[narrator] Tonight on
The Curse of Oak Island...
[Joan Dawson]
Welcome to Fort Point Museum.
We brought a few artifacts.
[Alex] Do you think that
the Knights of Malta
- would've used beads like that?
- Yes. They may well have
visited Oak Island.
[Terry]
This is the kind of loose slurry
of mud that we were looking for.
That speaks to a chamber.
Or the offset chamber.
[Charles]
That's where treasure can hide.
We're all extremely interested
in the Lot 8 feature.
[Alex] We need to see
what's under that rock.
- [Peter] Wait, do you see that?
- Oh, my god, there's a pearl.
[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] Morning, guys.
- [overlapping greetings]
- Hey.
- How are you?
[narrator] As Rick Lagina
and members of the team
begin a new day of investigation
on Oak Island,
they have gathered
in the w*r room regarding
a recent and potentially
game-changing discovery.
I think it's an understatement
to say that we're all
extremely interested
in what the Lot 8 feature
might represent.
Right now,
none of us can say
definitively what this is,
and thus, my thought is
that it absolutely
was built by the hand of man.
There is a huge
human interface factor here.
It's unquestionable.
Definitely been altered
by humans, and not by
any humans that we're aware of.
I agree.
So, this is what
I wanted to show you.
[narrator] Two weeks ago,
Laird Niven noticed
a massive boulder on Lot 8 near
several partially buried rocks
that looked like someone
may have set them in place.
As the team dug,
they uncovered more buried
rocks in front of the boulder.
[Rick]
I find that strange.
[narrator]
But then Rick noticed
it was being held in place
by a series
of evenly spaced stones.
-[Fiona] Whoa, you're going
deep. -[Isabelle] Yeah.
[Fiona]
You got a big void down there.
[narrator] Fiona Steele then
began to remove disturbed soil,
exposing a tight
but open void beneath it.
[Peter] There's definitely
a void that I'm following.
[narrator] The team inserted a
snake camera under the boulder,
but were unable to tell
if something was hidden below.
We've tried the camera.
- Laird now has the footage.
- All right.
[Gary] Let's watch
for some shiny gold things.
[Laird]
Here we go.
- That's a nice shot.
- [Fiona] Yeah, that's...
a lot of different
materials under there.
What is that linear thing?
Right above the rock.
[Laird]
This?
- [Alex] That, right there.
- [Fiona] Yeah, that.
[Alex]
Yeah.
-[Laird] It's right up against
the rock. -[Alex] Yeah.
- Just at the top of the screen.
- [Laird] Yeah.
[Alex]
On the side, there. Right there.
[Laird]
Yeah, yeah. Huh.
[Rick]
Can you stop it there?
Whoa.
It's linear, that's for sure.
[Laird]
Yeah.
-Does that not look like
an iron spike? -Yeah.
[Gary] Yeah, it could be
an iron fastener of some kind.
[Laird]
Yeah.
[Alex]
It's blue.
But they can oxidize
blue sometimes, can't they?
- Mm-hmm.
- Yeah, they can.
[Alex] And that's
consistent with being
low oxygen under a boulder.
Is there enough oxygen
in there for wood to decay?
You know,
I'm thinking, what if
there was a wood structure
under there and the spike
is all that remains?
I mean, Nova Scotia soils
are very acidic.
It's just not great
for preserving wood.
Right. So, it could be
that the wood is gone and that's
- all that's left.
- [Laird] Yeah.
[Alex] That's how that
spike could get there.
- It's one way.
- Could be.
[narrator] If the team
is actually seeing
an iron spike beneath
the massive boulder,
could Alex be correct
that it was once
a part of a wooden structure?
If so, what kind
of structure was it,
and what else
might be down there?
What are the chances that we
lift this boulder and move it?
I think it's
worth doing if we can.
The question is if we can.
- [Laird] Yeah.
- [Fiona] Oh.
I'm on the fence with that one.
I'm-I'm just worried
because if this is a really
special, special place,
or if it ends, if it ends up
being a really special find,
we just have to watch
the integrity of it all.
What kind of special site
would we be talking
about, potentially?
- Well...
- [chuckling]
We are searching for treasure
on an island famous
for treasure.
How about
some treasure under there?
I agree. I agree.
[Laird]
The Lot 8 boulder feature
is one of the most perplexing
archaeological sites
I've worked on.
We have to take our time.
We have to do things correctly
before we can get down there
and see exactly what's under it.
This boulder is so unusual that
I have no expectations
about what's under there.
I am prepared for nothing,
and I am prepared
for something spectacular.
My takeaway here is we need
to see what's under that rock
one way or another.
I'd be a proponent
of lifting it if we can
think of a way to do it.
