12x07 - It's All Your Vault

[bunniefuu]

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

The metal-detecting calvary
has arrived.

I've learned everything
from him.

[high-pitched beeping]

- Oh.
- What is this beauty?

This looks like
it's got a design on it.

How old could it be?

- Old.
- Yeah.

STEVE: It's the center
of our next borehole.

It hasn't really been
all that explored.

RICK: Could be anything there.

- TERRY: Whoa, whoa, whoa.
- CHARLES: We've got a lot of wood.

- This looks like the vault.
- Really?

This could be the one.

NARRATOR: There is an
island in the North Atlantic

where people have
been looking for

an incredible treasure
for more than 200 years.

So far, they have
found a stone slab

with strange
symbols carved into it,

man-made workings that
date to medieval times,

and a lead cross whose
origin may be connected

to the Knights Templar.

To date, six men have died

trying to solve the mystery.

And according to legend,
one more will have to die

before the treasure
can be found.

♪ ♪

RICK: Okay, guys, so...

borehole D.5-7.4 is done.

And if we all recall,
we had important

data points that
we needed to cover.

NARRATOR: A new day
has begun on Oak Island

for brothers Rick and
Marty Lagina and their team,

but before they head
back into the field

in search of a fabled treasure

and the answers to a


Rick has called a meeting
in the research center

to review a recent and
potentially critical discovery

in the Money Pit area.

So, Steve, exactly what
happened to the hole?

STEVE: At 98, 99 feet,

we got quite a large
section of wood.

SCOTT: And Terry
thought that felt like,

uh, that was a collapsed tunnel.

We believe there's some source

of metal that's
coming from the south.

NARRATOR: One week ago,
geoscientist Dr. Ian Spooner

and his colleagues
presented the team

with new groundwater
testing data

indicating that the large
source of precious metals

they have been
trying to pinpoint

for more than three years

was no longer being
detected in the area

of the so-called Baby Blob,

but instead,

was appearing more than


where a number of previous
treasure hunters have searched

but failed to locate

the original


To follow up on
the new test results,

the team drilled a new
exploratory borehole

known as D.5-7.4.

Oh, wow.

- CHARLES: We got more wood.
- NARRATOR: And at a depth

of some 100 feet,
they were astonished

to encounter compelling evidence

of a mysterious
nine-foot-high tunnel.

We could be in the
vicinity of the Money Pit.

We need to go
back to the 3D model

and see if something
of some size

- can be in that area.
- Mm-hmm.

RICK: We have to
look at all the data to try

and help us understand
the Money Pit

and where the
caissons are going to go.

So, here's the 3D model.

So, this is what it
looks like in here.

NARRATOR: Now, Rick is
eager to review the team's records,

as well as those of
previous treasure hunters,

to identify unexplored
areas where they can look

for more evidence of the tunnel

and the precious metals
that have been detected

more than 100 feet underground.

If successful, they will install

one or more
large-diameter steel caissons

in order to recover them.

Can you put a 13-foot
circle in that area?

Sure.

Hasn't... it hasn't really
been all that explored.

RICK: There is nothing there.

- No information.
- Right.

RICK: There could
be anything there.

When we look at the depth
here, of about 120 feet,

there's quite a bit of space
where a potential vault

or treasure chamber could lay.

There's a lot of
unexplored area here.

There's a lot of
room underground.

DOUG: Are we gonna
put another hole down

in that zone to
collect more data?

- Yep.
- So, what's the grid location of this?

STEVE: I suggest it's E.75-5.6?

That's the center of our
next, uh, sonic borehole.

I think it's
incredibly promising.

It's certainly a
very good candidate

for "X marks the
spot," for a caisson.

- Yeah.
- RICK: So, I say

we put the rig on that spot.

- Let's get going.
- All right.

RICK: Time grows short.

NARRATOR: Later that morning...

TEDFORD: We got to feed 60
feet in the hole and then drop her.

Oh, yeah.

NARRATOR: as the
new core-drilling operation

gets underway in
the Money Pit area...

GARY: There it is,
in all its glory, Katya.

- KATYA: Oh, my gosh.
- Oak Island.

- KATYA: So this is where the magic happens.
- It is.

NARRATOR: metal
detection expert Gary Drayton

arrives on the island
with his protégé

and daughter Katya Drayton.

GARY: Okay, Katya, time
to write another chapter

- in the Oak Island treasure book.
- Let's do it.

NARRATOR: Because of
the numerous investigations

that the team is currently
conducting across Oak Island...

