“The Curse of Oak Island” Unearths Astonishing Treasures and a Mysterious Tunnel — Could the Lagina Brothers Be Inches Away from the Fabled Treasure?

After more than a decade of relentless searching, The Curse of Oak Island has reached a jaw-dropping turning point. In a stunning new episode, Rick and Marty Lagina — along with their trusted team of experts — uncover what could be the most compelling evidence yet of the island’s legendary buried treasure. From centuries-old pottery shards and coins to the discovery of a potentially ancient tunnel deep beneath the money pit area, this chapter of the Oak Island saga may finally bridge myth and reality.

Ancient Artifacts Unearthed on Lot 5

The episode begins at the Oak Island Interpretive Center, where Rick Lagina and his nephew Alex meet with detectorist Gary Drayton, archaeologist Laird Niven, and archaeometallurgist Emma Culligan. Their goal: to examine two newly discovered artifacts — an English coin and a mysterious glass bead — both unearthed from a large stone foundation near the island’s shoreline on Lot 5.

Emma uses a high-resolution CT scanner to examine the corroded coin, revealing faint lettering that reads Georgius III Rex. The inscription confirms it as a George III coin dating from the late 18th century — possibly minted in the 1770s, decades before the discovery of the famous Money Pit in 1795. The find hints that activity on Oak Island predates the original treasure hunt, suggesting that whoever left the coin behind might have been part of an earlier expedition — or perhaps even linked to those who first hid something of great value.

But the discoveries don’t stop there.

While continuing to excavate the Lot 5 foundation, Gary Drayton and the team uncover fragments of fine Chinese porcelain, intricately painted with blue designs. The pottery, believed to be of high quality, may date back to the early trade routes established by Portuguese explorers in the 16th and 17th centuries.

“This is some fine china,” Gary remarks. “The Portuguese fleets brought Chinese porcelain through these trade routes. It’s high-end stuff.”

The find sparks a new theory: could Oak Island’s mysterious structures and relics be linked to early Portuguese or even Phoenician explorers? The presence of such artifacts adds yet another layer to the island’s tangled web of history — one that stretches far beyond North American shores.

The Garden Shaft Operation — Descending Into Mystery

As the surface team uncovers historical treasures, Rick and Marty Lagina turn their focus back to the infamous Money Pit area, specifically the Garden Shaft — a massive vertical shaft that may connect directly to a treasure tunnel below.

At approximately 93 feet deep, the Lagina brothers join the excavation team from Dumas Contracting Ltd. to help remove several feet of dense clay that block further progress. Armed with jackhammers and sheer determination, the brothers descend into the shaft, eager to unearth what lies beneath.

“This is no job for old men,” Marty jokes as they hammer through the thick clay.

Their efforts soon pay off. While probing the lower levels, Rick notices something unusual — a hollow-sounding area beneath the clay. The team carefully investigates and discovers round wooden timbers embedded deep within the structure. The sound of the hollow wood sends a chill through Rick.

“That’s one of the beams,” he says. “It’s real. There’s a wooden structure down there.”

The team believes they may have reached the top of a man-made tunnel — one that could date back centuries. Excitement ripples through the crew as they prepare to document and sample the timbers.

Evidence of an Original Tunnel?

When the crew removes several of the massive wooden beams, the structure’s craftsmanship becomes clear. The timbers are round and adze-cut — a telltale sign of hand-hewn construction from before the industrial era.

An adze, a type of ancient cutting tool used since the days of Egypt, was a standard instrument for shipbuilders and carpenters up until the 18th century. The use of such a tool implies that the tunnel could have been built long before modern treasure hunters arrived on Oak Island.

Earlier in the season, wood samples taken from a similar area were carbon-dated to the 17th century — decades, if not centuries, before the Money Pit was discovered. If the timbers from this section match those dates, it could prove that the tunnel is part of the island’s original treasure deposit system.

As Rick puts it: “After all the struggles and setbacks, to see this in front of us — this is real history. This could lead right to the treasure.”

High-Tech Scans and Mysterious Metals

With the tunnel partially exposed, the team calls in Gary Drayton once again — this time armed with his trusty metal detector. Scanning the newly revealed tunnel walls, Gary detects faint metallic signals. Digging carefully, he retrieves two small metal fragments of unknown origin.

“They’re shaped,” Gary notes. “Flat edges. It’s definitely not just scrap. Could be part of the tunnel construction.”

The items are bagged and sent to the lab for analysis, as the team speculates whether these pieces could have belonged to ancient fastenings, tools, or treasure-related mechanisms.

Meanwhile, Oak Island surveyor Steve Guptill marks the tunnel’s exact coordinates and dimensions, creating the first accurate map of the structure. The excitement in the air is palpable. For the first time, the team can physically stand on what could be a centuries-old treasure tunnel.

A Step Closer to the Truth

The discovery represents one of the most pivotal moments in Oak Island’s modern history. The combination of round adze-cut timbers, ancient artifacts, and high-tech survey data offers tangible evidence that the team is closer than ever to understanding the true origins of the island’s underground system.

For Rick Lagina, the moment is deeply personal. “You can see in that piece of wood the hand of the man who cut it,” he reflects. “Creating that tunnel to go somewhere — hopefully to hide treasure.”

The next step for the team is a delicate one. Before entering the tunnel, Dumas Contracting will conduct a horizontal probe drilling operation from the bottom of the Garden Shaft to explore the tunnel’s interior. The goal: to locate the source of precious metals previously detected in the nearby “Baby Blob” — a zone of interest identified through scientific testing earlier in the season.

If the operation succeeds, the Oak Island team could be standing mere feet away from unlocking a centuries-old mystery that has captured imaginations for over 200 years.

As Rick concludes with a glint of optimism:
“Kudos to everybody — especially the guys down the hole. It’s been a very good day. We’ve come a long way. And maybe, just maybe… we’re about to make history.”