We didn't come out here
to find the most
interesting site on the island
and then not investigate it.
And so, if we can't think
of a way to get the material
out from under it
that gives us all
the information of raising it,
then I think
we need to raise it.
But I'm totally fine,
and I completely
understand wanting
to try every alternative first
because you don't want
to destroy something
-that's potentially very
significant. -[Laird] Exactly.
-Correct. -[Fiona] I think
we can get underneath it
without lifting this boulder.
I mean, I've been
working down low.
I can see where the rocks are.
I can see where
the soil is settled in front.
I know we have to
be safe about it though.
I was going to say, you're
not going under the boulder.
- [laughs]
- [Rick] Right now, is there
a part of me that says,
"Come on, let's just go lift it.
Let's all grab shovels and
dig it up." A hundred percent.
Of course we want answers.
Of course we want to find
something under probably
one of the most
singularly unique
finds on the island
to date. Right?
But we don't want a "Oh, if only
we hadn't done that" moment.
- At least not yet.
- Right.
- We have to do it safely.
- A hundred percent.
[Marty] I think I understand
where my brother's coming from.
I look at it, and I say
this rock is very important,
we need to see what's under it.
And I don't
want to wait to do that,
I want to lift
this rock tomorrow.
Rick looks at it
and says this rock
is very important,
same conclusion,
but it's so important I want
to be careful about moving it.
It's just
a difference of approach,
but it stems from
the same realization:
This is an important feature.
I'd say, likely,
there's something
interesting under that rock,
perhaps even treasure.
So, we can move forward
to try to further
our understanding
what this discovery represents.
- Perfect.
- [Fiona] We've got a good plan.
I think we're
on the right track.
- Yeah.
- [Rick] Okay, so to that end,
I think we've all
got work to do,
so let's go try to find
something else mysterious
about this place. Okay.
- All right.
- [Rick] Let's go.
[Alex] See you, Craig.
See you, Jack.
- [Craig] See you, guys.
- [narrator] While the meeting
concludes in the w*r room...
[Terry]
CN-12.5, Charles.
Here we are trying to put
another hole in the Peacock,
- trying to nail this down.
- Oh, I like the location.
[narrator]
in the Money Pit area...
[Terry] There's a big opening
down there and we're gonna see
- if we can find it.
- [Charles] Yeah.
[narrator] ...the team
is drilling borehole CN-12.5
in the Peacock,
eight feet northwest
of borehole BN-13.5.
[Adam M.]
Whoa. Whoa, whoa, whoa.
[narrator] It was there
three weeks ago
that while targeting
the solution channel
some 170 feet deep, the drill
entered a ten-foot void
at just 148 feet.
[Terry]
We've got an opening.
[narrator] One that
yielded sonar images
of a possible opening
to a much larger chamber,
and underwater camera images
of potential metallic objects.
I've always believed
in the offset chamber
because it makes sense
engineering-wise.
Right.
[narrator]
This has made the team speculate
that they may have hit
an offset treasure chamber
connected by a tunnel
to the original Money Pit.
Now, they hope
to find out for sure
in borehole CN-12.5.
I mean, the core of
the Peacock is a slushy
slurry of mud and water.
You get that as you get further
down into the solution channel.
That's a lot of open,
loose material.
You know what it
tells me, Terry?
That's where a coin or
a jewel or something can hide.
Sounds good to me.
Hopefully, we come up
with a few pieces of it today.
[Charles]
Wouldn't that be sweet?
[narrator]
As drilling continues
in the Money Pit area...
and while the investigation
beneath the boulder
proceeds on Lot 8...
-[Gary] Another bucket
of opportunities. -[Rick] Yep.
[narrator] ...Rick, Craig
and other members of the team
dig on Tom Nolan's property
in the northernmost region
of the swamp.
[Gary]
All right, let's get stuck in.
[narrator] They are continuing
to search for more sections
of a cobblestone pathway
that might be connected
to other stone features
recently uncovered
on the western side
of the swamp,
as well as an empty
brick and slate vault
that was found nearby in 2024.
- There's...
- Oh, yeah.
This right there.
[Gary]
Oh, wow.
This has got a nice
pattern on it. Both sides.
See that pattern, mate?
Yeah.
[Gary]
What I like about this is
this piece has come out
of the darker layer,
meaning it's from
a deeper depth.
So, it has
the potential to be older.
Well, I'll put this
in a separate bag
'cause this is a nicer piece.
Okey doke.
Oh.
Check this out.
- Woo-hoo!
- Now, that's pottery.
[Gary] That's pottery.
Yeah. Good eye, mate.
- That's a piece of earthenware.
- [Rick] Yep.
[Gary]
Good eye, Rick.