And the concrete, finding the...

- Ah. There you are.
- Hi, Rick. -SCOTT: Hey.

- It's so nice to finally meet you.
- Nice to meet you.

NARRATOR: Gary has
obtained the permission

of Rick, Marty and
their partner Craig Tester

to have Katya visit for
the next several weeks

and help search
for critical clues.

- How proud of... you are, of your daughter right now?
- GARY: Oh.

This face says it all. I
mean, having Katya here,

sharing the dream, it's magical.

RICK: What have you learned

from your father?

I've learned
everything from him.

I've been metal-detecting
and dragging

- a scoop since I was seven.
- Really? Wow.

-[laughs] -So, I have
a question for you.

- Mm-hmm?
- Do you think there's something here?

Precious metals,
right? Top-pocket finds?

People wouldn't be coming
here years after years after years

if there wasn't something here.

- Mm-hmm.
- There's obviously treasure here.

- SCOTT: A true believer.
- RICK: Your daughter is exuding

the kind of
confidence that I wish

- my nephews would exude.
- [laughter]

But anyway, we
were just talking about,

you know, the work that
we would like you to-to begin,

and that is Smith's Cove.

I hope you've filled
your daughter in

with the difficulty
of that work.

Oh, yeah. The metal-detecting
cavalry has arrived.

-[laughter] -We're
ready to rock and roll...

- Absolutely.
- And find some treasure.

SCOTT: So, currently
in Smith's Cove,

we're looking for
the flood tunnel

and the Vertical Shaft.

Awesome. The flood tunnels.

The flood tunnels.

KATYA: Let's find 'em.

CRAIG: Okay. Well, I'm
good with digging deeper

- and see how it feels.
- BILLY: Yeah.

NARRATOR: For
the past three weeks,

the team has been excavating
large trenches at Smith's Cove

in search of the
legendary flood tunnel

that is believed
to feed seawater

into the original Money Pit.

They have also been searching

for a feature known
as the Vertical Shaft,

a one-and-a-half-foot diameter,


stone-lined structure

that treasure
hunter Robert Restall

discovered in 1961 and believed

was a shut-off valve
for the flood tunnel.

RICK: This is the first bucket

- that has a bunch of same-size cobbles?
- GARY: Yeah.

NARRATOR: After
unearthing cobblestones

that may be related
to the booby trap...

- Is it concrete?
- Yeah.

NARRATOR: and pieces of
concrete potentially connected

to the Restall
family's failed attempt

to plug up the Vertical Shaft...

they are determined to locate

and cut off the flood trap

and then follow it
back to the original

Money Pit treasure vault.

There's a lot of history here,
and we hope you will be a part

of uncovering that
history, so welcome aboard.

- Thank you so much.
- I really appreciate both of you.

- GARY: Let's take care of business, Katya.
- [Katya chuckles]

NARRATOR: Following their
meeting in the research center...

- BILLY: Hi, everybody.
- CRAIG: Billy, we finally got

a decent metal
detector joining us.

This is Katya.

- Nice to meet you.
- BILLY: Hi, Katya.

We're excited to have you.

NARRATOR: Katya
Drayton joins Craig Tester,

Jack Begley and Billy Gerhardt

to continue the
excavation at Smith's Cove.

And you're fine if I
go on the far side?

- Yep.
- O-Observe from there and you two will

metal-detect and
dig on this side.

- Okay?
- Let's find some history.

- BILLY: Yeah. -JACK: Yeah.
- Sounds great.

♪ ♪

RICK: Once the original
searchers discovered

there was a possibility
of a connection

between the Money
Pit and Smith's Cove,

they conducted all kinds
of interruptive processes

in Smith's Cove.

If we find the
associated flood tunnel,

it should point us directly
to "X marks the spot."

Let's start up here

- and we'll move our way over.
- All right.

MARTY: The flood tunnel is something
that I have been suspect about.

And then, last
year, lo and behold,

we hit something that,

you know, just floods
out the Garden Shaft

at enormous rates,
and it is seawater.

So, it comes right
back to the front

that maybe this
thing does exist,

but I sure would like to see it.

If we find a flood tunnel,

packed with rocks,
whose only purpose

is to transmit fluids,

there's no alternative
explanation.

- All right, let's go.
- All right. Let's dive in.

KATYA: My specialty is
definitely beach hunting.

Thankfully, I have someone

who has trained me
thoroughly in the past,

but moving from
beach to land and field

or spoil-hunting

is definitely a big jump
for, I think, anyone.

