This week on episode 22 of Season 8 of The Curse of Oak Island, the team is hoping to dig a massive ship out of the swamp, a vessel they suspect was laden with treasure.
At the end of last week’s show, the guys decided to have Billy Gerhardt do some deep digging in the swamp, and it appears they may have found the fabled buried ship in the swamp.
Billy’s digger had everybody all excited when it unearthed what looked like a ship’s handrail. But there was even more intrigue when Billy realized something was blocking the digger’s bucket just under the surface. Something huge.
The guys have long believed that an old ship like a Spanish galleon or some kind of pirate vessel docked in the swamp area and was then unloaded of its treasure before being burned and sunk.
Unfortunately, it was too late in the day to investigate any further on last week’s episode, but rest assured they’ll be trying to dig it up this week.
Indeed, the preview shows a particularly determined-looking Rick Lagina striding purposefully towards the swamp area. He later says to the camera: “The bucket [Billy’s digger] is sliding across a massive wooden something, I want to know what that is.”
If they’re hoping to uncover a ship, then it’s definitely wood they need to be finding, and historian Doug Crowell seems to confirm that they’ve done just that when he shouts, “there’s a big timber running this way.” Through the clay, we can see a big bit of human-made wood peeking out. Let’s hope it’s the ship!
Evidence of treasure ship in Oak Island swamp keeps mounting
Also, this week, it seems as though Gary Drayton and his metal detector have found another possible piece of the ship. It’s hard to tell exactly what it is from the pictures, but archaeologist Aaron Taylor confirms that the artifact has been heavily burned and that it’s from a ship.
The guys have previously found in that area burnt artifacts that seem to have come from a ship, which has all lent credence to the theory that a ship is buried under there.
Wooden doorways and Templar Knights appear on Oak Island
Interestingly, the History Channel episode description makes no reference to any of the above. It reads: “The team uncovers what appears to be a wooden doorway under Samuel Ball’s property, and a new Templar connection is made when an ancient tool is discovered in the swamp.”
Samuel Ball was a former slave turned landowner who made a home for himself on Oak Island a short time after the American Revolutionary War. This otherwise humble-appearing cabbage farmer acquired quite a large amount of wealth, which has led many to wonder if he found some of the island’s treasure.
As a result, the team has spent quite a bit of time excavating his former property in the hope of finding something. They’ve previously found various artifacts, but the prospect of discovering a “wooden doorway” suggests there may be a tunnel or hidden room. Fingers crossed.
The last few episodes have been a bit lacking on the always entertaining “expert” theories, but this week we may be coming back to the Templar Knights. The guys were previously told that the Templar Knights might have buried ancient Christian relics on the island, including the Ark of the Covenant. It seems another connection may be uncovered in tonight’s episode.
The Curse of Oak Island airs at 9/8c on History.
Yep!! I’m an 82 year old acorn!!!!
Why hasn’t the cribbing under the first section of road uncovered in the swamp this season been carbon dated?