[ceramic clattering]
Oh, wow. Look at this, Gary.
- Gary, look at this.
- What? What is it?
Oh, yeah,
a lot of pottery in that one.
[engine turns off]
[Rick]
All this. All that. All this.
[Gary]
Yeah, there's a lot
- of pottery here, mate.
- There's a lot of pottery.
[Rick]
Look at this, it's everywhere.
Yeah, this is the, uh,
mother lode when it comes
to pottery shards.
We have found bags and
bags of pottery in this dig.
If we can get a date on it,
you've got a chance
to track down
who was working in the area.
[Craig]
Hey, Gary and Rick.
Finding a lot of pottery.
So are we.
It almost looks
like three different types.
We're probably dealing
with the same situation here.
That last bucket, a heck
of a lot of pottery in it.
- Okay.
- [Gary] We're in a good area.
We should get Laird down here.
[Rick]
Okey doke.
-[Laird] That's a big pile
of dirt. -A heck of a lot
- of pottery.
- Really?
Unbelievable amount of pottery.
We'll show you.
[narrator] In the northern
region of the swamp...
[Rick]
Hey, Craig. Tom.
Can you come over?
- Yep.
- Okay.
[narrator] ...Laird
joins the team to examine
their large collection
of new discoveries.
That's a lot of,
a lot of ceramics.
[Gary] Yep, but you are
the pottery expert, mate.
We figured you would be able
to tell us
if we've got any older pieces
- in these bags.
- Yeah.
These are transfer printed, uh,
pearlware, refined earthenware.
- 1840s kind of...
- Yeah.
Era.
[Gary]
And we did get some nice pieces
of earthenware there
in the second bag.
[Laird] In there?
Oh, coarse earthenware,
- the red one. Redware.
- Yeah. Mm-hmm.
[Laird] The redwares are what
we're really interested in.
[Gary] Eh, this is unusual.
It's got a glaze
- on one side and...
- Yeah.
Nothing on the other.
- More cruder.
- [Laird] Yeah.
[Gary] Doesn't that normally
mean an older piece
when it's cruder?
[Laird]
Yes. I mean, this could be
North Devon gravel ware,
which is old.
And the gravel's
referring to
a lot of grit in there,
which could be a good marker.
- How old is that?
- Oh, 1600s to 1700s.
[Gary]
Wow.
[Rick]
Amazing, the littlest pieces
always are the most intriguing.
- [Laird] Right?
- 1600s? I love those dates
because that makes me think
about Isaac de Razilly
and the Knights of Malta.
So that connection,
I'd love to make stronger.
That'd be pretty significant.
[narrator]
After finding several buttons,
a folded coin
and Venetian trade beads
on Lot 5
that may be connected
to the 17th-century
Templar-related order
known as the Knights of Malta...
Rick, Marty and the team
have been researching
Isaac de Razilly,
a prominent member of
the order who, in 1632,
built a stronghold in LaHave
just 15 miles
south of Oak Island,
which is now known
as Fort Point.
What I found very
interesting is two documents.
[narrator]
And, just one week ago,
Emiliano Sacchetti
provided the team
with a 17th-century inventory
of de Razilly's
personal property that went
missing after his death
in 1636.
[Emiliano] We have
a copper astrolabe,
we have two flintlock muskets
and two leather-covered chests.
That's the piece with
the best hope of being old.
[narrator]
Could Gary be correct,
that the team has possibly
found important clues
that may help identify
who was connected
to the Oak Island mystery?
You know, the thing for me is,
we always talk about how
we need to have
corroborative evidence.
- Yeah.
- You know, or complimentary
evidence, if you will.
If we can reach out to
Fort Point, which is
where Isaac de Razilly was.
Whatever we think we can get
complimentary evidence to,
- we should bring.
- Yeah.
[Rick]
Can we use the artifacts
we have found
to possibly connect
de Razilly to...
to some efforts here?
I can take all that stuff back,
- if you'd like and...
- Okay. Yeah. Please.
Start the cleaning process.
[Rick] Or the fact that he may
have known of some efforts here
prior to coming to Nova Scotia?
- I'll take these.
- [Rick] I think we need
to redouble our efforts
looking into
that possibility further.
Okey doke. And we will
continue the work here.
- [Laird] Okay.
- [Craig] Sounds good.
- [Tom] Thanks, Laird.
- [Gary] Let 'er rip, Al.
[beeping]
[metal detector beeping]
I got a signal, Rick.
[detector whines]
And it's right there.
[pinpointer beeping]
More of a larger signal.
Here we go.
What have we got here?
I haven't
the foggiest what that is.
- No.
- That's what I love about
our little trips
to the lab, mate.
Let's see if we can
get any crud off it.
