get to see.
Try to look through everything.
The leather garments.
Just to make sure the
leather heel was no fluke,
The team kept
searching the spoils
Of borehole 8-b, looking
for more evidence.
What do you think that is?
Really got your hands on it, but
I think that's leather, right?
Yeah, that's a really
nice piece of leather.
- Is that...? Oh, yeah, wow.
- It's a really nice piece of leather.
- Yep.
- Wow.
I'd say that's from
like a glove or a shoe.
Looks like...
I mean, I might be wrong,
but it looks like you can see
Where there was some
sewing right along that edge.
Looks almost like
a finger, possibly.
Yeah, looks like
the finger of a glove.
Yeah, there' no disputing
- That that's leather.
- Yeah, that's leather.
And when this, along
with a second piece of leather
Found in the spoils
of borehole rf-1,
Were taken to leather
expert joe landry for analysis...
Hi, joe.
The team was stunned at
what they had on their hands.
We got something we're
really interested in you having
- A look at for us.
- Ah, I'd be delighted.
So these are two
different samples,
From two different caissons
that look surprisingly similar.
So, we're wondering if you
think they're from the same object
- Or associated in some way?
- Okay, sure.
Oh, yes.
Yeah, this is a much,
much finer leather.
This would have been used
for a much finer item, you know,
A gentleman's glove
or even a lady's glove.
Wow.
- So, we're looking at a high-end item?
- Higher, much finer, yeah.
Very white, probably close
to the leather that were used
During the, uh,
renaissance period.
What are the dates on
the renaissance period?
Well, this is, this
is, um, early 1600s.
Hmm.
And the other...
Wow, yes, yeah.
So, I mean, if you compare
these two, it's like you're looking
At two pieces from
the same garment.
And-and it appears to be
perhaps a finger from a glove.
Perhaps a gentleman's glove
rather than a, than a lady's.
You can see the
stitching here on the side.
The fact that these are high-end
items, that doesn't speak to,
Say, a searcher who's
more of a common laborer...
- Yeah...
- It speaks to a depositor.
Yeah, you wouldn't
wear your finest clothes
- When you're working underground.
- No, no.
Could the leather garments
have belonged to the same french
Individual who buried
a vast treasure of silver
And who knows what else
on oak island as far back
As the 15th century?
The team will keep digging
to find out in season nine.
But that leaves another
important question.
How did they do it?
To help answer
that, we're back here
At the aromatic,
triangle-shaped swamp.
Hey! Wait a second.
Look at that.
That's cut.
I'd say.
Oh, yeah.
That's definitely cut.
Yeah, right there,
right there, right there.
While
investigating the stone road
And pathway in the
southeastern corner
Of the man-made swamp
during season eight,
Marty, rick and
the team discovered
A number of cut wooden stakes
That archaeologist
dr. Aaron taylor believed
Were used as survey tools
to build these structures.
Would they use that as like
a survey stake, you think?
Stake out the road, like, if
guys like us were working...
- Okay. Yep.
- Somebody would go through first.
Say, "between there
and there," right?
Yeah, that's beautiful.
These stakes offered
More clues to help shape
The oak island puzzle.
Getting another signal
in this area would be nice.
But what we didn't get
to show you was the next find
On our list that may have
been used to shape them.
The double headed axe.
Got one!
Here we go!
Just there, mate. It's a...
Strong signal.
Is this it?
That's it!
Looks like an axe.
It is an axe! That's
a double bit axe.
That is an oldie.
That is fantastic!
- There's wood on it, too, right?
- Yeah.
You can see the-the wood.
Yeah. The wood's still in there.
It's got the two bits.
Uh, this would have been
like an old woodcutter's axe.
What an oldie.
That's impressive.
You feel that weight, rick?
It looks the same... ooh, wow!
But again, what is an axe
doing here in the swamp?
- 'cause this wasn't swamp.
- No.
And if billy's right
and the road keeps going,
Then what you're finding
Is contemporaneous
with the road.
I mean, this is fantastic,
mate. Artifact in the swamp!
Not only was
it a fantastic find,
But billy gerhardt
was absolutely right.
The stone pathway kept going...
And going...
All the way out of the swamp
And in the direction
of the money pit.
I'm still here in
the triangle-shaped swamp
Because even though it's
easy to pick up the scent
Of some nasty aromas, as
marty lagina often laments,
It's also where the place where
the team continues to pick up
The scent of a vast treasure
That people have been trying
to find for over two centuries.
This particular artifact
was found in the swamp.
What the hell is that?
Wow, that is very badly burned.
Part of a ship?
- Wow!
- Ooh, look at that!
I would say this looks military.
Now we already
mentioned the ringbolts and pieces
Of cargo barrels
that were found along
The stone pathway in the swamp.
Look at that.
Could be a low-grade
gold. Feel the weight of it.
But the team also
discovered a gold-colored knob,
Which really impressed artifact
conservator sandy campbell
When he analyzed it.
I mean, you can
tell by the workmanship,
It's far from modern.
Could be some kind of a
knob from a jewel chest.
It could have been
just for a secret box.
- You-you... Who knows?
- Really?
Discoveries like
that really excited the team,
As they found more evidence
that the pathway headed
Out of the swamp and
toward the money pit.
And what made this next
Find that you never
saw in season eight
Just as encouraging
was that it was not only
Found along the stone pathway,
But it matched an identical one
Discovered two years
ago in the money pit itself.
The rosehead spike.
That tells me there's
something here, michael.
- Okay.
- Just in there, just in that section there.
All right.
- Yeah, you got it out.
- Yeah, I did.
Whatever it is, it's just here.
- Oh! Look at that.
- Oh, very interesting, yeah.
- Now that's nice.
- Yes.
Yeah, we both know what this is.
A nice, short spike.
Let me just have
a little look at it.
Yeah, that's an oldie. Look.
It's an ugly rosehead, but
it's definitely a rosehead.
- Yeah.
- It was bashed down and...
