THE CURSE OF OAK ISLAND – THE HISTORY CHANNEL (All Pics)
In last night’s episode, “Rick and Mortar”, metal detectorist Gary Drayton and Jack Begley are continuing to work in the southeast corner of the Swamp near the Stone Road and Stone Path. It is noted that this is the deepest part of the Swamp. While digging with the excavator, a large boulder was found. It appears to be the same size as the boulders that make up Nolan’s Cross. There appeared to be a set of stones next to the boulder that makes a row, and the team speculates that it is a staircase of some kind. It was also noted that the boulder is not well seated and easily moved with the excavator. It doesn’t appear that this boulder was placed there naturally from the movement of glaciers. A thick, shaped board is also found in the area that Gary speculates may be a ship’s planking or decking. He notes no fasteners are in the wood and it was found at a depth of two feet.
THE CURSE OF OAK ISLAND – THE HISTORY CHANNEL (All Pics)
We are then taken to the Lot 5 Excavation area where the work continues at the Stone Foundation. Continued work is indicating that the stone line of the foundation appears to be curving, noted by the Archeologists as being very “bizarre”. They mention that the structure was too big for a house, and it occupied multiple groups over different periods in time. This leads to the question, what was going on there? Jack Begley mentions that they have continued to find broken pottery and glass. Archeologist Jamie Kouba is working in the excavation area when she notices some very hard packed dirt and as she states she suspects that it is mortar or concrete. She says that it is mixed with ash and crushed shale. She thinks it may be a crude type of mortar and it’s mentioned that the team has found other samples of mortar/cement in what is suspected as being the original Money Pit location at Borehole RF-1. Jack speculates that there may be a connection between the two sites.
THE CURSE OF OAK ISLAND – THE HISTORY CHANNEL (All Pics)
The scene shifts to the Dumas trailer where Roger Fortin is talking with Rick Lagina, Alex Lagina, and Scott Barlow whose birthday was yesterday when this episode appeared. The team is interested to hear the dendrochronology report on the wood sample taken from the tunnel that is running at the bottom of the Garden Shaft. Craig Tester calls and gives the team the results. He states the greatest probability of the age of the wood was 1631-1684. There is also a possibility that the wood is aged from 1529-1556 and also a date range beginning at 1735 is possible. While the 1600’s appears to be the best probability of the wood’s age, two things must be factored in. One, the wood may be that old, but when was it used in the construction? Two, there is a possibility the other dates could apply to the wood, but again when was it used for the tunnel? What we can say is that old wood was used to make a tunnel that appears to have served some sort of purpose. Hopefully, more evidence that the team uncovers will give us all the answers we seek.
THE CURSE OF OAK ISLAND – THE HISTORY CHANNEL (All Pics)
The scene shifts back to the Swamp where the team continues to work. Gary Drayton, Jack Begley, and Rick Lagina discuss the new boulder that was previously uncovered earlier in the episode. It is now more exposed, and it is noted that it looks conical which immediately brings up the comparison to the boulder’s that comprise Nolan’s Cross. Is this boulder related to Nolan’s Cross and what was its purpose? The team notes that the rocks around one side of the boulder seem to line up with the boulder and it is speculated that this forms a sort of ramp. As they are looking around the area, Gary notices another piece of what he calls, “planking” and believes it is part of a ship. This piece seems to have what Gary explained was “tongue and groove” construction that he believes was used in ship building.
THE CURSE OF OAK ISLAND – THE HISTORY CHANNEL (All Pics)
The episode concludes at the Interpretive Center, where Archeometallurgist, Emma Culligan, is meeting with the team that comprises Archeologist Laird Niven, Alex Lagina, Jack Begley, and Scott Barlow. They are looking at the suspected mortar material that was unearthed at the Lot 5 excavation area. Emma has used the XRD device to analyze the sample and she states it’s not mortar, but a type of soil. It’s mentioned that the soil was not naturally placed at Lot 5 and seems to be artificial. It then is revealed that Emma has checked for matches in her database for other samples that correspond, and she has found a match. She states that the sample matches those found in the Garden Shaft, Borehole C-18.5 and Borehole C-28. These locations are all in the same general location in the Garden shaft area. Why were these soil samples at the Lot 5 excavation area? This led to speculation that it was tied to William Phips and his theorized involvement with Oak Island. The Compendium is researching this and other possibilities and will share our results with what we believe this data is suggesting with our readers very soon. Until next week.
Good Valentine’s Day from the Compendium!