Oak Island is located off the coast of Nova Scotia near Halifax, in the eastern part of Canada.
The Money Pit Mystery and Early Treasure Hunting on Oak Island | Ancient Origins Skip to main content User menu AboutAbout us Meet the Team In the Media We Give Back User Rewards Expeditions Site Map Membership Site Submissions Login Register Links MediaGallery Video BooksBook Reviews Recommended Books EventsEvents Forums Contact Tours Membership Menu User Menu News Human Origins History Artifacts Myths Places Unexplained Weird Facts Forums About Submissions Premium App Tours Ancestry DNA Free Ebooks Magazine Login Register FREE Premium Membership Contact Tours Premium App Ancestry DNA Free EBooks Magazine All All Artifacts -Ancient Technology -Ancient Writings -Other ArtifactsNews -General -History & Archaeology -Science & Space -Evolution & Human Origins -Mysterious PhenomenaHuman Origins -Science -Religions -FolkloreMyths & Legends -Europe -Asia -Americas -Australia -Africa -AntarcticaAncient Places -Europe -Asia -Americas -Australia & Oceania -Africa -AntarcticaUnexplained PhenomenaWeird FactsVideoOpinion -Guest Authors -Editorials -Letters to the Editor -Author ProfilesHistory -Ancient Traditions -Important Events -Famous PeoplePremium -Preview -Subscribe NewsGeneral History & Archaeology Science & Space Evolution & Human Origins Mysterious Phenomena Human OriginsScience Religions Folklore HistoryAncient Traditions Famous People Important Events ArtifactsAncient Technology Ancient Writings Other Artifacts MythsEurope Asia Americas Australia Africa PlacesEurope Asia Americas Australia & Oceania Africa Antarctica Unexplained Weird Facts PremiumPreview Subscribe SHOP News General History & Archaeology Science & Space Evolution & Human Origins Mysterious Phenomena Home / News Sign Up for PremiumAds-FREE Content Active forum topics Cubit Numerology Natural rock formations or man made? Venus Figurines – Fertility Symbols, Portraits, Dolls, or Upper Paleolithic Porn? Greek creation myths Dinner Invitations for Famous People from the Past The Green Sahara More Greek Mythology Suggested Books PARTNERS Updated 5 March, 2017 - 13:58 dhwty The Money Pit Mystery and Early Treasure Hunting on Oak Island Read Later Print Oak Island is located off the coast of Nova Scotia near Halifax, in the eastern part of Canada. This 140 acre island is privately owned, and is best known for its supposed buried treasure, especially at a certain spot commonly known as the Money Pit. Since its discovery around the end of the 18th century, a number of theories have been put forward to explain the nature of the legendary treasure in the Money Pit of Oak Island. In addition, many attempts to unearth the treasure have been made in the following centuries, though these have yet to meet with success. Nevertheless, efforts continue even today, with the hope that a fantastic treasure will eventually be found on the mysterious Oak Island. Discovering the Money Pit on Oak Island The Money Pit of Oak Island is reported to have been discovered in the summer of 1795, when a teenager by the name of Daniel McGinnis came across a circular depression in the ground whilst wandering on the island. McGinnis decided to investigate the pit with a few friends, and over the next couple of days, he, along with his friends John Smith and Anthony Vaughan, began to dig a hole. Oak Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. ( Crystalinks) Two feet (about 0.61 meters) from the surface, the boys struck a layer of flagstones. They continued digging, and at a depth of 10 feet (about 3 meters), they came across a layer of oak logs. Two more layers of oak logs were encountered again at 20 feet (about 6 m) and 30 feet (about 9 m) below the surface. At this point, the boys were no longer able to continue on their own, and decided to go home, with the intention of returning to continue their search. The Lost Treasure of Oak Island and the Centuries-Old Quest to Find It Unraveling the Origins of the Roman Sword Discovered Off Oak Island More Evidence that Ancient Romans May Have Made It to Oak Island, Canada The ‘Money Pit’ on Oak Island, Nova Scotia, Canada in 1947. (Public Domain) It was only eight years later that McGinnis and his friends managed to return to their dig site, along with the Onslow Company, which was established for the purpose of excavating the Money Pit. The digging continued until a depth of 90 feet (about 27 meters). At each interval of 10 feet, a layer of oak logs were discovered. The Oak Island Treasure? “Forty feet below two million pounds are buried” In addition, a layer of charcoal, putty and coconut fibre are reported to have been found at the depths of 40 feet (abut 12 meters), 50 feet (about 15 meters), and 60 feet (about 18 meters) respectively. The most puzzling discovery, however, was allegedly made at 90 feet. At this depth, a stone with an inscription was found. The writing on the stone, which consists of symbols, has been commonly deciphered