It just kind of split,
got that petal design
- Going round there.
- Yeah.
That's an old, old
nail, and I know it's old
Because of the weight of it.
Feel the weight of it, mate.
Yeah.
I always like searching the top
Of the spoils pile because they
Came from the deepest depth.
So, it is an artifact connected
To whatever that
stone feature is there.
We've found some
beauties all over the island.
Rosehead nails
are pre-1780, 1790,
When the first factory,
Machine-made nails came out.
So, any rosehead nails
Found in the spoil piles
Is a good find, because it means
It's pre-1780, '90.
Ah, mate, very
nice artifact indeed.
It's gonna be beautiful
when it's cleaned up.
Let's try and find
some more artifacts.
That's right.
It's these
correlating discoveries
That, one by one, are bringing
The team closer and closer
To solving the
oak island mystery.
Speaking of solving mysteries,
unearthing the massive remains
Of a stone wharf in
the southeastern corner
Of the swamp last year
pretty much helped the team
Prove the late fred
nolan's long-held theory
That the swamp
was artificially made.
There's something on the
bottom there and I'm not joking.
Is that a piece of
cut wood there?
Further investigation
of the area then led
To the discovery
of the oldest artifact
Ever documented on oak island.
- Very cool.
- Good eyes.
Top-pocket find.
Good one, billy.
A top-pocket find
That was determined
to be a piece
Of wooden ship's railing
Dating back as far as 660 a.D.
Now, that may seem unbelievable,
But it's another key clue
that might explain the massive
200-foot-long ship-shaped
anomaly the team identified
Using seismic testing
at the end of season six.
It also brings us to the next
Top season eight
find on our list
That you didn't get to see.
The ship's pin.
All right, let's
see what this last load is.
As the oak island team
rushed to keep looking for clues
Near the stone wharf before
the harsh nova scotia winter
Forced them to halt operations
for the year, gary drayton,
Steve guptill and billy
gerhardt made another
Telling discovery.
Oh, right on top, steve.
What's that?
That looks like
a big old iron...
We'd call this a wharf pin.
- Okay.
- It could be a ship's pin.
Right on the top as well.
We found a few of these along
the edge of the swamp this year.
- We're in the deepest part of the cove here.
- Yeah.
You can tell it's hand-forged.
It's really heavy.
Yeah, I mean, this is
substantial piece of iron.
It's a good sign
that we're finding
- These as well.
- Yeah.
And actually, it was round
About this area where we found
Some other ones similar to this.
Did it come from deep
down, billy, this last one?
I'd say about two feet
deeper than the road.
- Yeah.
- That's a good sign.
- Yeah, that really is.
- Yeah. That shows its age.
Yeah, that's old iron.
This is the type of artifact
That we want to be recovering
if we're looking for a ship.
I'm surprised 'cause
I didn't think there was
Anything in there
but swamp stuff.
There obviously is a
lot of stuff in the swamp.
We haven't found the
answer we seek yet,
But it clearly played a role in
what happened on oak island.
So, right behind us, we
found the ship's railing.
Yeah, that looked
like a ship's railing.
- Maybe this is other pieces of...
- Yeah.
If that was a ship,
other pieces of the ship.
Yeah. Well, maybe
there's some more parts
Of whatever this
structure is around here.
This is a good sign.
Yeah, I know. We'll
keep our eyes peeled.
Okay, mate.
Now, we already mentioned
The two amazing discoveries
Of the two different
massive ship's wharfs
That the fellowship
documented in season eight.
One in the southeastern
area of the swamp
And the other bordering
samuel ball's property.
This is a good
place to start, mate.
But incredibly, those were not
The only signs of
hidden docking stations
That the team found
last season on the island.
Possible evidence of a
third one was found on lot 32,
Which leads us to the next
Top find you never
saw during season eight.
Somewhere in there,
we have got a target.
I guess I'll
let you take a look.
The lot 32 wharf pin.
It's here. Look at that.
- Oh, yeah.
- That looks nice!
Doesn't it, mate? We
have got a good find here,
I hope.
I'll broggle it out
with my little trowel.
That is nice. I like
the look of that.
Look at that.
It reveals itself.
Look at that beauty.
Look at that, david.
Now... oh, it's broken.
But this is heavy,
So it's older iron and
it's just so corroded
Because the salt water
has just wrecked it,
Unfortunately, but the fact
that it's still here and there's
So much of it, tells me that
This is an old piece of iron.
It's got a mushroom head on it.
I would classify
this as a wharf pin.
So, I mean, you said
you think it might be old.
What does that mean? How old?
They would have used
them back in the day
On ships and wharfs.
- Right.
- This is signs of a wharf, mate.
- Right here. Bingo, mate!
- Yeah.
We hit the jackpot with this.
It's perfect.
Finding the possible
remains of another ship's wharf
Was definitely a major
score for the team,
But then the question becomes
just who might have built it?
Well, as we all did get to
see during season eight
Of the curse of oak
island, on that same day,
And in the same area,
Gary and david made
another discovery
That just may help
answer that question.
It's in my hand.
Very interesting.
Oh, wow, look at that, mate.
This is really, really special.
This is old.
This is an old lead
Cloth bag seal.
A lead bag seal was used
When an old sack...
- Yeah.
- Was sealed, they tied
The sack and they
put a seal on it.
This is a very
important find, mate.
The use of bag seals dates
Back to the 1300s in europe,
Where they functioned
as fasteners on sacks
For commercial goods
or major operations
To transport cargo.
In other words, finding
the seal next to the possible
Remains of a wharf means
that both could be evidence
Of another major operation
to bring massive amounts
Of something to
oak island long ago.
Does that go in the top pocket?
Without doubt, mate.
This is a true top-pocket find.
We've just struck gold
with this piece of lead, mate.
We'll revisit the topic of gold
In our next and final
Top find you never
saw during season eight
In just a few moments.
But getting back to
the possible significance
Of the lot 32 wharf pin...