But I learned a lot
of things with my dad.

[high-pitched beep]

- Let's see what it is.
- Right in the middle there?

Let's see if I moved it.

[beeping]

[high-pitched beep]

- JACK: Okay, so, it's out.
- That's something.

[beeping]

JACK: You're on
it, whatever it is.

Oh. Is it that whole thing?

KATYA: I think it is.

What is this beauty?

JACK: I think that's
a big chunk of iron.

- KATYA: Yeah.
- The fun thing is, is we can take that

back to the lab and then
Emma can see through it.

- Good find.
- Let's go.

Billy.

It looks like there's a, a beam

right at the end of your pull.

Right when you start
coming up, right at that spot,

it looks like you
clipped part of it.

- Right in the side. Okay.
- Yeah.

NARRATOR: A wooden beam?

Could it be more evidence

of work done by
the Restall family

in their failed efforts

to locate the flood
tunnel in the 1960s?

Or could it be connected

to those who
created the flood trap

centuries ago in
order to protect

whatever lies buried
in the Money Pit?

I think we might be into
something there, Craig.

Because the last board
I pulled out is, you know,

was on its edge.

And you can see
going up the wall

on this side, three
in a row there now.

- CRAIG: But some have been vertical?
- Yeah.

- Three have been vertical, yeah.
- Okay.

It looks to me, it could be

the outline of a
shaft in through here.

Yep.

CRAIG: It's amazing.

It looks to me, it could be

the outline of a
shaft in through here.

- Yep.
- CRAIG: It's a lot darker material

- and there's some wood in it.
- BILLY: Yeah.

NARRATOR: While excavating

a massive trench
at Smith's Cove,

members of the Oak Island
team have just uncovered

the possible remains of a
mysterious wooden shaft.

JACK: What are
you seeing, Craig?

See, in this area,
how dark it is

and there is some
wood in with it?

- JACK: Oh, yeah.
- CRAIG: On the sides here,

you can see how it's a
more tannish brown color.

- JACK: Evidence of a shaft.
- Potentially. Yeah.

How deep are we
gonna go with this?



All right. Well, keep
your eyes peeled.

CRAIG: We start bringing up
some wood and this is where

the flood tunnel should
be running through.

So, was it Restall work or
was it original people work?

So, hopefully, we
can get down and see

if the flood tunnel is there.

Jack, that board on top,

it just looks like
it's got a funny end.

Yeah. It's notched.

Let me pull this out.

Good eye, Billy.

What's this for?
One of the sides?

BILLY: Maybe.

What are you seeing
from your side?

The last board I pulled out is

on its edge and you can see it
going up the wall on this side.

Yeah. I can see a couple
over here sticking out.

BILLY: We got three pieces,

but they're a
little bit different.

I don't know
what that tells you.

Yeah. You can see
a couple of beams.

So, is it Restalls?

- Is it original people?
- Yeah.

Getting down awful
deep here, though.

These three boards,

they're all three
different sizes,

which to me,

tends to mean it's older.

Maybe it's related
to the flood tunnel.

Maybe it leads to treasure.

So we need to keep
digging down here.

I'd definitely keep these
boards as they're coming up,

we might be able to send it in

for dendrochronology
and get an age on it.

I think we just need
to keep going deeper.

BILLY: Only one way to find out.

CRAIG: Okay. Let's continue.

NARRATOR: As the excavation
proceeds at Smith's Cove...

- TEDFORD: Time for one more run?
- ADAM M.: Okay.

NARRATOR: and while the
core-drilling operation continues

in the Money Pit area,

nearly half a mile
away on Lot 5, located

on the western
side of the island...

PETER: Hey, guys.
How's it going?

LAIRD: Hey, Peter.

NARRATOR:
Peter Fornetti joins

archaeologist Laird Niven

and other members of the team

as they methodically investigate

a mysterious stone
foundation near the shoreline.

So, you're working
down in this area?

It's kind of an "annex" to
the main, uh, foundation.

And last year it was covered

in big stones all lining it.

And so we've
removed some of those,

and so I'm working to the north

to try to define the north wall.

This area is really
interesting to me,

just because of the potential
match to the Money Pit.

Yeah. Absolutely.

NARRATOR: Since
Lot 5 was first acquired

by the Laginas and Craig Tester

in 2022, the team has
made a number of discoveries

in this feature that suggest

it may have been
occupied by different groups

spanning hundreds of years.