as follows: “Forty feet below two million pounds are buried”. Replica of the Money Pit inscribed stone. ( Oak Island Treasure ) When the layer of oak logs found at this layer was removed, water began to enter the pit, and by the following day, it had flooded it until the depth of 33 feet (10 meters meters). The excavators attempted to pump the water out of the pit, but to no avail. In the following year, a shaft was dug parallel to the Money Pit, with the intention of digging a tunnel to the latter at 100 feet (30.5 meters). This, however, did not succeed, as the problem of flooding recurred once more. Oak, Metal, and Spruce Layers at the Money Pit The search for the Money Pit treasure was abandoned for about half a century, before it was resumed in 1849 by the Truro Company. Once again, the problem of flooding was encountered. The company decided to figure out what was buried in the pit before attempting to continue digging. For this purpose, drilling core samples were obtained, which supposedly contained a layer of spruce, followed by one of oak, and then metal pieces. This was followed by another layer of oak, metal pieces, and spruce. With these findings at hand, it was concluded that there were 2 casks / chests of gold coins waiting to be discovered in the Money Pit of Oak Island. Roman Sword discovered off Oak Island radically suggests Ancient Mariners visited New World 1,000 years before Columbus 10 Strange, Unexpected, and Controversial Discoveries from 2016 The Giant of Algeria: Iconographic Evidence of Roman Expeditions in the Sahara The Truro Company tried digging a parallel shaft and a connecting tunnel in the following year, but like the Onslow Company before them, they were not successful. The Truro Company eventually gave up, and several attempts to locate the treasure were made in the following century and a half, with various discoveries being claimed to have been made at the mysterious site on Oak Island. More Discoveries: Who May Have Left a Treasure on Oak Island? At a depth of 160 feet (about 49 meters), for instance, a cement vault, believed to contain the treasure, was reported to have been discovered in 1897. Despite all these attempts, the treasure of the Money Pit has yet to be found, and the effort continues even today. Digs and Buildings, Oak Island, Nova Scotia, Canada, August 1931. ( Public Domain ) The most recent attempt to retrieve the treasure is being made by the brothers Rick and Marty Lagina and their team. Their treasure hunting has been made into a History Channel series entitled The Curse of Oak Island . Some of the finds made by the brothers in the Money Pit include pieces of metal and wood. But one of the most intriguing discoveries was made at the end of the program’s 4th season (which concluded at the end of February 2017), during which a large piece of worked metal that might have been part of a treasure chest was found. Although most treasure hunters have ended up empty handed, another recent revelation found off the coast of Oak Island points to an incredible, and possibly history-changing, finding. A shipwreck, believed to be Roman, was discovered near Oak Island, and within the wreck it has been claimed that a well-preserved Roman ceremonial sword was retrieved. The Roman sword found just off Oak Island. Photo courtesy of investigatinghistory.org and National Treasure Society J. Hutton Pulitzer, lead researcher and historic investigator, along with academics from the Ancient Artifact Preservation Society, wrote a paper in 2016 on the find and also outlined other possible evidence that romans may have reached the New World more than 1,000 years before Christopher Columbus. Debate still rages on regarding this artifact and its possible repercussions for the history books. Featured image: A photo that has been associated with the mysterious Oak Island. S ource: Expanded Perspectives Podcast/ Youtube Screenshot By Wu Mingren References A&E Television Networks, 2017. The Curse of Oak Island. [Online]Available at: http://www.history.com/shows/the-curse-of-oak-island/about Keyes, B., 1996. The Story of Oak Island. [Online]Available at: http://www.activemind.com/Mysterious/topics/oakisland/story.html Krystek, L., 1998. The Mystery Pit of Oak Island. [Online]Available at: http://www.unmuseum.org/oakisl.htm Mysteries of Canada, 2016. Where is Oak Island. [Online]Available at: https://www.mysteriesofcanada.com/nova-scotia/where-is-oak-island/ Mysteris of Canada, 2016. Oak Island Money Pit Treasure. [Online]Available at: https://www.mysteriesofcanada.com/nova-scotia/oak-island-money-pit-treasure/ Oak Island Tours Inc., 2017. Oak Island - Nova Scotia. [Online]Available at: http://www.oakislandtours.ca/ Oak Island Treasure, 2017. Oak Island Treasure. [Online]Available at: http://www.oakislandtreasure.co.uk/ The Inquisitr News, 2017. ‘The Curse of Oak Island’ Team Makes An Intriguing Discovery [Spoilers]. [Online]Available at: http://www.inquisitr.com/3989199/the-curse-of-oak-island-team-makes-an-intriguing-discovery-spoilers/ Wray, J., 2017. Have the Laginas finally found treasure on The Curse of Oak Island?. [Online]Available at: http://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/have-the-laginas-finally-found-treasure-on-the-curse-of-oak-island/ Section: NewsAncient PlacesAmericas Tags: Oak IslandromantreasureNova ScotiaCanadaMoney PitcurseRick and Marty LaginaMysterysearchtreasure hunter Wu Wu Mingren (‘Dhwty’) has a Bachelor of Arts in Ancient History and Archaeology. Although his primary interest is in the ancient civilizations of the Near East, he is also interested in other geographical regions, as well as other time periods.... Read More Login or Register in order to comment Comments angieblackmon wrote on 6 March, 2017 - 16:49 I am so in love with this story. I dig the show too. I’d love to actually visit the island, walk on it. Breathe the air and maybe help solve an amazing mystery! love, light and blessings AB StKos wrote on 6 March, 2017 - 19:56 That's one of the major problems. So many other shafts have been sunk over the years that no one is sure that they are digging in the original shaft. It may be better to rename it "Swiss Cheese Island" at this point. Cousin_Jack wrote on 5 March, 2017 - 23:04 Reading about the tale, its nice to see the British government sent some Cornish miners to the pit but I’d have thought that if its below sea level then they’d have known the pit could flood. Nowadays it’d only cost a few thousand pounds for the cost of a drilling rig to find if anythings there, if they still know the whereabouts of the original shaft, but it wouldn’t be a major problem if they didn’t. In Anglia et Cornubia. Elwin wrote on 5 March, 2017 - 19:47 Again this sword. ""Gladiator Sword" is available on eBay, Amazon, Wal-mart and even Linen and Things.", to copy a former reader on this subject. Elber wrote on 5 March, 2017 - 14:27 Really this Roman ship is there sunk ??? Do you have proof of this? Pages1 2 next › last » (7 Comments) Related Articles on Ancient-Origins 30 June, 2020 - 20:43 dhwty Greed and Decline: The Treasure of the Knights Templar and Their Downfall The ‘Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon,’ more commonly known as the Knights Templar, or the Templars, was one of the most renowned military orders during the Middle Ages. The... Read Later Read more about Greed and Decline: The Treasure of the Knights Templar and Their Downfall 1 January, 2017 - 01:00 ancient-origins 10 Strange, Unexpected, and Controversial Discoveries from 2016 Anomalies have been documented for centuries, and while many odd events or unusual artifacts have been explained over the years, strange happenings continue to incite controversy and imagination... Read Later Read more about 10 Strange, Unexpected, and Controversial Discoveries from 2016 24 January, 2016 - 03:39 ancient-origins More Evidence that Ancient Romans May Have Made It to Oak Island, Canada By Tara MacIsaac , Epoch Times What appears to be an ancient Roman sword has been found off the East Coast of Canada, but it is just one of several indications that Romans may have been there around... Read Later Read more about More Evidence that Ancient Romans May Have Made It to Oak Island, Canada 7 January, 2016 - 00:42 aprilholloway Unraveling the Origins of the Roman Sword Discovered Off Oak Island Last month, we reported on the startling discovery of a Roman ceremonial sword off Oak Island , located on the south shore of Nova Scotia, Canada, radically suggesting that ancient mariners visited... Read Later Read more about Unraveling the Origins of the Roman Sword Discovered Off Oak Island 17 December, 2015 - 02:56 aprilholloway Roman Sword discovered off Oak Island radically suggests Ancient Mariners visited New World 1,000 years before Columbus Researchers investigating the mysterious Oak Island, located on the south shore of Nova Scotia, Canada, have made a startling announcement regarding the discovery of a Roman ceremonial sword and what... Read Later Read more about Roman Sword discovered off Oak Island radically suggests Ancient Mariners visited New World 1,000 years before Columbus 8 December, 2014 - 10:59 mrreese The Lost Treasure of Oak Island and the Centuries-Old Quest to Find It From a distance, Oak Island, located on the south shore of Nova Scotia, Canada, appears to be just another island. Located approximately 200 feet from the shore, the tree-covered island rises to no... Read Later Read more about The Lost Treasure of Oak Island and the Centuries-Old Quest to Find It Join Our Weekly Newsletter I approve receiving emails Please verify your request State_ID NotActive Active Sign Up Now Marketing by ActiveCampaign Most Read Today Saint Aebbe Cut Off Her Nose to Spite Her Face Dark Skin and Blue Eyes: European Hunter-Gatherers Did Not Fit with Common Representations Remains of a Byzantine-era Monk in Chains Excavated in West Bank Irresistible Vikings? Charting Sex Bias and Gene Flows Into Ancient