That-That's something.
This has got a curve to it.
It's iron and really heavy,
and it has got
an old feel about it to me.
'Cause it's
something well-constructed.
[Rick] Yep,
I think it's some sort of
lifting-lifting device,
and I think
there was a ring here,
and this is...
this is right where
your attachment point is.
We're both on
the same page, mate.
We both think this has
something to do with lifting
or hauling.
It could be a shackle
or it could be a hook.
We did find that mystery vault
- a few yards that way, mate.
- Mm-hmm.
You never know,
this could've been used
for lifting
and placing something
- in another vault...
- Right here.
- Not too far away from us.
- Yep.
We know that path we discovered
is leading this way
towards the vault.
If it is any sort
of lifting device,
it means that something
- heavy was lifted in this area.
- Yeah.
[Rick] We have pottery
that might suggest
dates as early as the 1600s.
And now we have this tool.
It could have been used
for lifting something heavy.
Well, this area is interesting,
uh... for all kinds of reasons.
There is some story
being written here.
But I would love to
see other artifacts found,
perhaps even another vault.
The hope is that
it resides here.
But we'll find answers
about this back at the lab.
- Yep. Yep.
- I'll put it in the bag.
[Gary]
Okay. Game on.
[narrator] As the investigation
in the swamp continues...
[Terry]
You guys need a hand?
Hold on.
Whoa.
[narrator]
in the Money Pit area,
borehole CN-12.5
has reached a depth
of nearly 140 feet
in the Peacock.
[Terry]
Great stuff.
This material right
from here to there
is, uh, 138 to 168.
We only got
- about 12 feet of core back.
- Yeah.
But that, we've seen in the past
in the Peacock.
You drill it 20 feet,
maybe you get five, maybe
you get six feet of-of core.
Very interesting.
Very interesting stuff.
Let's have a look.
This is the kind
of loose slurry of mud
- that we were looking for.
- Yeah.
[Terry] This is
the cakey material
that stayed in the core barrel.
We got a whole 15 feet
that didn't even come up
because it's a washed-out,
slushy slurry down below.
[Charles]
That's where treasure can hide.
[Terry] That's exactly right.
So, Charles,
for 30 feet of drilling,
we've got 12 feet
of recovery. That speaks to an
opening somewhere in that area.
Perhaps a chamber.
Or the offset chamber.
[Charles]
It's down there, Terry.
[Terry] So, Charles.
That material there,
all the way from about
to about 160,
that's an interesting depth...
- Yeah.
- And that speaks to
- an offset chamber.
- Yeah.
[narrator]
In the Money Pit area,
the drilling operation
in borehole CN-12.5
has encountered evidence
of a nearly 20-foot void
approximately
Let's just carve the rest
of this up, Charles,
- so you can go over it, maybe...
- I'm gonna go over it with
- the pinpointer.
- Yeah, let me...
- You carve it up first.
- Let me open it up for you
- a little bit.
- Yep.
[narrator] Is it possible
that the team has discovered
a larger cavern
that could be connected
to the potentially
man-made void they encountered
three weeks ago?
If so, just
what might it contain?
[Terry] See, this is getting
really blocky down below.
You get that as you get further
down in the solution channel.
And I think this is
the kind of information
that we're looking for that says
there is a connection
between the Peacock
- and the solution channel.
- Yeah.
[Terry] Now we just
have to follow that void
to the bottom of the solution
channel and hope we encounter
the artifact or the treasure
that's gonna change everything.
It's clear, Terry,
- no metal in this one.
- Right on. All right.
- We'll write it up and move on.
- It's clear.
[Terry]
So that's the 168.
Let's see what they
give us from 168 down.
It's down there, Charles.
[Charles]
It's down there, Terry.
- We just haven't found it yet.
- Yeah.
[narrator]
The following day,
as work continues
on Oak Island...
[Alex]
Well, guys, I'm excited
to go see Fort Point
today because
we have a lot of questions
about Isaac de Razilly
and if he did
go to Oak Island at any point.
[narrator] ...Alex, Peter,
Judi Rudebusch
and Emiliano Sacchetti
are traveling
some 15 miles south
to LaHave, Nova Scotia.
[Alex] I think Joan
is the perfect person
to answer some of
those questions for us.
I-I'm hoping that
she can give us some
- really good input.
- Yep.
[narrator]
They have arranged to visit
the historic site
known as Fort Point,
which was originally established
as a French stronghold in 1632
by Isaac de Razilly,
a high-ranking member
of the Knights of Malta.
[Alex]
Wow. Beautiful location.
- You can see why they chose it.
- [Emiliano] Yeah.
-[Emiliano] Hello. -[Joan]
Welcome to Fort Point Museum.