These include iron tools

and a cut English silver coin

dating back to the late 1600s,

a button with a
starburst design,

as well as a lead barter token,

which may date back to
as early as the 14th century,

and a mortar-like material

that matches soil
samples recovered

from more than 100 feet
deep in the Money Pit area.

Now, Rick, Marty and
Craig are hoping to find

definitive evidence
that will help identify

who created the structure
and what else it may contain

that will help solve the


Oh, wow. Look at this.

MOYA: What have you got?

- We have a pipe stem.
- MOYA: Oh!

JILLIAN: Oh, wow.

HELEN: Yeah. Wonder
if there's anything on it.

- Yeah.
- HELEN: Laird!

-Yo! -HELEN: We've got a TD

- pipe stem.
- LAIRD: That's cool.

It's the part where

the stem meets the bowl
and on the heel we've got

TD initials.

Yeah. So the TD stands
for Thomas Dormer,

who was a, an English
pipe maker in the mid-1700s.

Yeah.

LAIRD: Given the artifacts

that are coming out
of this feature on Lot 5,

and that some predate
the Money Pit discovery,

and now given that we've managed

to match soils on
both of the features

to soils from the Money Pit...

All right. Here you go.

It's really difficult
to deny that this is

a large operation.

And hopefully
we'll find an artifact

that can tell us who they were.

Well, that's great.
And just the start.

HELEN: Just the start.

NARRATOR: While the excavation

of the stone feature
on Lot 5 continues...

later that afternoon...

several yards to
the west on Lot 4...

GARY: All right, mate.

I'm ready for these spoils

here to get a Jack attack
and find some good stuff.

- Let's get after it.
- Okay, mate.

NARRATOR: Gary
Drayton and Jack Begley

prepare to once again

search for clues in more
than ten tons of spoils

that were recently removed

from the nearby stone
foundation on Lot 5.

JACK: Work your magic, Gary.

- [beeping]
- GARY: Oh.

[Jack chuckles]

So we've got
something just there.

Is it on that top layer?

Move this plug.

And that is ringing
loud and clear.

[beeping]

- Here it is!
- [gasps] Oh, is that a coin?

- Yeah! [chuckles]
- Oh... No, it's a button.

Wait.

Dang. I thought that
was a coin. Look.

- JACK: Oh, yeah.
- GARY: See the curve in it?

And that's the base of the loop.

Wow. That's been
through the ringer,

- that has, innit? Look.
- Yeah.

But it's a great start, mate.

Another little button.

We have found a heck of a
lot of buttons in these spoils.

Bingo! We've just
found another nice,

old button in the Lot 5 spoils.

I'm excited about this

because I can see it's irregular

and I know it was a
banging signal in the area

where we have found
a lot of other artifacts.

Yeah. When we first saw that,
I mean, my toes were tingling.

I thought it was
gonna be a coin.

Okay, mate.

We'll put it in the
bag and keep moving.

JACK: Movin' and a-groovin'.

- Let's go, Gary.
- GARY: All right. Nice and slow.

[beeping]

Ooh! Right into it.

Nonferrous.

That is not iron.

Here we go.

JACK: Come on.

Another coin or
button would be great.

GARY: Yeah.

- [beeping fast]
- Here we go. It's in...

It's getting smaller.

Let's see what we got.

Oh, a lead ball.

- Whoa.
- It's a another lead shot.

Love it, mate. A
little bit of armament.

And I'm sure when it
gets back to the lab,

they'll run scans on it

and test it

- and see what caliber it is.
- JACK: Mm-hmm.

GARY: Okay, mate.
I'll put it in the bag.

I always like finding old a*mo.

Yeah, I feel pretty
good at the moment.

But let's try and top it.

Lot 5 had a specific use

and we haven't figured out
exactly what that use is yet.

But every little piece
of the puzzle helps us

figure out more and more.

Hopefully, we're able to find

some older artifacts
that directly tie with

who was here.

[beeping]

- That sounds...
- That doesn't sound too bad.

Here. Let's have this out, mate.

Just there.

It's still a strong signal.

[beeping fast]

[gasps] Ooh!

JACK: Whoa.

GARY: We might have
found a piece of silver, mate.

JACK: No way!

GARY: We found silver!

- Ooh!
- Oh, wow!

- It is.
- Look at it.

NARRATOR: While
searching through spoils

that were removed from the
mysterious stone foundation

located on Lot


Look at that patina,
mate. Look at that shine.