When rick lagina and
members of the team
Analyzed the lead bag
seal in the research center
With laird niven,
they were astonished
By what they found.
If I pull it down...
It's really faint.
But... What you
can't see is that that's
Actually the shape of a four.
Gary; oh, yeah. Okay...
Apparently,
that's an old symbol,
Used for a long time.
And it's not actually a four.
They think it represents,
like, the sign of the cross.
Oh, wow.
What is the significance,
the sign of the cross?
You wouldn't think to find that
- On a commercial enterprise, right?
- Mm-hmm.
I don't think it derives
from family crests because
That, that symbol is
used by multiple families.
So, this would have
been something
Carried down
through generations.
It's just most
curious to have that
Religious symbol
on a commercial item.
I-I find that to
be very strange.
And the only people
who would do that
In my limited knowledge
base would be templars.
Going back, though,
to the origination of it.
And you think back,
right, the templars
Were heavy into commerce.
I mean, they,
they literally were
The bankers and the financiers
And the commercial
operatives of the day.
You know, those were
the people you dealt with.
Yeah. I just find
it really evocative.
I find it really cool.
If rick lagina is correct that
The bag seal, along with
evidence of another wharf,
Found on lot 32 near the swamp,
Were connected to the medieval
order of the knights templar,
Then do those finds also
explain other significant ones
Made by the team?
Like the early
13th-century paved area
That was uncovered within
the swamp two years ago?
Or that 700-year-old lead cross
Found at smith's cove
during season five?
The most memorable
moment of season eight...
And quite possibly
in the history
Of the oak island
treasure hunt...
Came when the results of
water sampling tests done
Right here in borehole c-1
Were presented to the
team in the war room.
Welcome! One
of my favorite times.
We get to look
at some, I believe,
Will be very interesting data.
It all started with
a very direct question
From geoscientist
dr. Ian spooner.
Do you think there is
treasure in the money pit?
Ooh, I like that lead in.
No, you know, I'm serious.
- Do I?
- Yeah.
Small chance.
I-I do. I absolutely do.
I believe that what
they drilled into
In 1897 is real.
- I think it's still there.
- Right.
Right.
So, doug, can you bring, uh,
- Bring up the presentation?
- I can.
Great.
There is every reason to believe
Down in those
holes that there is
Something close by
That contains a very large
Amount of silver.
I guess I'm still trying
to get a mental picture of how
Much silver it would
take to get to these levels.
Like, is it a handful of
silver or is it a gerhardt
Dump truck load of silver?
- It's a gerhardt dump truck.
- Oh, baby.
Oh, no way!
And it was in... That hole...
That the shiny gold
thing was found that we're
Still looking for to this day.
If that was a golden
alloy of such...
- Mm-hmm.
- You know, maybe that was one piece
Of what we're looking for.
- Yep.
- Yeah, there's something down there.
Wow.
But that was
only one major revelation
Of scientific evidence
that precious metals
Lie buried deep on oak island.
The other?
We'll get the sample.
In an effort to leave no stone
That might be covering
treasure unturned,
Rick, marty and craig had
dr. Spooner and dr. Lukeman
Also test multiple
boreholes around oak island,
Including three on the western
drumlin that they had drilled
Years earlier with their late
partner, dan blankenship.
Once again, their
intuition paid off and it led
To the top season eight
find that you didn't get to see
Until right this moment.
The gold rush.
So, we've looked
at the money pit
And, uh, we've
already established
That there's treasure there.
The first one that's kind of fun
Is down in the
west drumlin here.
There are three
wells... 29, 30, 31,
I think they
were... All together.
And I was really surprised.
Like, look at, look
at the zinc levels.
Uh, very, very high.
No copper, no silver.
And so that very high
zinc and some of the other
Metals we saw really
has the strong, strong hint
Of sphalerite and it's
commonly associated
With veining
Uh, that has gold.
Did we check for lead?
Yes, and the lead
isn't particularly high.
But, lead, it
doesn't particularly
Corrode all that well, either.
Most of the wells by far don't
Show anything anomalous.
That's the huge
part of this, isn't it?
That is, exactly.
So, with a little bit of
a smile and a twinkle
In my eye, I'd say if things
don't work out over here,
I would certainly start
taking a look over there.
For the first time ever
that we have experienced,
There's actual
science-based evidence
That precious metals still
reside beneath oak island.
Let's get to the
bottom of oak island.
Well, now, we mean it literally.
There's reasons to be
excited about the future.
There's reasons to...
Continue.
Could it really be possible
that after 226 years
Of people searching
for treasure on oak island
That it's home to a
literal gold mine, as well?
If so, then with all the
other discoveries the team
Has made and all
the momentum they're carrying
Into season nine,
just four short weeks away,
That it promises to be
the greatest one yet.
And it just might be the one
where we see the oak island
Mystery solved once and for all.
I know I can't wait.
Until then, stay faithful.
We'll see you next time.
Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.
found buried
In the triangle-shaped swamp.
- Wow.
- It's quite impressive.
It looks like
a piece of finished wood.
A piece of ship's railing dating
Back to as early as
the seventh century.
Top-pocket find.
It might lead
us to treasure. Wow.
And for the
first time in the history
Of the oak island
treasure hunt...
Down in those
holes, there is silver.
Definitive proof of treasure
found deep in the money pit.
Is it a handful of silver, or
is it a gerhardt dump truck
Load of silver?
It's a gerhardt dump truck.
- Aw, baby!
- Oh, no way!
Season eight of the
curse of oak island showed
Unprecedented progress by
rick, marty, craig and the team
In their quest to solve the
oak island treasure mystery.
Wow.
That's bloody brilliant.
It might be actually gold.
Very interesting.
Oh, wow, look at that, mate.
This is an old
lead cloth bag seal.
In fact, the
fellowship of the dig
Unearthed 2,000 discoveries,
Making it impossible to
include them all in the show.
So tonight, we're
opening up the vault...
