In this video, we're going to take a look at the developments that took place in
Season 7, Episode 4 of 'The Curse of Oak Island'. But first, I want to let you know
that my book 'The Oak Island Encyclopedia' is not only available in paperback
format, but also in a variety of eBook formats, including Kindle, Kobo, Apple
Books, Google Pla,y and Barnes & Noble Nook. While a lot of people (myself
included) prefer to read off real ink and paper, with a good, old-fashioned book in
their hands, there are some major advantages that ebooks have over their
physical cousins, namely the speed at which they can be acquired, which is
basically instantaneous; the convenience of always having a book right where you
left it, on your laptop, cell phone, or whatever device you use; the very handy
search bar, which allows you to look up any word or phrase in the book in the
blink of an eye; and the fact that ebooks almost always cost far less than
paperbacks. If you'd like to get a copy of my book in eBook format, please check
out the links in the description. Season 7, Episode 4 of 'The Curse of Oak Island'
begins at Smith's Cove's Upper Beach, where evidence of a dynamiting operation
carried out by the Oak Island Treasure Company in 1897 was discovered the
previous episode. In this episode, the crew punches a second hole, dubbed OITC-6,
ten feet northwest of the hole drilled at the end of the previous episode. A
core sample taken from a depth of 50-53 feet contains two pieces of old wood
separated by two feet of moist earth. The wood pieces appeared to be fragments of
hand-cut beams, leading Paul Troutman to speculate that they might constitute the
remains of some sort of underground tunnel. Terry Matheson expands on
Troutman's theory by suggesting that the undisturbed quality of the earth above
the wood, coupled with the fact that there are no documented tunnels in the
area, may indicate that the wood is part of the Smith's Cove flood tunnel. In a
later meeting in the War Room, during which Steve Guptill demonstrates that a
line drawn from OITC-6 to the centre of the U-Shaped Structure intersects two of
the walls unearthed at Smith's Cove the previous season. The crew agrees at they
ought to have the wood fragments carbon-dated. Craig Tester presents the
results of this carbon dating in another War Room meeting at the end of the
episode, stating that the wood fragments were found to date from 1735 to 1784- a
date range which corresponds perfectly with the dendrochronological
dating of the various structures found beneath Smith's Cove throughout Season
6. All of the crew members, including an especially enthusiastic Jack Begley,
agree that the carbon dating is very encouraging, and that they ought to
thoroughly investigate the area surrounding OITC-6. Earlier in the
episode, Charles Barkhouse and Gary Drayton conduct a metal detecting
operation on Oak Island;s Lot 21, where Drayton discovered the iron swage blocks
in Season 7, Episode 2. After discovering a 19th Century British halfpenny, the
pair unearths a decorative brooch not far for the remains of the old McGinnis
family cabin. This is not the first brooch to be discovered on Oak Island.
Back in Season 5, Episode 16, Gary Drayton and Rick Lagina discovered a brooch on
Oak Island's Lot 8, in which was set a rhodolite garnet. Later, in the Season 6
premiere, Rick and Gary unearthed a brooch with a red glass jewel set in its
center. The boys found the latter artifact on Lot 21, the same lot on which
this latest brooch was found. Following the discovery, Alex Lagina and Laird
Niven drive to Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, where they present
the artifact to conservator Kelly Bourassa.
The conservator proceeds to professionally clean the object,
revealing a unique design consisting of twin coils of rope surmounted by a fern-like
leaf. Bourassa suggests that the object has a Maritime flavour, but is
unable to determine its age or maker. He also acknowledges that he has never seen
another artifact like it. Shortly after the discovery of the brooch, Rick Lagina
and Craig Tester meet with Tom Nolan in the War Room, where they tell the Oak
Island landowner about the three locations they would like to excavate in
the swamp, namely the Ship Anomaly, the Paved Wharf, and the so-called
'Eye of the Swamp'. Nolan informs the treasure hunters that the swamp has risen
substantially over the past 30 years due to an accumulation of organic material,
and that the surface of the swamp today is significantly higher than it was 30
years prior. He then suggests that the team remove the top layer of the swamp
before proceeding with their planned excavations. After meeting with Nolan,
Rick Lagina, Marty Lagina, and Steve Guptill meet at the swamp with Jack
Nichols of Dam-It Dams, the contractor who constructed a successful inflatable
cofferdam around Smith's Cove back in Season 4, Episode
12. They inform Nichols that they would like him to dam off a section of the
swamp so that they might be able to excavate the three aforementioned areas
of interest without having to contend with water. After touring the area in
question, Nichols declares the task feasible and
accepts the job. Thanks for watching! If you enjoyed this video and would like to
help support this channel, please check out 'The Oak Island Encyclopedia', which
you can find by clicking the link in the description.