- [Emiliano] Thank you.
- [Joan] Nice to see you.
- Hi there. My name is Alex.
- Hello.
-Very nice to meet you.
Joan, right? -Joan, yes.
[narrator] Joan Dawson
is a local historian
and author who has written
several books on both
the founding of Nova Scotia
and Isaac de Razilly.
[Peter] We brought
a few artifacts.
Would there be a place
to look at these at all?
-Um, yeah, well,
there's a table in there. -Okay.
-If you'd like to set them up
there. -[Alex] Sure.
- That'd be great. -Yeah.
- [Joan] So, we have in this room
some of the early information
about Isaac de Razilly.
So if you'd like to have
a look around in this room
and then I'll meet you
in the other room
- and we can take it from there.
- Thank you so much. -Thank you.
[Alex] Rick always talks
about connective tissue
and tying Oak Island
to the potential
treasure depositors
that we're investigating.
These are items
right from the family.
[Alex] In this case,
we have Isaac de Razilly,
who could be
the connective tissue
between Oak Island
and the Knights of Malta.
So this would've been the kind
of clothes he would've worn
possibly as a member
of the Knights of Malta
- in the 1600s, like it says.
- Yeah.
Looks like it may have been red
because of his stature.
-Oh, 'cause he was
higher-ranking? -Mm-hmm.
I'd wish we'd find something
similar to that on the island.
- [Alex] Yeah.
- A Maltese cross.
So that symbol
was in use in the 1600s.
-Mm. -So if we find
that symbol on Oak Island,
- then that's a dead giveaway.
- Oh, yeah.
Probably a good place
to start would be
what is known
about Isaac de Razilly
during the time
that he was here.
[Joan] Well, we know
that he had written a document
before coming here
talking about colonization
and how important it was
and how it enhanced
the prestige of France
and the French king.
The king certainly sanctioned
the expedition.
So he came over in 1632.
He organized the community here.
He had a fort built, um,
on the site where we are now.
So he was obviously in charge.
Is it fair to say
he was a wealthy man?
Well, he was, uh, an aristocrat,
and his family were landowners.
He would have been
fairly well-off, yes.
Good lifestyle,
which he obviously intended
- to set up here.
- Right.
He was very happy to come here
and to set up this place.
But, um, unfortunately,
Isaac de Razilly died,
and we don't know quite
what caused this,
but it was unexpected
and he died in July of 1636.
-Okay. -[Alex] So, Joan,
we're trying to figure out
the connections
Isaac de Razilly had,
-you know, to the Oak Island
mystery... -Mm-hmm.
And the other orders and powers
that he was associated with,
like France,
the-the Knights of Malta.
You know, he was an enthusiastic
Knight of Malta, yes.
He wrote a letter to the, um,
leader of the Knights of Malta,
um, suggesting that they
should really set up something
like a monastery, um, in, um...
in Nova Scotia.
Well, perhaps there's
a connection to a...
a settlement on Oak Island.
We have, uh, an archaeological
site there on Lot 5
that appears to have had
about two periods of occupancy.
There's some suggestion
that there was an occupation
- in the 1600s.
- Mm. That's interesting.
[Peter] So,
here's an artifact from
the Lot 5 feature.
I'm just curious if you
came across any sort of beads
that are similar to this here
on this location.
[Joan]
Good heavens. No.
But I would say it was beads for
fur trading with the Mi'kmaq.
- [Alex] Mm.
- The Indigenous people, yes.
Do you think it's possible
that Isaac de Razilly
would've used beads like that
- for the purposes of trading?
- Yes.
Um, um, you get that from
the French. Certainly, they had
traded
with the Indigenous people.
So, yes, I'm sure
Razilly was doing it, too.
Well, that's interesting,
because we were wondering
if that could be
a potential connection between
if not de Razilly, then the...
-the group that he was
associated with... -Mm-hmm.
Being involved
in some work on Oak Island.
[Emiliano] And I'm sure
you are aware of it,
but we know that,
uh, from the journal
-that Isaac de Razilly,
he used to sail... -Yes.
- From LaHave...
- Yes.
Up towards Mahone Bay.
-But, um... -Well,
they certainly went... they went
on this expedition, um, with two
local priests along with them.
-[Emiliano] Exactly. -And they
went, um, into Mahone Bay, yes.
[Emiliano] And they
also described
an island filled with oaks.
Yes, well, certainly.
I mean, they didn't say
which of the islands
in Mahone Bay they visited.
But they may well have visited
Oak Island.
[Alex] There you go.
[Joan] While he was here,
they may well have visited
- Oak Island.
- Mm-hmm.
[Joan] So I'm sure
there's a connection.