So to speak... to give all
you faithful acorns out there
An exclusive look at
more of the key clues
And valuable objects that
suggest the ultimate questions
Of who, what, where,
when, why and how
Are closer than ever to
finally being answered.
Get ready as we count down
the top ten season eight finds
You never saw... Until now!
Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.
Now, I know
what you're thinking.
With so many discoveries
made on oak island
During season eight,
How could we possibly
feature ten tonight
That weren't on the show?
Well, to be honest,
because there were so many
Compelling ones, it wasn't easy.
We started with some
help from rick, marty,
Craig and the fellowship.
We then drilled down with
our editors and producers,
Who scoured through nearly 7,000
Hours of footage to put
together this incredible list.
Each one is an essential
piece of the oak island puzzle
That proves something
of extraordinary importance
Happened here centuries ago.
So... Let's get started.
The iron survey pin.
Hey, craig!
Look at the road we found.
- It is amazing.
- There's no mistaking,
This is a cobbled road.
There is no doubt.
I mean, this is obvious.
Season eight saw rick, marty
And the team unearth one
of the biggest discoveries
Ever made on oak island:
A massive stone road believed
To have once been
part of a ship's wharf.
I'd like to concentrate
On where the road does go,
Whether it comes upland.
Wherever it goes, that's where
we need to concentrate on.
- I agree.
- Yeah.
But, as with most finds
On oak island,
It lead to even more questions.
We clearly have to follow
the stone pathway all the way
'cause it's enigmatic,
It's very old.
So what's it there
for, you know?
How does it fit in with
the treasure stories?
So we have to find it, we have
to follow it to where it leads.
So rick sent his nephew
David fornetti and metal
detection expert gary drayton
On a mission to see what
else could be found in the area
To help explain who
may have built it and how.
That's a much bigger signal.
Ooh.
Fortunately, sounds like iron,
- But could be...
- This right here?
Yep.
Let's hope it's an
old piece of iron.
Double-check.
Ooh, wow.
That's like an old survey pin.
- We're kind of in the middle of nowhere.
- Yeah.
And so, what-what
is that doing out here?
Yeah, and if you see the head
there, it's been mushroomed.
But it was hammered
in a few times.
Yeah, someone was
out here doing some
Surveying a heck
of a long time ago.
I love it.
- Sign of good things to come.
- All right.
So what would that
have been used for?
Exactly, that's a
great point, david.
Why would someone
have this in this area?
What were they surveying?
It was a bit early in the season
For the guys to make
an educated guess
On what the survey pin
may have been used for...
Rick, check this out!
But several weeks
later, after unearthing
A cobblestone pathway
in the swamp leading away
From the stone
wharf, the team found
A mason's t-square...
A wooden surveyor's tool
That was dated
to as early as 1632.
Not only was there a lot of
surveying going on, but there
Was clearly a lot of manual
labor to go along with it.
And that takes us back
to that very same day
Where gary and david
made the next top find
That you didn't
get to see until now.
The lot 15 hammer.
Got a hit there, mate!
Just moments after
discovering the iron survey pin,
Gary and david found
another potentially vital clue
That might help answer how
the wharf and pathway were made.
Is that it?
- It is!
- Whoa!
It's another
tool, by the look of it.
Let's see what we got here.
That looks like a tool to me.
And I have no idea
what kind of tool.
Let me just scrape a
little piece of the gunk off it.
I don't want to scratch it up.
I don't know if
that's dirt or not.
The way this is shaped,
That looks like
that is the shaft.
So, it would have been in
wood. Probably a wooden handle.
- Kind of crudish.
- Right.
Feel how heavy
it is for the size.
- Wow.
- Which would lead
You to believe that
this is an older tool.
Yeah, it's hard to put a
date on something like this.
And it's in fairly
good condition.
Whenever you pick
up iron and it's small
And it's really, really heavy,
That means it's
normally pre-1840s.
You know what, my
first thought was hammer.
I wonder if it was used
Like some kind of hammer.
Further analysis
by experts corroborated
Gary and david's theory that
the object was the remains
Of a possibly ancient hammer.
Could it have been used
to drive the iron ringbolts
Into the ground
that were also found
During season eight
along the stone pathway
In and around the swamp?
Ringbolts believed
to have been utilized
For hauling cargo away from
the swamp, and to somewhere
In the uplands of oak island?
Something was going on here.
A trail of some rather large
Activity moving things around.
And in particular,
Look at the location
where this is occurring.
This is occurring from the
paved area in the swamp, going up
Towards lot 15 and/or maybe,
generally, the money pit.
You don't farm the
swamp, you don't farm
The side of that steep hill.
So what's going
on in the late 1600s,
Early 1700s?
Just goes to show, you know,
All of these artifacts
were hidden for so long.
It gives us promise that
underneath all of these piles
Behind us, there
could be more artifacts.
- It's another great find.
- It really is.
It was a great find.
And another potentially vital
piece of the oak island puzzle.
In fact, just like the mason's
t-square and the ringbolts,
The surveyor's pin and the
hammer may all have been
Used together in order to
design the stone pathway system
That might soon lead the team
To a vast cache
of buried treasure.
During season eight,
Rick, marty, craig and
the team conducted
More archaeological search
operations across oak island
Than ever before in order to
reveal more about the origins
Of the treasure mystery
and the key historical figures
Who might have
played a role in it.
That includes this
property, once owned
By late 18th-century oak
island resident samuel ball.
Now, the ball foundation
has always been intriguing
To the brothers... not just
because it's one of the few
Stone structures still partially
intact on the island today,
But also because it was owned
by a man who came to oak island
As a humble former
american slave
And cabbage farmer in 1785,
Only to become one of
the wealthiest landowners
In nova scotia by
the early 1800s.
Many have speculated that
he may have found something
Of great value
while living here,
Or was associated with someone
Who made a treasure deposit.
I feel something there.
Oh! Yeah, that's nice.
Key season eight
finds on the former ball property
Included a patent plate
That may have come from an
expensively decorated firearm...
