Oak Island is a 57-hectare privately owned island on the south shore of Nova Scotia which has been dug and searched for treasure for more than 200 years. The mystery of this island was so captivating that it inspired a whole show called ‘The Curse of Oak Island’ which airs on the History Channel. So, we decided to handpick the most significant discoveries which have been made through the years, discoveries which may actually help solve the mystery.
The Money Pit
It was discovered in 1795 and it was this discovery which started it all. It was found by three young boys which thought that they will discover a pirate treasure at what seems like a circular depression in the ground. Since then, a countless number of excavations have been made to the area, whose depth indicates that there is something of major significance placed there. Nevertheless, and the exact location of the pit is still to be revealed.
The ‘HO’ Stone
The ‘HO’ stone was found at the island’s Joudrey’s Cove by locals. They noticed carvings on it and as they thought that there is treasure buries beneath, they blew it up. Then, in 1936 Gilbert Hedden, a treasure hunter recovered some fragments of it which had Rune symbols which resembled the letters H and O.
Book Binding Fragment
This discovery was made by Rick and Marty Lagina and their partners who unearthed fragments identified as pieces of leather bookbinding from borehole H8. This led to assumptions that the Money Pit area has some lost works of William Shakespeare.
The 90ft Stone
In 1803 the first organized excavation took place and it was then that this 90ft stone was discovered in the Money Pit area. It contains bizarre symbols carved into it, which is considered to be a code that no one until now has been able to decipher it.
Human Bone Fragments
This is yet another important discovery which has been made by the Lagina brothers and their team. They found these bone fragments in the borehole H8 in the Money Pit area and found out that they belong to one person of European origin and another of Middle Eastern origin.
Roman Pilum
Gary Drayton, a metal detection expert, discovered an object which contains a tip of a spear. He found it on the island’s south-west shore and it was revealed that it could be as much as 2,000 years-old.
The Chappell Vault
William Chappell discovered an alleged vault in 1897. It was discovered when a drill passed a layer of concrete-like material and wood and came back with pieces of gold chain and parchment paper.
Lead Cross
This is one of Gary Drayton’s greatest discoveries, which was excavated at Smith’s Cove. It was given to analysis, which revealed that it originates from Europe during the time of the Knights Templar. Additionally, some Templar coins have also been found on Oak Island.
Flood Tunnels
Box drains have been first mentioned in 1849 and are believed to lead to the Money Pit’s booby-trap flood tunnels. However, the flood tunnel system hasn’t been revealed or discovered until now.
Nolan’s Cross
Frederick Nolan, who was a surveyor and treasure hunter, discovered five large stones in the shape of a cross in 1980. He found a strange boulder at the point where the cross intersects. It is believed that this cross, in fact, points to the place where the actual treasure is.