[narrator] At Fort Point,
some 15 miles south
of Oak Island
in LaHave, Nova Scotia,
historian Joan Dawson
has confirmed
that the Venetian beads
discovered on Lot 5
are the same type
that Isaac de Razilly
and other members
of the Knights of Malta
would have used
as currency in this area
back in the 17th century.
So, we have all these other
European artifacts on this site
on Lot 5, which to me indicates
a potential connection
to the Knights of Malta.
[Emiliano] Yes. So,
one of the things that...
are actually
really interesting is this one.
This is a flintlock plate
- coming from a musket...
- [Joan] Yes.
We found in Lot 8.
And as we know, this kind
of mechanism was French.
[Joan] Yes, that's right.
[Joan] Yes. Yes.
Mm-hmm.
Yes.
Yes, that's interesting.
[Judi] Did they go to France?
- Did they stay here?
- [Emiliano] Exactly.
And, also, I read
that Isaac de Razilly
came here with 300 men,
- and they were an elite corps.
- Yes. Mm-hmm.
Yes. So, they were obviously
well-trained and-and...
- well-armed.
- So, the question is...
[chuckles softly]
could this be, um, something...
that Isaac de Razilly, uh, lost?
It could be. It is strange.
There were several things
- that didn't get back to France.
- Yes.
Also, some chests went missing.
It's interesting
comparing those documents.
Uh, uh, we can call it
coincidence.
-Mm-hmm. -But that is
another interesting,
um, you know, possibility...
that they eventually ended up
in a place like Oak Island.
It's a mystery.
Yes. Indeed.
Well, it's very interesting.
[Emiliano] Yes.
[Alex] What really strikes me
about this guy is
how little we know about
his time here in Nova Scotia.
We know he came here.
We know he came here with a
significant amount of resources
because he was trying
to establish a trading post.
Uh, at least
that's the official story.
Uh, and then we don't know
what he did.
We've established
that he had the opportunity
to do something on Oak Island.
We've established
that he had the means
to do something on Oak Island.
Now we need to look
for his motive.
[Judi] Okay. We brought one more
thing along, and it's a book.
- Oh, yes.
- And it was the book
that led us to our idea
to go to Malta.
[Edwards] I have acquired
two ancient books.
The publication date was 1812.
And then the second book has
a publication date of 1763.
[narrator] In 2023,
researcher John Edwards
presented the team
with two books
that he believes are part
of a five-volume series.
They contained Masonic codes,
passages
of ancient Hebrew writings,
and references
to sacred religious treasures
that many believe
the Knights Templar
and the Knights of Malta
may have hidden on Oak Island.
And, curiously,
one of the books in the series
also featured a hand-drawn map
of the island...
along with a possible
depiction of the vault
that was uncovered in the swamp.
-Oh, there's
a Maltese cross here. -Yes.
And beside that,
it even says that.
- Take a look at that.
- It says Malta, yes.
[Alex] We don't know much
about this book.
I mean, we have
the-the Maltese cross,
so-so we're thinking
perhaps there's a connection
to a-a settlement
that was founded by a member
of the Order of Malta.
[Joan] Oh, it's Josephus.
Okay. Mm-hmm.
You're familiar with Josephus
and what he wrote about?
Yes. I know he wrote a-a history
at the time of Christ.
Oh. Okay.
[narrator] Flavius Josephus
was a first century
Jewish military leader
and scholar
who documented many historical
events of ancient Israel.
He's also credited with being
one of the first historians
to author a non-biblical account
about Jesus of Nazareth
and his crucifixion
under Pontius Pilate.
We believe there's a code
in there somewhere.
-Yeah, well, I'm just looking
at this margin here... -Mm-hmm.
Which seems to be
a code of some sort.
[Alex] Mm-hmm.
I think, Isaac de Razilly,
if he had
a library of any sort,
this is the kind of thing
that might well have been in it.
Okay.
[narrator] Has Joan
possibly helped the team
uncover new clues
in the books...
related to the beliefs and
priceless religious treasures
that some believe
the Knights Templar
and Knights of Malta
buried on Oak Island?
[Alex] The fact
that Joan not only recognizes
possible clues in this book
and its author
but also that she says
it's, uh, the kind of thing
that a Knight of Malta
would have in his library,
I think, is very significant,
because this book has
drawings and codes
and messages that we think
pertain and relate
to Oak Island.
So that right there
is our connection
between the Knights of Malta
and Oak Island.
Well, Joan, thank you
very much for your time.
- We really appreciate it.
- Well, thank you very much.
It's been
really interesting for me.
I did this research
a long time ago,
and it's nice
to remember it all.
- Lovely to meet you all.
- [Alex] You as well.
[Peter] Thank you.
