The Curse of Oak Island S05E07

Synopsis

Two new pieces of ancient evidence found deep in the Money Pit may be proof of theories that could rewrite the history of the Oak Island mystery.

What I thought

Starting in the Money Pit again this week, 40 of the Geotech holes have been drilled, which is the full whack, good enough. We’re led to believe though that only one of those holes, H8, produced anything interesting, because little is said about the rest. The gang have called back in Irving Engineers to decide on the logistics of drilling H8 to an even bigger hole; It’ll be about a 50” hole with casing to about 200ft.

Paul Speed, a researcher, is the latest guy to visit the War Room with their theory about Oak Island. Specifically, he’s got something speculative to say about the Money Pit. He’s been thinking (as we all have) how someone could have constructed anything on the Money Pit (if they even have) and he’s centred in on a technique used by Cornish Miners. These flood tunnels by the Money Pit he believes
would have been constructed from further out, rather than straight down from source. He puts 16^th century Francis Drake on the map as taking gold he’s plundered to Oak Island. Basically, although there’s no proof he went to North America, that this might be a vault that was used as a bank of sorts for a period until it fell out of use or was used as Francis Drake’s grave! Apparently, Francis Drake died overseas and was encased in a lead coffin and poured with mercury (for good measure?) but this has never been found.  This isn’t as wacky as some of the ideas I’ve heard although this guy looks rather cocky about his claims, but then, he would. Incidentally, mercury has been found on the island.

Next up, some of the boys are with metal detectorist expert Gary Drayton again, as well as Laird in Lot 26; this is the one Samuel Ball owned, who got it from Captain James Anderson, a former pirate and the guy who owned that sea chest we saw a while back. They wonder if there’s more chests in this lot area. First up, there’s a wall that they think could have been used for loading/unloading of stuff on/off ships by Captain Anderson in past. The narrator has them discovering it but I seriously doubt that’s the first time anyone has seen that wall. It’s not in great condition anyways. Then they find a rectangular depression in the ground. They want to dig it but need a permit as this is in a protected area.

Its back to St Mary’s University as the boys don their white suits once more. Dr Yang also doesn’t play game as he’s too cool for white suits. They are testing the small piece of pulp. It’s made of paper, possibly a parchment, the likes of which was used rarely and only for important documents back in the day after 15^th century. Looking at the small piece of leather next and it is indeed leather (thank goodness we had those experts to help huh?) but also there’s some fibres in with it, leading the expert to suggest it might have been used as a book binding. This now leads them down the theory that William Shakespeare’s friend Francis Bacon put clues in his writings and then buried his original manuscripts on Oak Island. See how just one little mention of something can lead them down all sorts of paths? Anyhow, next up they need to find textile experts and get some date on these items.

3 days afterwards, it’s back to Lot 26 to look at that depression. They’ve got a permit but to get their destructive equipment in, they need to butcher a few smaller trees. This is heart-breaking to watch but I guess no pain, no gain. I’m sure they replant 2 trees for everyone chopped down, right? Lots of digging but absolutely nothing is found. Trees sacrificed, and a depression mutilated, all for nothing.

2 days later again, and it’s the War Room with Laird and the gang to get results of the bones via a Dr Fraser on the phone. One of the bones is from the European group, but the other is middle eastern which surprises them all, but leads to the Knight’s of Templar theory who got lots of stuff from the Middle East. Of course, it could just have fallen out of someone’s pocket hundreds of years ago …

The last few minutes are the heavy equipment arriving in Money Pit to dig a massive hole in H8.

Rating: 5/10 – Lots of talking, theories and wasted digging, but not a lot learnt about the items or bones apart form initial findings.

The gang discuss the merits of giving up on the Money Pit and creating a putting green, but first they look at H8 where they plan to dig a massive hole next.

Here's the next crazy theorist person in the War Room, although he's got a more realistic and probable theory than some of the others we've heard.

This is depressing. Yes, it's a depression in the ground in Lot 26.

This is the leather close-up. It's magnified so much that your eyes could pop. 

Noticing how picturesque the area in Lot 26 was looking with it's little cute depression, the gang set about chopping down trees and digging a pit large enough to bury that JCB in.