Hey, look at this.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
As well as an early 19th-century
British naval officer's button
That represented
evidence that samuel ball
Was in league with
some important people.
The front is spectacular.
Yeah, I mean, those
anchors are amazing.
I think that is
- Gold or gilding, right there.
- Yeah, I think so.
That find led
the team to investigate
Two wharfs
bordering the coastline
On lot 25 where samuel
ball built his home.
One of those wharfs appeared
to be the kind a cabbage farmer
Might use for shipping
his goods to the mainland.
You think you
did find the wharf?
Over.
But the site of the second
wharf they discovered was massive,
Suggesting that an operation
much larger than farming
Took place on the
property long ago.
We were estimating it
To be 75 to 100 feet from shore.
- Mm-hmm.
- So that's a huge, huge wharf.
- Yeah.
- That's good.
How could he have built that?
- It fits the story of a big excavation.
- Mm-hmm.
Because of the amount of
back and forth you'd have to do.
- Yeah.
- If that was their purpose,
It would have been to support
The hiding of the treasure.
Right.
Finding a
massive, 100-foot-long,
16-foot-wide wharf
on the property
Left the team scratching
their heads wondering
If it was the smoking
gun tying samuel ball
To the oak island treasure.
But it certainly gave
some possible context
To another top find made on
the property earlier in the year
That you never got to see...
Until right now.
The barrel hoop.
Okay, mate. This is
a good little clearing
- To start.
- Yeah, okay.
Using his minelab
gpx 5000 detector,
Which could scan
as deep as six feet,
Made treasure
hunting on samuel ball's
Property like
shooting fish in a...
Well, you'll see.
Yeah, and we got
a good target here.
When I say "good target,"
I'm not sure what it is, but...
There's a very strong
signal response there, mate.
- Let's go for this one.
- Okay.
Seems to be right there.
It's gonna be tough digging.
Right there.
- Can I have that trowel, mate?
- Sure.
Ooh.
Yeah, it looks like...
- Strapping of some kind.
- Yeah, sort of, yeah.
The only metal straps
I know are-are barrel loops.
- Okay.
- But we did have that other target just there.
Yeah, this is more
than likely just the same.
Yeah.
- Another piece.
- Yeah.
- That's right.
- Yeah, now we are leading towards strap.
- Strap barrel, yeah?
- Yeah.
And barrel hoops by
definition were pliable.
Would've been
thin metal like this.
- Yeah.
- And you would have... yeah.
Yeah.
- There's more.
- Oh, there's more of it.
- It's right there.
- Yeah.
Look at that.
Wow!
- This is cool.
- Yeah.
Could be a thin little barrel
loop, put 'em around a barrel.
The barrel hoop or metal
strap that would have been used
To help seal a large cargo
keg was an incredible find
To make on the property
of the mysterious mr. Ball.
Because it just may have
been connected to an incredibly
Important find made in the
swamp a couple weeks earlier.
Hey, guys.
Check that out. Top of a keg.
Wow.
So that's a keg. Lid to a keg?
- Yep.
- How far down?
Right there.
Holy crow.
That's very important.
Because it wasn't just
gunpowder they put in kegs.
It was all treasure
coins as well.
While investigating
the massive stone wharf feature
In the swamp, rick lagina found
Pieces of a wooden cargo barrel
That was dated to as
early as the 15th century.
Might it have been part of
a barrel that once contained
A portion of the oak island
treasure, as gary speculated?
If so, then perhaps he
and michael john found
Another piece of a
similar cargo barrel
On samuel ball's property,
making it without a doubt
An important find.
Ah, if only we had
another clue of what exactly
It might have contained.
Get where I'm going with this?
You guessed it... the next
Top never before
seen find on our list.
Samuel ball's top pocket find.
All right, next one up.
Oh, I love that tone.
Rock solid.
While metal detecting
near the ball foundation,
Gary drayton and rick
lagina made a discovery
That could be direct evidence
of the mysterious wealth
Samuel ball accumulated
while living on oak island.
That is going to
be a coin, rick.
- This one?
- Yep.
That is too good of a signal
Not to be a coin.
Good two-way repeatable,
that nice, high tone.
Ooh.
High hopes for this one, mate.
Okay.
- Again, it's in that top clod.
- It is.
Well, at least
it's not in the top.
- It's a coin!
- Oh!
Look at that! That's a coin.
That's a big one, as well.
- That is.
- Oh, look at that patina, mate.
That's brilliant.
Well, I bet that's an oldie,
'cause that's a large coin.
It's not milled on the
edge. Can you see milling?
Ah, I just don't want to
mess with it too much.
Just can't tell.
Normally, you can feel
that bumpity, bumpity, bump
As you go around,
but what this is,
Is beautiful because
it's a large size coin.
It's thick.
And it's in great condition,
so this should clean up nicely
And I would imagine
it would have a king
Or a queen on one side...
And the date on the other.
It's in very good condition.
Yeah, it really is,
but look at that.
Look at that patina.
I mean, that is beautiful.
- And that wasn't very deep.
- No.
Told you it was a coin, mate.
- That is fantastic.
- You did say it was a coin.
This is a good one, mate.
I know what it is.
It's a top-pocket find.
It really is a
top-pocket find, mate.
I know what
you must be thinking.
How did a coin
discovery on the property
Of samuel ball not make
it on the main show?
Well, you all saw how
incredible season eight was.
When you have some
2,000 finds to choose from,
It's only during special
occasions like this
That they can be given
their due in the spotlight.
If season eight
of the curse of oak island
Echoed anything,
It's that when it comes
to finding the treasure
Buried here, all roads...
Or should I say pathways...
Appear to lead to the money pit.
The team not only found
all that evidence of silver
Buried down there... which
we have more to reveal about
As our countdown continues... but
it's also where we saw them make
A trove of other
major discoveries.
If you see something
that doesn't belong underground,
We should set it aside
and have somebody
- Take a look at it anyway.
- Sure. Okay.