NARRATOR: Gary
Drayton and Jack Begley

have just discovered what may
be a piece of buried treasure.

GARY: That's a
bobby-dazzler, all right.

This is what we're
here for, mate.

It's a treasure
hunt. Silver, mate.

JACK: Oh, yeah.

This is definitely a clue to
whatever is going on on Lot 5.

GARY: This looks like

a-an hammered piece of silver.

NARRATOR: While
the team has speculated

that the stone
foundation on Lot 5

may have been used as a campsite

during the construction
of the Money Pit,

if Gary is correct
that this artifact

is indeed made of silver,

could he and Jack
have just found evidence

that the feature may have also
been used to hide valuables?

The archeologists
are just right over there.

Why don't I send Helen a text

and see if she wants
to take a look at this?

Yeah. Perfect, mate,

because the archeologists
are gonna be excited about this.

This little piece in me
hand makes me very happy,

because I'm pretty certain

this is a cut piece of silver.

And if Helen, the
archeologist, confirms it,

to me, that smacks of some
kind of treasure business

- going on on Lot 5.
- HELEN: Hey, Jack.

- Hey, Helen.
- You summoned me? -Hi, Helen.

We got something
you'd like to see.

- GARY: Check this out.
- Oh, my heavens,

- it's tiny.
- What's your thoughts on this?

Yeah. Look at it.

HELEN: Ooh, look at that.

It looks like silver to me.

- Yeah. That was our hope.
- We knew it.

HELEN: And it's got
quite the shine to it.

It looks like that edge
has been cut, right?

- It's very thin.
- GARY: Yeah.

I think this could be a
version of a very old coin.

NARRATOR: A
possible silver coin?

If archaeologist Helen
Sheldon is correct,

then just how old might it be?

And could it help identify

just who originally created
the feature on Lot 5?

We can take it back
and Emma can scan it

- and make sure it is silver, but it definitely looks it.
- JACK: Yeah.

- Yeah. It's got that look about it.
- JACK: Yeah.

HELEN: It does have that
look about it, yeah. So, yeah.

- Good job. Go and find...
- GARY: Yeah. Thanks.

- Some more for us.
- Yeah. We will.

- Thanks, Helen.
- Yep. Thanks, Helen.

And this is going
in the top pocket.

- Great digging, mate.
- Oh, yeah.

GARY: Great find.

NARRATOR: The
following morning...

- CHARLES: We have a core, gentlemen.
- TERRY: Here we go.

LEIGHTON: [grunts] 109.

Thank you. 109. Appreciate it.

NARRATOR: in
the Money Pit area,

geologist Terry Matheson

and Oak Island historian
Charles Barkhouse

monitor the
core-drilling operation

in borehole E.75-5.6,

a borehole located
just 11 feet southwest

of where the team encountered

a mysterious
nine-foot-high tunnel

one week ago, and
in the same area

where high trace evidence
of gold has been detected

more than 100 feet underground.

Well, let's have
a look, shall we?

Got a scalpel.

Let's give her a cut
here, see what's up.

Okay. That is looking in situ.

This looks very much in situ.

I got some wood
pieces down here, Terry.

- PETER: At 109.
- Interesting.

CHARLES: If this here
is in-situ down to 109...

- Yeah.
- Then anything we find below,

possibly, is a structure,

whether it's a tunnel or
part of a shaft that we go into.

Yeah. I concur
with that analysis.

NARRATOR: More wood
at a depth of 109 feet?

And below a section of earth

that appears to be in
situ, or undisturbed?

Could that mean that
the team has, in fact,

hit the mysterious tunnel again?

If so, might they
be one step closer

to also locating the source
of the precious metals

that have been
detected in the area?

We need targets
for the caissons,

and I believe the sonic
drilling might lead us

to a place where the
digging of these big holes

with the caissons
will be fruitful.

LEIGHTON: It's to 115.

TERRY: 115? Okay, thank you.

Oh, yeah.

There's the blackened wood.

Given that we hit the
top of something at 109,

this whole section here
could be the inside of a tunnel.

TERRY: This whole
section here could be

- the inside of a tunnel.
- We had success in D.5-7.4

and we seem to be having
very similar success here.

- Okay.
- NARRATOR: It is a potentially critical moment

in the Money Pit
area for Craig Tester

and other members
of the Oak Island team.

Do we know of any tunnels
in and around this area?

CHARLES: No.