Scandinavia Mummy Juanita: The Sacrifice of the Inca Ice Maiden The Controversial Lapedo Child – A Neanderthal / Human Hybrid? Sign Up for PremiumAds-FREE Content Viral Articles Legends Technology Ancient Places How Much of What We Believe About Ancient History is Really True? Thinking Critically about Myths and Legends A legend is a tale regarded as historical even though it has not been proven, and the term “myth” can refer to common yet false ideas. Many myths and legends describe our history, but they are often treated skeptically. This is because many of them, while explaining a phenomenon, involve divine or supernatural beings. Eight Bizarre Superstitions from Ancient History The Dramatic True Story Behind Disney's Mulan The Disturbing True Story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin The Mysterious Man from Taured – Evidence for a Parallel Universe? Lilith: Ancient Demon, Dark Deity or Sensual Goddess? Which “Lost Culture” Created This 2,000-Year-Old Tomb? An ancient burial mound excavated in Siberia was found to contain 50 bodies and numerous bronze tools and artifacts. This exciting discovery belongs to an as-yet unidentified culture. 6 Shockingly Successful Ancient Warfare Tactics Elizabethan-Era Ship Found in Quarry Lake Along English Channel Coast Why did King Tut Have Possibly the First Three-Part Folding Camp Bed Ever Made? Fur Coats from 300,000 Years Ago: Earliest Evidence of Bear Skin Use Catapult: The Long-Reaching History of a Prominent Medieval Siege Engine Eight of the Oldest Temples in the Ancient World Since the earliest days of human civilization, humans have worshipped gods and built temples in their honor. 10 Shocking Facts about the Ancient Romans Pool of Siloam Where Jesus Healed a Blind Man To Be Fully Excavated Gobekli Tepe Archaeoastronomy and the Second Hill of Osiris The Dark Secret Behind the Hidden Room of Glamis Castle Niumatou Site: An Archaeological Preservation of Taiwan’s Lost Aborigines Ancient Origins has been quoted by: Greek Mythology Greek Mythology As Greek mythology goes, the universe was once a big soup of nothingness. Then, two things happened: either Chaos or Gaia created the universe as we know it, or Ouranos and Tethys gave birth to the first beings. Mother and Child Reunion Of Thetis And Achilles The Iliad can provide new insights on the role of motherhood among the ancient Greek gods, and by extension, amongst ancient mortal Greek women themselves. Very much like the lyrics of the famous... Mother and Child Reunion Of Thetis And Achilles Seductive Sirens of Greek Mythology and How Heroes Resisted Them Celestial Goddess Selene: The Ancient Greek Goddess of the Moon Pegasus of Greek Mythology: Majestic Winged Horse of Mount Olympus Dreams of Human-Powered Flight: Daedalus and the Story of Icarus Famous People 7 Child Monarchs from History and How They Changed the World When we think of a king or queen, more often than not we conjure an image of someone who is a little… advanced in years. Six Supremely Sadistic Deaths of Christian Martyrs Thomas of Woodstock and Shakespeare's Twisted History Edward the Black Prince Did Not Die of Chronic Dysentery, Study Reveals Has Livy’s History of Rome Skewed Our View of the Early Empire? St. Francis of Assisi: The Transformation from Spoiled Rich Kid to Saint Unexplained Phenomena What is a Wendigo? The Beast with an insatiable Hunger for Human Flesh The Wendigo is a horrifying creature of Algonquian Native American legends said to devour human flesh to survive a harsh winter. The Awe-Inspiring Karnak Temple Complex and Vatican of Ancient Egypt The Mysterious Man from Taured – Evidence for a Parallel Universe? 7 Legendary Cryptids that Turned Out to Be Real! Lost and Found Evidence of Extreme Size Life Forms Everywhere! Mysterious Cases of Living Fossils, Suspended Animation, and Hibernation Important Events The Stories Behind Seven of the Worst Massacres in Ancient History We all know that the ancient world was a violent place, but we often don’t appreciate just how violent it was. Did the Yuan Dynasty's Use of Paper Money Cause Hyperinflation? The Plague of Athens Killed Over a Quarter of the City's Population What was the Deadly Cocoliztli Disease that Decimated Aztec Society? 17th Century British Christmas Ban Led to Civil War Eight Historic Lies about the Ancient World that will Blow Your Mind Top New Stories Irresistible Vikings? Charting Sex Bias and Gene Flows Into Ancient Scandinavia A team of genetic scientists from Sweden turned their scanners on Viking DNA samples. They have now charted the “genetic flow” of ancient Scandinavia showing that incomers genetics didn’t fare so well as the native’s DNA, and women came there from both east and west. Saint Aebbe Cut Off Her Nose to Spite Her Face Venta Icenorum: Excavating Romans In Boudicca’s Lands The Stories Behind Seven of the Worst Massacres in Ancient History Remains of a Byzantine-era Monk in Chains Excav… truncated (4,628 more characters in archive)