In fact, one of those key finds
Occurred while they were sifting
Through spoils that
had been excavated
From borehole 8-b
the previous year.
Oh! What do you think this is?
- You found it right there?
- Yeah.
Yeah, what is that?
This is exactly the kind of
thing that we're looking for.
Careful, there.
Yeah, I don't want to...
Looks like leather almost.
It for sure looks like leather.
- Looks like the heel from a shoe.
- Yeah.
Indeed it was from the heel
Of a leather shoe, or boot,
As confirmed by
leather expert joe landry.
But it was when the
team had the heel tested
That they realized what
a key clue it actually was.
Talk to us, craig.
What do we got?
95% sure this is what it is.
1492 to 1662.
1492?
- Isn't that amazing?
- Holy crap!
1492 to 1662.
This is overwhelming
information.
So we determined
that it came from europe,
Most likely France.
How about that?
No, that is really cool.
So, could this boot heel
Actually help
identify the nationality
Of the people behind the
mystery and approximately
When they made their deposit?
Perhaps. And it also could
be connected to the next
Top finds on our list
that you didn't get to see.
Try to look through everything.
The leather garments.
Just to make sure the
leather heel was no fluke,
The team kept
searching the spoils
Of borehole 8-b, looking
for more evidence.
What do you think that is?
Really got your hands on it, but
I think that's leather, right?
Yeah, that's a really
nice piece of leather.
- Is that...? Oh, yeah, wow.
- It's a really nice piece of leather.
- Yep.
- Wow.
I'd say that's from
like a glove or a shoe.
Looks like...
I mean, I might be wrong,
but it looks like you can see
Where there was some
sewing right along that edge.
Looks almost like
a finger, possibly.
Yeah, looks like
the finger of a glove.
Yeah, there' no disputing
- That that's leather.
- Yeah, that's leather.
And when this, along
with a second piece of leather
Found in the spoils
of borehole rf-1,
Were taken to leather
expert joe landry for analysis...
Hi, joe.
The team was stunned at
what they had on their hands.
We got something we're
really interested in you having
- A look at for us.
- Ah, I'd be delighted.
So these are two
different samples,
From two different caissons
that look surprisingly similar.
So, we're wondering if you
think they're from the same object
- Or associated in some way?
- Okay, sure.
Oh, yes.
Yeah, this is a much,
much finer leather.
This would have been used
for a much finer item, you know,
A gentleman's glove
or even a lady's glove.
Wow.
- So, we're looking at a high-end item?
- Higher, much finer, yeah.
Very white, probably close
to the leather that were used
During the, uh,
renaissance period.
What are the dates on
the renaissance period?
Well, this is, this
is, um, early 1600s.
Hmm.
And the other...
Wow, yes, yeah.
So, I mean, if you compare
these two, it's like you're looking
At two pieces from
the same garment.
And-and it appears to be
perhaps a finger from a glove.
Perhaps a gentleman's glove
rather than a, than a lady's.
You can see the
stitching here on the side.
The fact that these are high-end
items, that doesn't speak to,
Say, a searcher who's
more of a common laborer...
- Yeah...
- It speaks to a depositor.
Yeah, you wouldn't
wear your finest clothes
- When you're working underground.
- No, no.
Could the leather garments
have belonged to the same french
Individual who buried
a vast treasure of silver
And who knows what else
on oak island as far back
As the 15th century?
The team will keep digging
to find out in season nine.
But that leaves another
important question.
How did they do it?
To help answer
that, we're back here
At the aromatic,
triangle-shaped swamp.
Hey! Wait a second.
Look at that.
That's cut.
I'd say.
Oh, yeah.
That's definitely cut.
Yeah, right there,
right there, right there.
While
investigating the stone road
And pathway in the
southeastern corner
Of the man-made swamp
during season eight,
Marty, rick and
the team discovered
A number of cut wooden stakes
That archaeologist
dr. Aaron taylor believed
Were used as survey tools
to build these structures.
Would they use that as like
a survey stake, you think?
Stake out the road, like, if
guys like us were working...
- Okay. Yep.
- Somebody would go through first.
Say, "between there
and there," right?
Yeah, that's beautiful.
These stakes offered
More clues to help shape
The oak island puzzle.
Getting another signal
in this area would be nice.
But what we didn't get
to show you was the next find
On our list that may have
been used to shape them.
The double headed axe.
Got one!
Here we go!
Just there, mate. It's a...
Strong signal.
Is this it?
That's it!
Looks like an axe.
It is an axe! That's
a double bit axe.
That is an oldie.
That is fantastic!
- There's wood on it, too, right?
- Yeah.
You can see the-the wood.
Yeah. The wood's still in there.
It's got the two bits.
Uh, this would have been
like an old woodcutter's axe.
What an oldie.
That's impressive.
You feel that weight, rick?
It looks the same... ooh, wow!
But again, what is an axe
doing here in the swamp?
- 'cause this wasn't swamp.
- No.
And if billy's right
and the road keeps going,
Then what you're finding
Is contemporaneous
with the road.
I mean, this is fantastic,
mate. Artifact in the swamp!
Not only was
it a fantastic find,
But billy gerhardt
was absolutely right.
The stone pathway kept going...
And going...
All the way out of the swamp
And in the direction
of the money pit.
I'm still here in
the triangle-shaped swamp
Because even though it's
easy to pick up the scent
Of some nasty aromas, as
marty lagina often laments,
It's also where the place where
the team continues to pick up
The scent of a vast treasure
That people have been trying
to find for over two centuries.
This particular artifact
was found in the swamp.
What the hell is that?
Wow, that is very badly burned.
Part of a ship?
- Wow!
- Ooh, look at that!
I would say this looks military.
Now we already
mentioned the ringbolts and pieces
Of cargo barrels
that were found along
The stone pathway in the swamp.
Look at that.
Could be a low-grade
gold. Feel the weight of it.
But the team also
discovered a gold-colored knob,
Which really impressed artifact
conservator sandy campbell
When he analyzed it.
