‘Curse of Oak Island’: Everything You Need To Know Ahead of Season 9 Premiere
No Spoilers
History’s Curse of Oak Island is back, and the new season promises real results. In the premiere of this season, Rick Lagina says: “Every little piece of data seems to be aligning.”
TV Shows Ace has the rundown ahead of the season 9 premiere so you are up to speed and ready to be “Bobby-dazzled.”
Rick, Marty, and the Curse of Oak Island team have beefed up their resources and technology in their quest to solve the 224-year old treasure mystery. This leads to extensive digs where Rick, Marty, Craig Tester, and the team conducted to locate the fabled “Chappell Vault.”
Last season the seismic testing led them to believe a sunken ship was buried in the triangle-shaped swamp. And along with fully partnered with the landowner, Tom Nolan, the son of the late Fred Nolan, Rick, Marty, and Craig Tester are determined to put the various puzzle pieces together.
History says: “Even more extensive metal detecting will be used to search on the surface of the island while exhaustive archaeological digs will be conducted near the historic homestead foundations of Daniel McGinnis and Samuel Ball.”
Curse of Oak Island to date
The cofferdam at Smith’s Cove will be expanded so team COOI can conduct an even more extensive investigation. Already they have uncovered numerous manmade structures dating more than two decades before the Money Pit’s discovery back in 1795.
The band is back together, and new technology will unveil the found objects and buried bits from the past. The ancient stone path or slipway they found is also back in focus.
And a possibility of Portuguese explorer clues and a committed fervor “to go for the gold” will define the new season 9 of Curse of Oak Island.
Legends, expanded lore, and one more death (six have passed away) allegedly must happen before the treasure can be found. Not to mention metal detector Gary Drayton’s various dances for different metals.
Curse of Oak Island players for the Season 9 Premiere
Rick and Marty Lagina
Craig Tester
Peter Fornetti
Doug Crowell (Historian)
Alex Lagina
Miriam Amirault-Archaeologist
Dr. Matt Lukeman-Chemist
Dr. Ian Spooner-Geoscientist
Charles Barkhouse-Historian
Steve Guptill-Surveyor
Scott Barlow-Project manager Oak Island Tours
Laird Niven-Archaeologist
Billy Gerhardt – Property Improvement
Gary Drayton-Metal detection expert
Terry Deveau-Historian
Dr. Peir Pufahl-Geoscientist
Adam Macneil- Driller
Mike Tedford – Driller
Terry Matheson-Geologist
Kelly Bourassa-Conservationist
Carmen Legge-Blacksmith
“This is my Everest”
The Laginas are not giving up after ten years of searching. Last season, Dr. Ian Spooner tested in the Money Pit, and the results were astonishing. Lots of silver is suspected. Marty Lagina shares that silver dissolved in the water, and there is a lot of treasure in the area.
There’s a new twist. Nova Scotia’s Provincial Department of Community, Culture, and Heritage watchdogs oversee archaeology in the area and have put more restrictions on where and what the Laginas can excavate.
The eastern drumland is where they have rescinded their permissions except for the designated lots and the money pit. The department is asking for more formal permits and tests, hand screening, and overall tighter restrictions.
“We’ve proven that this place has some real historical value. But, unfortunately, the unintended consequence is we got more regulation…” says Marty Lagina.
Gold-colored objects and test results have put wind in the Laginas sails as the money pit treasure is still on the table. The expansion of C-1 shaft exploration and further exploration of the stone road and the vault is expected this year.
Dr. Spooner continues to test with boreholes and cutting-edge mineral analysis. These tests will determine the presence of gold and silver.
New boreholes will be done once the upcoming water tests are done, and the biggest and most expensive dig to date will commence. A ten-foot can will yield 40% more material to sift through.
The Stone Road
Last year, they found a stone road in the southeastern corner of the swamp. “This is an exciting area,” says Gary Drayton.
It was revealed to have a cobblestone pathway to “an undetermined location.” In addition, they found a trade weight and metal objects that were clearly man-made. They posited that this path was an offloading path for anyone transporting heavy materials to a ship.
Archaeologist Laird Niven is brought in to age the road and try to figure out its importance.
‘Why build a road in the swamp?”
The carbon-dated keg barrel items found near the stone road in the southeast corner have been the grease to get official permission for further exploration. They are believed to be 15th Century items.
Marty Lagina asks the salient question, “Why build a road in the swamp?” No spoilers, but exciting things will be found by Gary Drayton around this road.
The quest includes The Money Pit. The team is looking for the highest concentration of gold and silver. PPB or parts per billion will reveal what elements lay below in the test holes drilled inside the Money Pit.
This is where Terry Deveau’s professional assessment reveals the road was likely built in the 1500s.
Deveau brings in the Portuguese theory. He uses aerial footage to figure out that the stone road had a real purpose and specific endpoint. In a past season, Deveau believed the cross found in the stone was also of Portuguese origin.
Who has the most fun on COOI?
“What the HECK is that?” – Gary Drayton.
Granted, they are all grown men being funded and paid to hunt for treasure with cool toys, so that’s a pretty sweet gig in itself.
But observing the entire large cast of characters, boisterous metal detector expert Gary Drayton seems to have the most fun of all.
Drayton provides the levity to this series which needs to keep us glued to every little thing they pull up out of the muck.
The extended premiere is a complete blast, and big discoveries are made, so make sure to tune in and see all these theories come to fruition as the expanded team works together.
The Curse of Oak Island, Tuesday, November 2 at 9/8c on History Channel.