Nice to meet you.
[narrator] As a new morning
dawns on Oak Island...
So, Ter, 188 to 208.
So you got ten feet of material.
- 208. Okay.
- Great.
Members of the team hope
to make a breakthrough discovery
at the bottom of the Peacock
in Borehole CN-12.5.
-More loose stuff, and here's
the bedrock at about 204. -Yep.
[narrator] After encountering
a nearly 20-foot void
some 140 feet underground
one day ago
that may be connected
to a possible offset chamber...
I mean, we got exactly what
we were looking for.
All of this material
is very, very loose.
Things could have, uh,
fallen down through.
The team is now examining
core samples from the bottom
of the solution channel,
an area where any potential
treasure might have fallen.
We expected to see slushy,
slurry, washed-out areas
that things could fall into.
We're looking at a whole great
big bunch of it now, Charles.
[Charles] Can you hand me
a cutter, Terry?
Scalpel.
- Let's do it.
- Okay. Let's operate.
If you're looking for evidence
of a washed-out void
or a muddy spot,
this is it.
So, I'm gonna separate this out
a little bit and you're
gonna run the pinpointer
- over it, I think, Charles.
- That's what I'm gonna do.
We're looking for metal
right now.
And I'm afraid
there's no metal in that.
Right. Well, that's
disappointing. But, again,
we've been hitting loose watery
material all the way from 138
all the way down to, uh...
here we are at 204.
We're still in this material
here.
[Charles] This is perfect
to hide the one thing.
[Terry] Gold
will pass down through that
like a hot knife through butter.
I mean, this is tailor-made
for exactly what
we're talking about.
This material's getting sampled.
[narrator] Unfortunately,
no artifacts
or solid evidence of treasure
have been found in the core.
However, the team may still be
able to find valuable clues
in the muddy soils.
Let's get a representative
sample of this loose material,
see if we can take it back
to the lab,
see if they'll detect
any precious metals.
And that should do it for that.
[Rick] The Peacock,
it's singularly unique,
according to Terry.
It's highly unconsolidated
soils.
Uh, seems to be
almost floating in space.
Okay, here we go.
[Rick] It checks all the boxes
for a offset chamber
that has collapsed
down into the solution channel.
And thus every reason
to grab samples of that,
send them off to the lab,
and hopefully find something.
[Charles] We got to keep coming
back to this hot area
'cause it's so tempting. We need
more information there, right?
There's lots of places down
there for a treasure to hide.
- [Terry] On to the next.
- [Charles] Sounds good to me.
[narrator]
As Terry and Charles
prepare soil samples
for testing...
[Peter]
Hey, guys.
- [Laird] Hey.
- [Rick] Hey.
-How are you? -Might look
a little different now.
[Rick] A little?
You can kind of peek in there.
Rick and members of the team
arrive on Lot 8,
where more soil has been removed
from beneath
the massive boulder feature.
- Any finds yet?
- [Fiona] No.
We haven't yet.
But we are screening
all of the soil
that's coming out of here.
When you see the rock
pinned like this,
it's looking, at this point,
like somebody has excavated out
an area of this
to get underneath the boulder.
When's the last time
you put the camera down?
Not since we've moved
those rocks.
We really only just got
to the point
that we've exposed that
underbelly of the large boulder.
We have all these stones around
that really are tightly placed,
and there's a bit
of a pathway clearance
underneath it right now,
so we've had to just scoop out
a lot of dirt first.
-But I'd love to see what
that camera can show us. -Yep.
Well, we got the camera operator
right there.
- Peter, have at it.
- Yeah. Let's do it.
[Rick] Archaeology is
a slow-paced science.
It's just the nature
of the work.
[Gary] Stay focused, Pete.
- [Peter] Okay.
- [Rick] Look,
at this point,
I want to dig it up.
I want answers.
But I think everyone
that is currently endeavoring to
uncover what this boulder
might represent
is recommending that very thing.
Let's do this slow.
Let's do it right.
Let's make certain
that we don't make mistakes.
I'll show you.
There's a really good spot.
[Peter] All right.
[Fiona] Okay. Now I'm in.
- In underneath.
- Okay.
Let's see what we can find.
- [Fiona] See anything there?
- [Peter] Nope.
-[Fiona] Okay. Let me see
if I can go farther. -All right.
[Rick] What do you see, Peter?
[Peter] There's definitely room.
How deep do you think we're in?
[Fiona] Probably in
about a-a couple of feet.
Do you want me to try
and go down a little further?
- [Peter] Yeah.
- [Rick] Absolutely.
-[Peter] We're... -[Rick] Stop.
Stop. Go ahead but slow. Slowly.
What's that bright blue thing?
