This week on The Curse of Oak Island, the guys found multiple artifacts that featured precious metals such as silver and gold, and they found another item that could date back to the 12th century.
Also, this week, a researcher into Freemasons and symbols asked the guys if he could search the island for the Ark of the Covenant.
The archaeologists came up winners this week. Jamie Kouba found a piece that was 90 percent silver. The hand-forged piece was likely part of a decorative tassel.
The high silver content meant this was technically classed as actual treasure. Archaeologist Laird Niven admitted that in 40 years, he had never found anything like it.
So far, the guys don’t know how old it is or where it came from, but last night, that didn’t matter; they finally had treasure!
On the same day, Jamie also uncovered a copper button gilded with a thin layer of gold. Archaeo-metallurgist Emma Culligan had more info about this one; she said it was likely an 18th-century British artifact and probably belonged to a Naval officer or someone of equally high standing.
Emma was also on hand to examine another Lot 5 artifact recovered last week by Helen Sheldon. And this large hand-wrought iron spike threw up quite a surprise.
Emma claimed that the high sulphur content and lack of manganese combined with the purity of the iron meant it likely dated back to the 1100s to the 1300s. Once again, the 13th-century time frame keeps popping up.
The object is a bit mysterious because they don’t know its function. It’s too thin to be a nail, and it’s not a file, so more study is needed.
All these items were found buried in the stone foundation on Lot 5.
Icon and symbol expert says the Ark of the Covenant is buried on Oak Island
Meanwhile, the guys welcomed researcher John Edwards into the War Room, who presented them with his theory that the Ark of the Covenant is buried on the island. John has been studying ancient symbols and icons for many years and has recently turned his attention to deciphering a masonic code he found in two books from the 18th and 19th centuries.
John believed these two books, which reference Daniel Dyson and John Easson, two of the first freemasons in Nova Scotia, contain references to Oak Island and the Ark of the Covenant. One of the books includes a doodle of what John believes could be the Ark, and another page appears to feature a hand-drawn map of Oak Island, complete with the lots marked out.
The researcher also said that Nolan’s Cross is likely only one part of the Tree of Life, a Jewish and Christian symbol referenced in Genesis and other Bible books. The researcher suggested that a monument of such magnitude would have only been built to signify the location of an artifact of great significance, such as the Ark of the Covenant.
Researcher and Oak Island team will hunt for the Ark of the Covenant
John asked for permission to study Nolan’s Cross to see if his theory was correct and told the guys he could find them an X to dig. He superimposed Nolan’s Cross onto the Tree of Life symbol and said he wanted to search for boulders or other markings to prove the Cross was part of the more complex latter symbol.
Marty Lagina and Tom Nolan told him to go for it. We should get some results next week.
The Curse of Oak Island airs Tuesdays at 9/8c on History.
Getting very tired of this dragging on……
I believe. Hope thou my unbelief!