I mean, you can
tell by the workmanship,
It's far from modern.
Could be some kind of a
knob from a jewel chest.
It could have been
just for a secret box.
- You-you... Who knows?
- Really?
Discoveries like
that really excited the team,
As they found more evidence
that the pathway headed
Out of the swamp and
toward the money pit.
And what made this next
Find that you never
saw in season eight
Just as encouraging
was that it was not only
Found along the stone pathway,
But it matched an identical one
Discovered two years
ago in the money pit itself.
The rosehead spike.
That tells me there's
something here, michael.
- Okay.
- Just in there, just in that section there.
All right.
- Yeah, you got it out.
- Yeah, I did.
Whatever it is, it's just here.
- Oh! Look at that.
- Oh, very interesting, yeah.
- Now that's nice.
- Yes.
Yeah, we both know what this is.
A nice, short spike.
Let me just have
a little look at it.
Yeah, that's an oldie. Look.
It's an ugly rosehead, but
it's definitely a rosehead.
- Yeah.
- It was bashed down and...
It just kind of split,
got that petal design
- Going round there.
- Yeah.
That's an old, old
nail, and I know it's old
Because of the weight of it.
Feel the weight of it, mate.
Yeah.
I always like searching the top
Of the spoils pile because they
Came from the deepest depth.
So, it is an artifact connected
To whatever that
stone feature is there.
We've found some
beauties all over the island.
Rosehead nails
are pre-1780, 1790,
When the first factory,
Machine-made nails came out.
So, any rosehead nails
Found in the spoil piles
Is a good find, because it means
It's pre-1780, '90.
Ah, mate, very
nice artifact indeed.
It's gonna be beautiful
when it's cleaned up.
Let's try and find
some more artifacts.
That's right.
It's these
correlating discoveries
That, one by one, are bringing
The team closer and closer
To solving the
oak island mystery.
Speaking of solving mysteries,
unearthing the massive remains
Of a stone wharf in
the southeastern corner
Of the swamp last year
pretty much helped the team
Prove the late fred
nolan's long-held theory
That the swamp
was artificially made.
There's something on the
bottom there and I'm not joking.
Is that a piece of
cut wood there?
Further investigation
of the area then led
To the discovery
of the oldest artifact
Ever documented on oak island.
- Very cool.
- Good eyes.
Top-pocket find.
Good one, billy.
A top-pocket find
That was determined
to be a piece
Of wooden ship's railing
Dating back as far as 660 a.D.
Now, that may seem unbelievable,
But it's another key clue
that might explain the massive
200-foot-long ship-shaped
anomaly the team identified
Using seismic testing
at the end of season six.
It also brings us to the next
Top season eight
find on our list
That you didn't get to see.
The ship's pin.
All right, let's
see what this last load is.
As the oak island team
rushed to keep looking for clues
Near the stone wharf before
the harsh nova scotia winter
Forced them to halt operations
for the year, gary drayton,
Steve guptill and billy
gerhardt made another
Telling discovery.
Oh, right on top, steve.
What's that?
That looks like
a big old iron...
We'd call this a wharf pin.
- Okay.
- It could be a ship's pin.
Right on the top as well.
We found a few of these along
the edge of the swamp this year.
- We're in the deepest part of the cove here.
- Yeah.
You can tell it's hand-forged.
It's really heavy.
Yeah, I mean, this is
substantial piece of iron.
It's a good sign
that we're finding
- These as well.
- Yeah.
And actually, it was round
About this area where we found
Some other ones similar to this.
Did it come from deep
down, billy, this last one?
I'd say about two feet
deeper than the road.
- Yeah.
- That's a good sign.
- Yeah, that really is.
- Yeah. That shows its age.
Yeah, that's old iron.
This is the type of artifact
That we want to be recovering
if we're looking for a ship.
I'm surprised 'cause
I didn't think there was
Anything in there
but swamp stuff.
There obviously is a
lot of stuff in the swamp.
We haven't found the
answer we seek yet,
But it clearly played a role in
what happened on oak island.
So, right behind us, we
found the ship's railing.
Yeah, that looked
like a ship's railing.
- Maybe this is other pieces of...
- Yeah.
If that was a ship,
other pieces of the ship.
Yeah. Well, maybe
there's some more parts
Of whatever this
structure is around here.
This is a good sign.
Yeah, I know. We'll
keep our eyes peeled.
Okay, mate.
Now, we already mentioned
The two amazing discoveries
Of the two different
massive ship's wharfs
That the fellowship
documented in season eight.
One in the southeastern
area of the swamp
And the other bordering
samuel ball's property.
This is a good
place to start, mate.
But incredibly, those were not
The only signs of
hidden docking stations
That the team found
last season on the island.
Possible evidence of a
third one was found on lot 32,
Which leads us to the next
Top find you never
saw during season eight.
Somewhere in there,
we have got a target.
I guess I'll
let you take a look.
The lot 32 wharf pin.
It's here. Look at that.
- Oh, yeah.
- That looks nice!
Doesn't it, mate? We
have got a good find here,
I hope.
I'll broggle it out
with my little trowel.
That is nice. I like
the look of that.
Look at that.
It reveals itself.
Look at that beauty.
Look at that, david.
Now... oh, it's broken.
But this is heavy,
So it's older iron and
it's just so corroded
Because the salt water
has just wrecked it,
Unfortunately, but the fact
that it's still here and there's
So much of it, tells me that
This is an old piece of iron.
It's got a mushroom head on it.
I would classify
this as a wharf pin.
So, I mean, you said
you think it might be old.
What does that mean? How old?
They would have used
them back in the day
On ships and wharfs.
- Right.
- This is signs of a wharf, mate.
- Right here. Bingo, mate!
- Yeah.
We hit the jackpot with this.
It's perfect.
Finding the possible
remains of another ship's wharf
Was definitely a major
score for the team,
But then the question becomes
just who might have built it?
Well, as we all did get to
see during season eight
Of the curse of oak
island, on that same day,
And in the same area,
Gary and david made
another discovery
That just may help
answer that question.