NARRATOR: At a
depth of nearly 110 feet

in borehole E.75-5.6,

they have just
recovered new evidence

of an unknown tunnel,

and in the same area
where a large source

of precious metals
has been detected

through groundwater testing.

LEIGHTON: Here's the core.

TERRY: Patient on
the table. Thank you.

- There we are.
- It's, uh, 123.



- We got some wood down here.
- Yeah.

TERRY: There's wood for
sure. There's wood all through it.

Mike!

This is not in situ.

This could be the bottom
of our tunnel right there.

So, we potentially have
a tunnel from 110 to 117.

- Yeah.
- NARRATOR: If Terry Matheson

and driller Mike
Tedford are correct,

then the team has
now encountered

a previously undocumented tunnel

for the second time
in the last week.

The critical question
that remains is:

could it be connected
to the original Money Pit

and the fabled
treasure that people

have been trying to unearth
for more than two centuries?

- Just keep on drilling.
- All righty.

- Appreciate it, Mike.
- No problem.

CRAIG: This is a very, you
know, interesting area to me.

We do have

some deeper wood
in the general area.

Um, so, you know,
I'm eager to-to drill it

and see if this can be a-a
place to put down a caisson.

I-I think we're in agreement
that we're just gonna carry on

- 'cause there's fresh information below.
- Okay.

TERRY: I'm with you,
yeah. Let's do that.

NARRATOR: As the
core-drilling operation continues

in the Money Pit area...

- KATYA: Hey, Rick. How's it going?
- JACK: Hey, Scott.

- SCOTT: Hey.
- RICK: Hey.

Did you guys have any
luck finding the shaft?

No, we didn't see anything

that would've
indicated a vertical shaft

like the Restalls found.

NARRATOR: Rick
Lagina and Scott Barlow

arrive at Smith's Cove
after being alerted

that, despite the
promising evidence

of a possible shaft
that was found

just one day ago,

unfortunately, no further
signs of man-made workings

or the legendary flood
tunnel have been uncovered.

We didn't even see
the ground disturbed,

you know, where-where
they indicated it was.

What about that
backfill location?

There was some wood
up top, but not very deep.

RICK: You were at your
maximum depth, though,

weren't you, in the
majority of the dig?

We were in the 40s,
I would say, easily.

RICK: We're at the limit
of the excavator's reach.

Unfortunately, it might
be a little bit deeper.

There's still the possibility
of something being here.

And we have to go back
and create a new plan.

Certainly, there is
a limit to the ability

to do an excavation, and
we have reached that limit.

We're not done here yet.

I think there's a possibility

that we may endeavor
to do this again.

Maybe by a different
means or methods.

There are some answers
still in Smith's Cove.

Y-You know what?

Every situation, there is
some positive takeaway.

We did find the cement.

That was in the '60s,
when the Restalls were here.

That's a huge plus.

Based on this work here,

and the find of the concrete,
we have some belief

that the projected
line is accurate,

and we can project those
lines in the Money Pit.

JACK: At least
in my perspective,

I do, actually, think
some of the puzzle

is coming together.

- RICK: Yeah.
- SCOTT: Yeah.

RICK: I think here,

- we're done for now.
- Yeah.

We can always come back to here.

- Yep.
- RICK: So, let's just

switch gears and get
out there and get after it.

- JACK: Yeah.
- RICK: Let's do it.

NARRATOR: The
following morning...

GARY: Interesting finds
we've been pulling out

of the spoils on Lot 4.

It's like, every time
we go there now,

we're finding small artifacts.

NARRATOR: Rick and
other members of the team

meet with archaeometallurgist
Emma Culligan in the lab

regarding the silver artifact

and the lead ball that
were found one day ago

in the spoils from the
stone foundation on Lot 5.

Have you had a chance
to scan them, Emma?

So, yeah, so, I've done
an XRF, um, a few points.

NARRATOR: Prior to today's
meeting, Emma scanned the artifacts

in an XRF, or X-ray
fluorescence device,

which employs
nondestructive radiation

in order to determine an
object's chemical composition.

So, the hammered silver
is modern, unfortunately.

The main indicator is the
high aluminum content,

which makes it... just
undeniably modern.

RICK: That's surprising.

Emma has suggested that,

because of the high
aluminum content,

it has to be more modern.

You know, that's not
information that we want.

But it's still treasure.

It still has that
lure, that fascination

that-that leaves
the glint in your eye.

There's no question
about it, but...

but we're looking for
something more than that.

But the lead ball has
proved to be more interesting.

