Money Pit Methodology

[Melissa2361]

First, I ADORE the show, the Laginas and crew, and every minute of every episode.
That said... I wonder why they are using the method of making multiple boreholes over the "money pit" area? I'm a mineral collector (otherwise known as a rockhound) and the mines I visit are open pit bench mines; that is, a concentric ring of "benches" are cut encircling the lowest point. The way the bore extractions are working is that they are literally shredding everything they find! If those are Shakespeare's manuscripts, well, they have just about put them through a blender, since they've come up with shreds. This method is ruining whatever may be down there. Same with the human bones; they've now been disturbed from their original resting place, thus making any forensic analysis problematic, if not moot. If you're going to unearth a treasure, the only logical way to do it is by starting some 50 yards out from the money pit area and gradually dig at an incline (benches) winding down near their most productive borehole. That way, they preserve everything as they go.

 

[James Wray]

Yes, I think their methodology often seems pretty reckless. Archeologists do use drilling to allow them to sample areas without disturbing them too much or to save time.

Borehole Drilling Survey

Wessex Archaeology are experienced in carrying out geoarchaeological borehole surveys. These surveys use site investigation methods to extract core soil samples across a site.

www.wessexarch.co.uk

I think they also use it to pick up patterns of settlement etc over larger areas...but I'm not sure they would use on a dig like Oak Island.

Drilling to the Core of the Mound: a minimally intrusive archaeological technique

A key element of the Round Mounds Project is the use of minimally-intrusive techniques of archaeological investigation to uncover new information about large mounds in the English landscape. By usi…

roundmoundsproject.wordpress.com

 

[Melissa2361]

Yes, boreholes make sense if you are exploring a huge area, say, looking for the boundaries of a settlement the size of a football field. But, the minute you bore up fragments, you know something is there, so full stop! You've just chipped a bone off a skeleton or nicked ancient parchment already. Broken pottery? Well, if it wasn't broken before you dug there, it is now. Put a flag at the bore site, then plan to come at that depth from some distance out. I haven't been to Oak Island (yet!) but it seems they have too many boreholes (um, the ground is collapsing) in too small a vicinity. Put the big can away and go in with a front loader.
Unfortunately for whatever history is down there, the borehole method makes for better television.

 

[rem0099]

First, I ADORE the show, the Laginas and crew, and every minute of every episode.
That said... I wonder why they are using the method of making multiple boreholes over the "money pit" area? I'm a mineral collector (otherwise known as a rockhound) and the mines I visit are open pit bench mines; that is, a concentric ring of "benches" are cut encircling the lowest point. The way the bore extractions are working is that they are literally shredding everything they find! If those are Shakespeare's manuscripts, well, they have just about put them through a blender, since they've come up with shreds. This method is ruining whatever may be down there. Same with the human bones; they've now been disturbed from their original resting place, thus making any forensic analysis problematic, if not moot. If you're going to unearth a treasure, the only logical way to do it is by starting some 50 yards out from the money pit area and gradually dig at an incline (benches) winding down near their most productive borehole. That way, they preserve everything as they go.

Digging with a loader?????, you will have to start digging 400 feet away to have an incline of 22.5° at 200 feet deep, and it's still very steep, and you will have to dig at least 4 to 6 loaders wide to prevent it from being buried if the walls collapse. Think about the amount of work. And im not even talking about the flooding. With your method of concentric ring of benches, the top one will have to be at least 100 feet in diameter to reach a depth of 200 feet, possibly way more.

 

[frenchy1044]

I have watched Oak Island for quite a while now and I enjoy ever episode. The show repeats are not interesting to me since I have already seen it. However, with that being said,I still can't stop watching them. I'm dying to watch the episodes concerning the buried ship in the swamp I definitely feel there is a ship full of treasures in the swamp. I'm just surprised it took this long for the team to explore it. Good luck and God bless all of the team may God help you find what you are looking for. Gerald Gibeau

 

[Melissa2361]

Digging with a loader?????, you will have to start digging 400 feet away to have an incline of 22.5° at 200 feet deep, and it's still very steep, and you will have to dig at least 4 to 6 loaders wide to prevent it from being buried if the walls collapse. Think about the amount of work. And im not even talking about the flooding. With your method of concentric ring of benches, the top one will have to be at least 100 feet in diameter to reach a depth of 200 feet, possibly way more.

You are 100% correct; it would have to start 400'+ away. I have no idea of the size of the site though, so it is probably impossible. However, this much we know: 1. the boreholes are causing the ground to collapse, and 2. they're shredding whatever valuables are down there. I'm sick over the fact that they've seemingly destroyed a Medieval manuscript. Once they found the area of bones and book fragments, an engineer should have been called in to figure out a way to expose the area without further damage. I'm of the mind that whatever is/was written in that book, and the two (or more?) human remains could be the only "treasure" down there, and those discoveries alone could rewrite history. But and the hunt for material wealth (as in gold) is the only concern of the show's producers, or so it would seem. I'm fairly shocked that the discovery of human remains didn't halt all operations at that site until authorities figured out what to do; after all, they've had to get permits just to unearth what they've found with a metal-detector.

 

[nazima]

I would love to have Terry explain in detail (complete with diagrams and notes) exactly what causes the ground to act like liquid.
Kodi Lucky Patcher nox

 

[Jim W]

What is the word on the show with Covid etc?