It's in my hand.
Very interesting.
Oh, wow, look at that, mate.
This is really, really special.
This is old.
This is an old lead
Cloth bag seal.
A lead bag seal was used
When an old sack...
- Yeah.
- Was sealed, they tied
The sack and they
put a seal on it.
This is a very
important find, mate.
The use of bag seals dates
Back to the 1300s in europe,
Where they functioned
as fasteners on sacks
For commercial goods
or major operations
To transport cargo.
In other words, finding
the seal next to the possible
Remains of a wharf means
that both could be evidence
Of another major operation
to bring massive amounts
Of something to
oak island long ago.
Does that go in the top pocket?
Without doubt, mate.
This is a true top-pocket find.
We've just struck gold
with this piece of lead, mate.
We'll revisit the topic of gold
In our next and final
Top find you never
saw during season eight
In just a few moments.
But getting back to
the possible significance
Of the lot 32 wharf pin...
When rick lagina and
members of the team
Analyzed the lead bag
seal in the research center
With laird niven,
they were astonished
By what they found.
If I pull it down...
It's really faint.
But... What you
can't see is that that's
Actually the shape of a four.
Gary; oh, yeah. Okay...
Apparently,
that's an old symbol,
Used for a long time.
And it's not actually a four.
They think it represents,
like, the sign of the cross.
Oh, wow.
What is the significance,
the sign of the cross?
You wouldn't think to find that
- On a commercial enterprise, right?
- Mm-hmm.
I don't think it derives
from family crests because
That, that symbol is
used by multiple families.
So, this would have
been something
Carried down
through generations.
It's just most
curious to have that
Religious symbol
on a commercial item.
I-I find that to
be very strange.
And the only people
who would do that
In my limited knowledge
base would be templars.
Going back, though,
to the origination of it.
And you think back,
right, the templars
Were heavy into commerce.
I mean, they,
they literally were
The bankers and the financiers
And the commercial
operatives of the day.
You know, those were
the people you dealt with.
Yeah. I just find
it really evocative.
I find it really cool.
If rick lagina is correct that
The bag seal, along with
evidence of another wharf,
Found on lot 32 near the swamp,
Were connected to the medieval
order of the knights templar,
Then do those finds also
explain other significant ones
Made by the team?
Like the early
13th-century paved area
That was uncovered within
the swamp two years ago?
Or that 700-year-old lead cross
Found at smith's cove
during season five?
The most memorable
moment of season eight...
And quite possibly
in the history
Of the oak island
treasure hunt...
Came when the results of
water sampling tests done
Right here in borehole c-1
Were presented to the
team in the war room.
Welcome! One
of my favorite times.
We get to look
at some, I believe,
Will be very interesting data.
It all started with
a very direct question
From geoscientist
dr. Ian spooner.
Do you think there is
treasure in the money pit?
Ooh, I like that lead in.
No, you know, I'm serious.
- Do I?
- Yeah.
Small chance.
I-I do. I absolutely do.
I believe that what
they drilled into
In 1897 is real.
- I think it's still there.
- Right.
Right.
So, doug, can you bring, uh,
- Bring up the presentation?
- I can.
Great.
There is every reason to believe
Down in those
holes that there is
Something close by
That contains a very large
Amount of silver.
I guess I'm still trying
to get a mental picture of how
Much silver it would
take to get to these levels.
Like, is it a handful of
silver or is it a gerhardt
Dump truck load of silver?
- It's a gerhardt dump truck.
- Oh, baby.
Oh, no way!
And it was in... That hole...
That the shiny gold
thing was found that we're
Still looking for to this day.
If that was a golden
alloy of such...
- Mm-hmm.
- You know, maybe that was one piece
Of what we're looking for.
- Yep.
- Yeah, there's something down there.
Wow.
But that was
only one major revelation
Of scientific evidence
that precious metals
Lie buried deep on oak island.
The other?
We'll get the sample.
In an effort to leave no stone
That might be covering
treasure unturned,
Rick, marty and craig had
dr. Spooner and dr. Lukeman
Also test multiple
boreholes around oak island,
Including three on the western
drumlin that they had drilled
Years earlier with their late
partner, dan blankenship.
Once again, their
intuition paid off and it led
To the top season eight
find that you didn't get to see
Until right this moment.
The gold rush.
So, we've looked
at the money pit
And, uh, we've
already established
That there's treasure there.
The first one that's kind of fun
Is down in the
west drumlin here.
There are three
wells... 29, 30, 31,
I think they
were... All together.
And I was really surprised.
Like, look at, look
at the zinc levels.
Uh, very, very high.
No copper, no silver.
And so that very high
zinc and some of the other
Metals we saw really
has the strong, strong hint
Of sphalerite and it's
commonly associated
With veining
Uh, that has gold.
Did we check for lead?
Yes, and the lead
isn't particularly high.
But, lead, it
doesn't particularly
Corrode all that well, either.
Most of the wells by far don't
Show anything anomalous.
That's the huge
part of this, isn't it?
That is, exactly.
So, with a little bit of
a smile and a twinkle
In my eye, I'd say if things
don't work out over here,
I would certainly start
taking a look over there.
For the first time ever
that we have experienced,
There's actual
science-based evidence
That precious metals still
reside beneath oak island.
Let's get to the
bottom of oak island.
Well, now, we mean it literally.
There's reasons to be
excited about the future.
There's reasons to...
Continue.
Could it really be possible
that after 226 years
Of people searching
for treasure on oak island
That it's home to a
literal gold mine, as well?
If so, then with all the
other discoveries the team
Has made and all
the momentum they're carrying
Into season nine,
just four short weeks away,
That it promises to be
the greatest one yet.
And it just might be the one
where we see the oak island
Mystery solved once and for all.
I know I can't wait.
Until then, stay faithful.
We'll see you next time.
Someone needs to stop Clearway Law.
Public shouldn't leave reviews for lawyers.