This is the first time
I've seen it cleaned up.

I assumed it was
just a lead p*stol ball.

It looks almost like it's
got a design on it from here.

Yeah, that's not
just from carrying

it around in your pocket,

- or something like that and chaffing.
- GARY: Yeah.

This looks like it's been
made like that on purpose.

Soldiers were famous for
being bored in the trenches

and carving, um,
objects and musket ba*ls,

and pieces of lead.

It is unusually, almost
pitted I guess you'd call it.

And I have no idea why.

But this has been
used for something else

that we haven't figured out yet.

- RICK: Hm.
- EMMA: It is pure lead.

Um, and I'm not seeing any
intentional alloying elements,

so it's not a modern piece.

Um, all these are
naturally inputted.

How old could it be?

It has been used for a
very long period of time.

You've always
been very consistent

that that feature on
Lot 5 is much older

than the current
artifact recovery.

Is that still your intuition?

I would say it's older, I think.

And what is that window?

Well before 1700.

And you're saying
that this indeed

could fit that metric as well.

Yes.

RICK: Wow. That's exciting.

I would say it's older.
Well before 1700.

- Yes.
- Wow.

- So, it is old.
- Love it.

NARRATOR: A
potentially critical revelation

has just been made in
the Oak Island Laboratory,

as archaeometallurgist
Emma Culligan

has scientifically proven
that a piece of lead shot,

found in the large stone
foundation on Lot 5,

could date back to
the 1600s, or earlier.

- What the heck was going on on Lot 5?
- Don't ask me.

Such a wide variety
of finds, as well.

All of them different.
All of them unique.

Mm-hmm.

Pre-Money Pit story, for sure.

- EMMA: Yeah.
- Yeah.

And one other artifact that
was collected from that area

- that is also old was that scalloped disk.
- GARY: Oh, yeah.

I believe that scalloped
disk is really old.

Yeah. Well, the
starburst button,

- it dates before the 18th century.
- Yeah.

- So, it's definitely worth further research.
- Yeah.

LAIRD: Specifically,
into the design.

NARRATOR: Could the
team's mounting discoveries

that predate the 1800s,

such as the lead shot,

the scalloped lead barter token

and the button bearing
a starburst design,

represent critical clues
that they're getting closer

to identifying just who created
the rounded foundation on Lot 5,

and perhaps the
original Money Pit?

We've got some homework to do.

- Yep.
- RICK: I do think it's important.

So, let's see if we
can't figure that out

- amongst all the other mysteries.
- Yeah.

To me, it speaks eloquently
to why this lab is here

and why you are here.

- Sure, yeah.
- GARY: All right, mate.

- Let's get stuck back in and find some more.
- Let's go do it.

- GARY: See you later, guys.
- LAIRD: Thank you. See ya.

NARRATOR: As Rick
and members of the team

conclude their
meeting in the lab...

TERRY: We have
a core, gentlemen.

- Here it comes. Thank you.
- [grunts]

- LEIGHTON: 149.
- Thank you. 149. Appreciate it.

It's all in situ to 149.

- Hey, guys.
- Craig, how you doing? -Hey.

- Good. Good.
- 149 to 161 feet.

- They gave us a little extra, Craig.
- That was nice.

NARRATOR: Craig Tester
arrives in the Money Pit area

to check on the progress
of the drilling operation

in borehole E.75-5.6.

A borehole located in the area

where precious metals
have been detected

more than 100 feet below ground.

TERRY: Here we go.

Okay, we got a
little bit of wood here.

- Oh, we got wood!
- Huge wood.

- Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
- PETER: We got a lot of wood.

TERRY: Absolutely.

TERRY: Well, that's
a beam, for sure.

PETER: Pretty solid.

It looks like we have
possibly a plank,

a beam, and a plank... or,
you know, two small beams

sandwiching a very large beam.

This is distinctly and
pretty much certainly

some kind of a structure

that is somewhat
collapsed at this point.

If you look right
there, what is that?

Does that look like
concrete to you?

We've got a
structure here that has

cobbles and gravel
at the top and bottom.

- Oh, yeah.
- There it is there.

What is the biggest
constituent of cement?

- It's limestone.
- CRAIG: Yeah.

Limestone like this could
be misinterpreted as cement.

So, we're seeing something
that's similar to concrete.

TERRY: Potentially, yep.

- PETER: Wood. -Yeah.
- Yeah.

PETER: A middle section.

Then wood again.

- And concrete after that.
- Yeah.