I'll go back a little bit.
No. Go forward. Just slow.
Slow. Slow.
Wait. You see that?
Pull forward a little bit.
- Just a touch.
- [Rick] Yeah.
[Peter] I wonder what that is.
I have no idea.
- Doesn't look like a rock.
- Mm-mm.
But if you go forward into it,
feels like a rock?
-Laird, come take a look at
this. -I did, but I passed it.
- Am I in the right spot?
- [Peter] Mm-hmm.
Here, that's what it is.
-It's... -[Rick]
Doesn't look like a rock.
Go towards it a little bit more.
[Laird] Huh.
[Peter] Certainly looks
different than everything else.
Yes, it does. That's probably
the most interesting thing yet.
-[Peter] You want to pull it
back just a little bit? -Sure.
[Rick] Oh, my god.
It looks like there's a pearl.
-[Rick] Didn't that look
like a pearl? -[Peter] Yeah.
Certainly looks different
than everything else.
[Rick] Yes, it does.
Show Fiona that.
[narrator]
After reinserting a camera
beneath the massive boulder
on Lot 8...
That's a very,
very circular piece.
- Like, almost too perfect.
- Yeah.
Rick and members of the team
believe they see new evidence
of possible hidden treasure.
-[Rick] It's a pearl. -[Fiona] I
see why you're saying that now.
- [Peter] Mm-hmm.
- [Rick] I'm not saying it is,
but that's where your mind
goes immediately.
- [Fiona] Yeah.
- Gary, take a look.
- Of course you don't have scale.
- [Gary] Yeah.
[Rick]
But you have the big rock.
What are you thinking?
[laughter]
I think pirates and pearls.
[chuckles]
-It does look like a pearl,
right? -Yeah, it does look
like a pearl, yeah.
[Rick] It's hard to believe
that it's a stone.
It's perfect.
It's almost luminescent.
Okay, so now I'm gonna go back
in-in again,
- slowly.
- [Peter] Mm-hmm.
-[Fiona] I can't quite tell
where it's gonna go. -Okay.
- [Rick] S-Stop.
- [Fiona] Yeah.
[Peter] Just black.
- [Rick] Yeah. Just black.
- [Fiona] Okay.
- It might be covered.
- Yeah. Okay.
We couldn't maneuver
the camera any closer.
But now we have
a potential target
for further investigation.
That makes me more excited.
And I wonder what else
might be down there.
There's nothing as of yet
that says
that we should cease
activities here.
If anything, it says...
speaks eloquently to
- we've got to continue, right?
- Yeah.
It's a bloody mystery,
that is for sure.
[Rick]
What about a shop vac?
[Laird]
I was thinking exactly that.
- I think it'd be a great idea.
- Yep. Yep.
I think vacuuming that out
would be a-a great next step.
-Yeah. -One, you would collect
whatever might be there.
And, two,
it will open that up further
- so you can get the camera down.
- Yeah. I agree.
And metal detecting
and hopefully pinpointing.
If I can get my arm in there
-and we can hit some metal,
we're in business. -Mm-hmm.
-Yeah. -We shall leave
no stone unturned
-that's not supposed to be
turned. Yeah. -Except that one.
[chuckling]
[Rick]
There is reason here that people
went to some effort
to create the Lot 8 feature.
And the only reason
I can think of
is that human beings wanted to
put something under this stone.
You know, we should apply
whatever assets we have
to try to understand
what's under that boulder.
I think we are all mystified
by it. Certainly.
But the only way to find out
is to proceed.
- Yeah. Yeah.
- You have a path forward.
Let's see what we can do.
[narrator]
As Rick, Marty, and their team
strive to solve a mystery
that has defied generations
of faithful searchers,
one important lesson
has become crystal clear...
they must look deeper than
ever before to find the answers.
Deeper in the Money Pit.
Deeper below features that
have gone unnoticed by others.
And deeper into history.
Because what they
may ultimately uncover
could have a value
that is beyond
earthly calculation.
Next time on
The Curse of Oak Island...
[Marty] It's designed
to hide something.
I want to pick it up,
see what's under there.
[Alex] Well,
this could get interesting.
Oh, that's a brick.
[Tom] Somebody was in here
doing this.
-It looks like a road toward
where the vault is. -Yeah.
-[rapid beeping] -[Charles]
We got something in here.
- Look. It's all through it.
- This is very, very important.
It may be the thing.
We've processed
these deep samples
from the Money Pit area
and found something interesting.
We could be closer
than we've ever been.
Amen.
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13x12 - A Fort Knight
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Follows brothers Marty and Rick as they search for the infamous treasure on Oak Island.
Follows brothers Marty and Rick as they search for the infamous treasure on Oak Island.