Charles, to me, this sounds
like the Chappell Vault.

The way Chappell
and Blair described it.

Yeah. That's very interesting.

Incredibly interesting.

NARRATOR: The Chappell Vault?

In 1897, treasure hunters

Frederick Blair and
William Chappell

drilled into what they described
as a seven-foot-tall wooden box,

encased in concrete,
at a depth of 153 feet.

Upon extracting their drill bit,

they were astonished
to find traces of gold,

as well as a piece of parchment

with the letters
"VI" written on it.

This looks like two to
three different types of wood.

- Yeah.
- TERRY: It's definitely stacked beams.

NARRATOR: Could the team have
intercepted the legendary Chappell Vault?

And the source of
the possible treasure

that has been detected deep
underground in this area?

CRAIG: We're drilling in an area
where Chappell put his shaft down.

Obviously, he was
looking for the vault.

Is this going to be a point

where we decide
to put in a caisson?

We don't know, but this evidence
is-is helping build that case.

Perhaps we're at the periphery
of the actual vault itself.

CHARLES: We could be.

I'll text Rick.

He needs to take a look at this.

TERRY: No question.

- RICK: Charles. Terry.
- CHARLES: Hey, Rick.

- TERRY: Hi, Rick. How you doing?
- Good news.

Good news? Okay.

NARRATOR: In the Money Pit area,

Rick Lagina joins Craig Tester
and other members of the team

after being alerted to a
potentially historic discovery

more than 150 feet underground

in borehole E.75-5.6.

CRAIG: We hit wood.
This is the base of it

is at 159 and it
hit the top at 155.

So, the question is, is
it potentially the vault?

Interesting.

CRAIG: In going through
the vault, they indicated

they went through concrete

and went through
the treasure chests,

went right into
wood from the vault,

and then out the
bottom, and into clay.

Well, this, to me,

looks like different
types of wood are here,

and then it goes
right into the clay.

And as, uh, Peter found,
you know, is that concrete

or could've been interpreted to
be concrete years and years ago?

I think this is our
best location yet.

- Yeah. This is very interesting.
- CRAIG: Wow.

I mean, this is the most
excited I've ever been

- at the drill table.
- Really?

RICK: This data, when
you gather it all together,

could possibly represent
evidence of the Chappell Vault.

That's huge.

So, we have to
look at all of the data

in a very cool, calm
and collected way,

because it's easy to jump to
conclusions in the Money Pit.

But in the moment, yeah,

it's very interesting
and quite exciting.

Charles, what do you make of it?

I-I'm fascinated by this to
find that wood at this depth.

- Yeah.
- RICK: It's certainly

one of the prime candidates

- for a caisson. You know.
- Agreed.

NARRATOR: Since the
beginning of this year,

Rick, Marty and Craig
have been hoping

to mark potential
targets that would justify

sinking massive steel caissons

with diameters of at
least seven feet, or more.

After tirelessly working
to pinpoint the source

of precious metals
that have been detected

in the Money Pit area,

might they have
finally succeeded?

The cool thing is that we're
all together at this point.

Right? There's
excitement. There's interest.

There's data to be analyzed.

Everyone has a ticket
to the game, right?

- Yep.
- So, stay in the game

and on to the next hole
to hopefully confirm this.

And do a proper
recording of the data

that we have in front of us.

CRAIG: Yeah. We
got a lot to do here.

- RICK: Yeah.
- And a lot of samples to grab.

- Yeah.
- Let's keep going.

Pretty exciting.

NARRATOR: For
more than two centuries,

the enigma of the Money Pit

and the ingenious booby
trap believed to protect it,

have defied all who dared
to search for what lies below.

Many have lost
fortunes in the pursuit.

And some have even
paid the ultimate price.

But now, as Rick, Marty,
Craig and their team

collect more critical clues,

and continue to zero in
on the fabled treasure vault,

perhaps the ultimate question
that they must answer is:

Can they defy

the curse of Oak Island?

Next time on The
Curse of Oak Island...

RICK: We're now gonna
move to the swamp.

- See this log here?
- Yeah.

LAIRD: Somebody
built this with purpose.

What in the heck is going on?

I think I found
something kind of cool.

No way, Moya!

We came across a
really interesting artifact.

EMMA: It's Venetian.

So, that feature is much
older than we thought.

- Yeah.
- We got wood.

- JILLIAN: Wow.
- I think we have found the Money Pit.

- That's amazing.
- It's all coming together.